Form book

A form book is a tool used by attorneys to aid in the filing of pleadings and motions and other such documents with a court or similar decision-making body. It is usually a binder containing loose-leaf pages, each of which has a "form", or model, of a different kind of motion that the attorney might file with a court. The style, format, and information required in such documents differs from one jurisdiction to another, between different levels of courts in a system, and between different areas of law. Therefore, the companies that publish casebooks and other legal materials often publish form books as well, offering selections specific to the location and type of practice in which their customers are engaged.

Typical forms included in a form book are a model complaint, answer, motion to compel discovery, motion for summary judgment, and request for permission to appeal. The advent of the internet has diminished the need for printed form books, as many of the most important forms are thereby made freely available by various courts, [http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/default.asp?file=general/forms.asp] and many more can now be purchased online.