Information on Using Legal Forms

The Judicial Council adopts legal forms in one of two ways. Under Government Code section 68511, the council may "prescribe" certain forms. Use of those forms is mandatory. The council may also "approve" forms. Use of an approved form is not mandatory, but the form must be accepted by all courts in appropriate cases (rule 1.31). Forms thus are "adopted" for mandatory use and "approved" for optional use.

Optional vs. mandatory (How to tell): The lower left corner of the first page of each form indicates whether the form was "adopted" (mandatory) or was "approved" (optional) by the Judicial Council. (Note: Local rules of many courts make the use of some or all optional council forms mandatory in those courts. Please check local court rules.)

Format: Judicial Council forms are not subject to the requirements of rules 2.100, which specify the format of papers filed in the superior courts.

Computer versions of forms: A party may file a "duplicate" of a council form produced entirely by computer (rule 1.44).

True copies required: The party or attorney who files either a printed or computer version of a legal form, certifies by filing the form that it is a true and correct copy of the original form (rule 2.132).

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