Free tool
Free court filing template generator
Pick a court and a filing type and get a court-formatted skeleton: caption, section headings from the federal filing guide, table of contents and table of authorities where the filing calls for them, signature block and certificates. Download it as Word or PDF. No sign-up, no AI.
A starting point, not a finished filing. The template gives you the structure and the requirements to check; you write the content and confirm the court’s current local rules, the judge’s standing orders and any order in your case. Runs in your browser: no AI, and nothing leaves your device. Not legal advice.
Build your template
Preview
Choose a court and a filing type to see the template, or try an example: an opening brief in the Ninth Circuit.
How it works
How the template generator works
- Pick the court and filingEvery court in DraftAria’s data is in the list. Federal courts offer the filing types in the federal filing guides; state appellate courts offer general templates.
- Fill in what you knowParties, case number, judge, title, counsel and service details. Leave anything blank and it stays a [bracketed placeholder] in the template.
- Check the structureHeadings follow the parts the filing guide lists for the filing, each with a note quoting the requirement. The court’s stored format rules and the guide’s checklist sit beside the preview.
- Download and draftWord (.docx) with Word’s own styles and real table-of-contents and table-of-authorities fields, or PDF. Write the content, delete the notes and confirm the local rules before you file.
In DraftAria
Want Aria to draft the content and check filing readiness?
Signed in, the DraftAria Template Generator builds the same court-formatted structure and has Aria draft a first version in your firm’s house style. Filing checks compare the draft with the court’s stored rules before you file, and everything Aria drafts is marked for review. See the product overview.
The solo and small-firm plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card. See pricing or book a demo.
More free tools and reading:
- Brief length checker: word count and length limits by court.
- Citation format checker: flag Bluebook format problems and preview a Table of Authorities.
- Federal court deadline calculator: count FRCP 6(a) periods step by step.
- Federal filing guides: required parts, deadlines and length limits.
- Court filing rules for federal and state courts.
- How to build a Table of Authorities in Word.
FAQ
Questions about the template generator
Is the court template generator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no AI. The template is built in your browser, and so are the Word and PDF files: nothing you type is sent to DraftAria, to an AI model or to any other service, and nothing is saved when you leave the page.
What does the template include?
A caption (a cover page for briefs in the courts of appeals and the Supreme Court), the document title, a heading for each part the federal filing guide lists for the filing, [TABLE OF CONTENTS] and [TABLE OF AUTHORITIES] where the filing calls for them, a signature block, a certificate of service and, where the national rules require one, a certificate of compliance. Each section carries a bracketed note with the requirement it comes from, and anything you leave blank stays a [bracketed placeholder]. You can switch the tables and each certificate on or off.
Where do the sections and rules come from?
From DraftAria's federal filing guides, which list what the national rules (the Federal Rules of Civil, Criminal and Appellate Procedure and the Supreme Court Rules) and federal statutes require for each filing, and from the format rules DraftAria's court data stores for each court. A few sections, such as a Conclusion, are added where the guides list none; they are marked as common sections, not rules. The data has not yet been verified by a reviewing attorney or against each court's official rules.
Does the Word file have a real table of contents and table of authorities?
Yes. The .docx uses Word's built-in styles (Title, Heading 1, Body Text, Signature), so the [TABLE OF CONTENTS] placeholder becomes a real Word table-of-contents field built from the headings, and [TABLE OF AUTHORITIES] becomes a real table-of-authorities field that lists the citations marked in the document (in Word: References, then Mark Citation). Word offers to update the fields when you open the file.
Does it work for state courts?
The federal filing guides cover federal courts only. For the state appellate courts in DraftAria's court data, the generator offers general templates (appellate brief, motion and memorandum of law) with the same structure as DraftAria's in-app Template Generator, and shows the format rules the court data stores for that court. Check the court's rules for what each filing must contain.
Can I file the template as it is?
No. It is a starting point: a structure with placeholders, not a finished filing and not legal advice. Fill in every placeholder, delete the bracketed notes, and check the court's current local rules, the judge's standing orders and any order in your case for format, length and content requirements.
Why can't I generate some filing types?
Filings that are made on an official form, such as a subpoena (form AO 88), a bill of costs in the district court (form AO 133) and a motion under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, are listed but not generated. Use the official form; the filing guide for each one says what it must include.
How is this different from DraftAria's Template Generator?
This free tool builds the structure only. Signed in, DraftAria's Template Generator can have Aria draft a first version of the content in your firm's house style, and the filing checks compare a draft with the court's stored filing rules before you file. Everything Aria drafts is marked for review before you rely on it.
Let Aria draft it and check it before you file.
DraftAria drafts court-formatted filings with Aria and checks them against the court's stored filing rules. Start a 14-day free trial, or book a demo.