Which is the proper caption form for a party doing business as 'The Harmonica Man' in 'Tex Smith d/b/a The Harmonica Man v. Godfrey'?

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In captioning, you identify the real party in interest and show any trade names the party uses, so who is really bringing the case is clear. When someone does business under a trade name, you list the individual's name followed by d/b/a and the trade name. Here, Tex Smith is the person behind the business name The Harmonica Man, so the plaintiff should appear as Tex Smith d/b/a The Harmonica Man. For the defendant, you name the party by its legal name; using the surname alone is standard for an individual unless the full name is required or appears in the pleadings. Therefore, the proper form uses Godfrey as the defendant’s name, not adding a first name like Arthur unless that full name is the one used in the complaint. This form keeps the caption precise and aligned with pleading conventions, clearly identifying the real parties and minimizing ambiguity.