Legal drafting formats: how advocates prepare a reviewed first draft

Prepare one reviewed draft

1. Find the relevant proceeding in the public drafting catalogue.
2. Check that its guided format is available in the app.
3. Enter facts, review every ground and attachment, then finalise professionally.

Free includes up to 5 active editable drafts; Pro includes up to 50. Public checklists do not generate a final document.

Browse drafting formats →

What guided drafting formats are

A guided drafting format is a structured checklist that walks an advocate through the facts, grounds and elements needed for a specific type of court proceeding — it is a preparation tool, not a finished document.

Drafting court documents from a blank page is time-consuming, particularly for less-common proceedings where the structure is not immediately obvious. A guided format solves this by providing the right questions in the right order: what are the facts, what is the relief sought, what are the grounds, what precedents are relevant, what documents are needed.

The output of a guided format is a structured first draft — a coherent starting point that an advocate reviews, amends and finalises before filing. It reduces the time from instructions to a draft without replacing the advocate's judgment about law, facts and strategy.

What LawLedger's drafting formats cover

LawLedger lists civil and criminal drafting categories. A guided format can be used only when it is individually reviewed and marked available in the app.

• Civil: Stay & Injunction (Order 39 CPC), Execution Pleadings, Evidence & Witnesses, Parties & Amendment, Restoration & Ex-Parte, Issues, Appeals, Special Proceedings, Attachment & Security.
• Criminal: Bail Applications, Trial & Evidence, Maintenance, Discharge & Defence, Appeal & Revision, NI Act (Section 138), Domestic Violence, Investigation & Police matters.
• A listed category is not a promise that every format in it can generate a document. Check the current availability of each format in the app.
• Formats are searchable by provision (e.g., Order 39 Rule 1), remedy (e.g., interim injunction) or document type.

How to use a guided drafting format

Answer the guided questions, review the structured output, then edit and finalise before filing.

The guided questions are designed to surface the information that changes between cases — the specific facts, the specific grounds and the specific relief. The structure of the proceeding stays consistent; your instructions make each draft specific to the matter.

1. Open the Drafting section in LawLedger and select the relevant matter type (Civil or Criminal).
2. Browse or search for the specific format, then check that it is marked available before starting.
3. Work through the guided questions: facts, parties, grounds, relief sought, documents available.
4. Review the structured output — this is a first draft, not a finished document.
5. Edit the draft for your specific case, the facts that matter most, and any additional legal arguments.
6. Have the final draft reviewed before filing. Download as a Word document for further editing.

What guided formats do not replace

A guided drafting format is a preparation tool. It does not replace legal research, case-specific judgment or the advocate's professional responsibility for the document filed.

LawLedger's drafting formats are preparation checklists for enrolled advocates, not certified document templates or legal advice. The output is a structured starting point that the advocate reviews and takes responsibility for before it enters the court record.

• Legal research: formats provide structure, not applicable precedents for the specific facts. Research is still required.
• Case-specific strategy: the strongest grounds for a particular matter depend on the facts, the judge and the stage of the case — the format captures the structure, not the strategy.
• Final review: every document produced using a format must be reviewed and approved by the advocate before filing. The advocate remains responsible for the content.
• Court-specific variations: some courts have specific filing requirements, formats or annexure preferences that may differ from the general structure.

Linking a draft to a tracked case

When a reviewed format is available, a draft can be linked to a tracked matter for context.

When working on a matter that is already tracked in LawLedger, link the draft to that case. The case details — parties, CNR, next date — are then available in the same workspace as the draft, reducing the switching between screens.

The standard Free plan allows up to 5 active editable drafts and Pro up to 50. Availability of a guided format is separate from saved-draft capacity; check that it is marked available in the app before starting.