District court — civil · Motions
Opposition / Response to a Motion
Responds to a pending motion.
Filed by: Non-moving party
Not yet verified. Compiled from the national rules and not yet verified by a reviewing attorney. The national rules are amended each December 1, and local rules, standing orders and judges' practices add to them. Confirm with the current rules before filing. This is not legal advice.
What it must include
- Caption: court name, title of the action, file number and document designation (FRCP 10(a))
- Memorandum in opposition
- Response to statement of undisputed facts (summary-judgment motions, per local rule)
- Supporting declarations or exhibits
- Signature of attorney of record with address, email and phone (FRCP 11(a))
- Certificate of service, unless served through the court’s electronic-filing system on registered users (FRCP 5(d)(1)(B))
Deadline and length
Deadline: Set by local rule or court order (no single national deadline).
Governing rules
- FRCP 6
- FRCP 7(b)
- Local rules
Check the local rules for
- Response deadline
- Font, spacing, margin and page-limit rules
- Assigned judge’s individual practices or standing orders
Applies in federal district courts. Find your court for its local requirements.
Other motions
Draft this filing in DraftAria.
Court-formatted template with this checklist built in, and brackets where your matter details go.