Motion library
Every template in the library. Pick one to start its interview, or describe your situation and let the interview match it for you.
Document preparation, not a law firm — this is not legal advice.
Civil (15)
Motion to DismissAsks the judge to throw out the lawsuit (or some claims in it) before trial, usually because the complaint itself is legally defective.Doable without a lawyer for service or jurisdiction defects; attorney-heavy when the ground is failure to state a claim (pure legal argument). One of the most sold templates anywhere.Motion for Summary JudgmentAsks the judge to decide the whole case (or an issue) without a trial because the key facts are not genuinely in dispute.Attorney-heavy. This is an advanced motion — the app flags it honestly: consider attorney review before filing.Motion to Compel DiscoveryAsks the judge to order the other side to answer questions, hand over documents, or show up for a deposition after they refused, objected, or ignored the deadline.Commonly filed without a lawyer — one of the highest-frequency motions in real court dockets.Motion for ContinuanceAsks the judge to move a hearing, deadline-driven event, or trial to a later date.Commonly filed without a lawyer — one of the most-used forms on court self-help lists.Motion for Extension of TimeAsks the judge for more time to file a specific document — an answer, response, or brief — before its deadline passes.Commonly filed without a lawyer — a standard self-help form in many states.Motion in LimineAsks the judge before trial to keep specific evidence or topics out of the trial so the jury never hears them.Attorney-heavy. Trial is imminent when these are filed; flagged as advanced.Motion to Change Venue / TransferAsks the judge to move the case to a different county or court.Doable without a lawyer for the improper-venue ground; attorney-heavy for fair-trial/publicity grounds.Motion for Default JudgmentAsks the judge to award you the win because the other side never answered the lawsuit or failed to appear.Commonly filed without a lawyer, especially in small claims, collections, and eviction courts. Very template-friendly.Motion to Vacate / Set Aside Default JudgmentAsks the judge to undo a default judgment entered against you so you can defend the case on its merits.Commonly filed without a lawyer — one of the most urgent and most templated filings in consumer-debt and eviction courts.Motion for Protective OrderAsks the judge to limit or block discovery that is abusive, embarrassing, privileged, or far broader than the case justifies.Doable without a lawyer in simple privacy cases; attorney-heavy where privilege logs and trade secrets are involved.Motion to Quash SubpoenaAsks the judge to cancel or narrow a subpoena — usually one served on you, but sometimes on a third party like a bank or employer.Doable without a lawyer — non-party recipients frequently handle these alone because hiring counsel costs more than compliance.Motion to StrikeAsks the judge to delete specific material from the other side's filing — scandalous allegations, redundant matter, or a legally insufficient defense.Doable without a lawyer — but be honest with yourself: judges disfavor these motions, so expectations should be modest.Motion to Amend Complaint / PleadingAsks the judge for permission to change a document already filed — fix mistakes, add facts learned later, add or drop claims or parties.Commonly filed without a lawyer for corrections and early amendments; attorney-heavy when adding parties or claims that may be time-barred.Motion for SanctionsAsks the judge to punish the other side (or their lawyer) for misconduct — frivolous filings, disobeying a court order, or discovery abuse — with money penalties or case-ending consequences.Attorney-heavy in posture even when filed pro se. Judges take these seriously only when the paper trail is meticulous — you must identify the specific order or rule violated.Motion for ReconsiderationAsks the same judge to change a ruling just made, because of an error, new evidence, or a change in the law. (In some courts the proper name is Motion to Alter or Amend the Judgment, or Motion for Reargument — the local name matters.)Commonly filed without a lawyer — often hopelessly, as pure re-argument. This template screens for a recognized ground, which is where its value is.
Family (6)
Motion to Modify Child Custody / Parenting PlanAsks the judge to change an existing custody or visitation order because circumstances have materially changed since the order was made. Note: in many states this is filed on a mandatory official form (a "Request for Order," "Petition to Modify," or "Rule to Modify") — this document covers the substance; check whether your court requires its own form.Commonly filed without a lawyer — among the most-used self-help filings in the country.Motion to Modify Child SupportAsks the judge to raise or lower an existing child support order because income or needs have materially changed.Commonly filed without a lawyer — a top self-help form in most family courts. The inputs are mostly numbers.Motion for Contempt / Enforcement of Court OrderAsks the judge to find that the other party willfully disobeyed a court order and to punish or force compliance — makeup time, fines, fees, or in serious cases jail.Commonly filed without a lawyer — a top-3 family filing nationwide. But contempt is quasi-criminal: the other side may get a court-appointed attorney and the proof standard is higher.Motion for Temporary OrdersAsks the judge for short-term rules — custody, support, who stays in the home, who pays which bills — that hold the family steady while a divorce or custody case is pending.Commonly filed without a lawyer — a standard self-help packet in most family courts.Motion for Emergency Custody (Ex Parte / Emergency Temporary Orders)Asks the judge to change custody immediately — often the same day, sometimes without the other parent present — because a child is in immediate danger.Commonly filed without a lawyer out of necessity — emergencies do not wait for counsel.Motion to Relocate with a ChildAsks the judge for permission to move with a child when the move would change the custody arrangement or the other parent's time — or gives the formal notice many states require before moving.Doable without a lawyer when the move is genuinely uncontested or job-driven; attorney-heavy when contested — courts treat these as custody trials in miniature.
Criminal (5)
Motion to Reduce Bond / BailAsks the judge to lower the bail amount (or release the defendant on their own recognizance) so they can get out of jail while the case is pending.Commonly filed without a lawyer in practice — incarcerated defendants file these constantly. The highest-demand criminal entry by a wide margin.Motion for Discovery (Criminal)Asks the judge to make the prosecution hand over the evidence the defense is entitled to — police reports, witness lists, recordings, and any exculpatory material.Doable without a lawyer with care when the defendant is unrepresented (common in misdemeanor courts).Motion to Continue (Criminal)Asks the judge to postpone a hearing or trial date in a criminal case.Commonly filed without a lawyer, especially the "I need time to get a lawyer" variant — but pair it with a request for appointed counsel at the same hearing.Motion to Suppress EvidenceAsks the judge to throw out evidence the police obtained illegally — an unlawful stop, search, arrest, or interrogation — so it cannot be used at trial.Attorney-heavy — flagged honestly as the hardest motion in this catalog. Included because defendants ask for it constantly, but gated behind the strongest get-counsel warning in the app.Motion to Withdraw PleaAsks the judge to undo a guilty or no-contest plea the defendant already entered, so the case goes back to being contested.Attorney-heavy and time-critical. Post-plea regret is an extremely common pro se filing from custody — but this is a deadline emergency and a counsel-referral case first.
Landlord / Tenant (2)
Motion to Stay Eviction / Stay Execution of Writ of PossessionAsks the judge to pause an eviction — before judgment, or after judgment to stop the sheriff or constable from executing the writ — while you appeal, pay, or fix the problem.Commonly filed without a lawyer — the archetypal emergency pro se filing, and a named form in several states.Motion to Dismiss Eviction (Tenant)Asks the judge to throw out the landlord's eviction case because the landlord's own paperwork or procedure was defective.Commonly filed without a lawyer — tenant defense in eviction court is overwhelmingly self-represented, and defective-notice dismissals are the most winnable template in this section.
Post-Judgment (2)
Motion for New TrialAsks the trial judge to throw out the verdict or judgment and run the trial again because of serious errors in the first one. Note: a Notice of Appeal is NOT a motion — it is a separate, deadline-driven filing. If what you want is to appeal, stop and check that deadline first.Attorney-heavy in substance, but attempted frequently by pro se litigants after losing at trial. Carries a hard deadline warning.Motion to Stay Execution / Stay Enforcement of JudgmentAsks the judge to pause collection on a judgment — garnishment, levy, execution — while you appeal, pay in installments, or challenge the judgment.Doable without a lawyer in consumer-debt cases (wage-garnishment stays are a legal-aid staple); attorney-heavy when large bonds are involved.