Centered text is generally overused. It’s like ordering plain cheese pizza—safe but boring. If you look at any newspaper or magazine, it’s rare to see any text centered except for the masthead on the front page. Asymmetry is nothing to fear.

Yet it is feared. So I’ve written a poem for you:

An Ode to Centered Text

Centered text is acceptable when used for short phrases or titles.
E.g., the name on your business card or on your letterhead.
Or in court filings, you can center major section headers
like “Introduction”, “Argument”, and “Conclusion”.
It may be conventional in your jurisdiction
to center other elements of the filing
(for instance, the causes of action).
If you enjoy centering text, then
I recommend you learn to
type a hard line break*
so your lines start
in sensible
places.
OK?

(* In Word and Pages = shift + return; in WordPerfect = ctrl + shift + L.)

Blocks of text, including sentence-length headings in pleadings, should not be centered. Centering makes them difficult to read because it disrupts the left edge of the text. Centering also makes them difficult to align with other elements on the page.

Text set in tables should also not be centered. The table imposes a grid on the data. The formatting of the text should follow the grid. Centering disrupts the alignment.

Many lawyers get letterhead and business cards with the text centered. This is the plain-cheese option.