Forms, Templates, and Model Documents

• General Collections of Legal Forms
• Topics and Practice Areas
• Official Forms From Government Agencies
• Uniform Laws and Model Acts

Lawyers frequently use forms, templates, and uniform or model laws to help them draft legal documents in a manner consistent with the requirements of statutes, regulations, and the rules of court procedure.

Drafting guides provide a general description of the requirements of a particular document.

Checklists provide a list of required and optional elements to be included in a document.

Sample clauses provide a selection of phrases and paragraphs that can be tailored by cutting and pasting to fit the requirements of a specific situation.

Model documents provide the text of entire legal documents. When they contain blank spaces to be filled in for variables such as a client's name and the date, they are called fill-in forms.

Caution: Because every legal situation varies, an attorney's expertise is often necessary to tailor any form to a specific legal situation or the rules of a particular court. Library staff can show you what forms are available and how to use the compilations, but we cannot advise you on which form to use for a specific situation, what information to put in a form, or how to adapt a form to your purposes. Do-It-Yourself Legal Forms: Plus or Peril? from ConsumerAffairs.com discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using free legal forms.

General Collections of Legal Forms

General form books can be divided into two main categories:

Pleading and practice forms are used for filing motions with the court during a lawsuit or criminal trial. Examples include complaints, answers, replies, and counterclaims. Often individual court Web sites will provide forms that follow the rules of that specific court.

Transactional instruments are used for legal situations that are not necessarily litigious in nature. Examples include leases, contracts, and wills.

On the Internet

Federal Forms Catalog for Citizens (Forms.gov)

Provides citizens and businesses with a common access point to federal agency forms. Search or browse by agency, form number, title, or keyword.

FindForms.com

Searchable database containing thousands of free legal forms.

Forms Room ('Lectric Law Library)

The Internet's biggest collection of legal forms, broken up into two broad overlapping categories: Law Practice and Business.

Forms From the Feds (University of Memphis)

Large selection of forms from U.S. federal government agencies.

Free Legal Forms (Goodman Law Firm)

Links to U.S. and state forms (the arrangement is alphabetic, but sources and topics are mixed together).

GAMA Forms (Global Arbitration Mediation Association, Inc.)

Contains GAMA forms related to arbitration and mediation.

ILRG Legal Forms Archive (Internet Legal Research Group)

Large collection of free legal forms, many adapted for state-specific use.

Legal Forms (LexisNexis)

Links to a small selection of online federal forms and state and local court forms.

Legaldocs (USA Law Publications, Inc.)

Interactive document preparation service, currently free. Fill in the form, submit, and instantly obtain a completed will, contract, lease, or other document.

State Resources (FindLaw.com)

Select the name of a state and the link to "Forms" to see forms for that state.

Texas Forms (FindLaw.com)

Texas statutory forms and documents, corporate filing forms and instructions.

At UNT

101 Law Forms for Personal Use (Nolo Press)
Call Number KF170 .L46
Located in Government Documents Reference Collection

Ready-to-use forms, checklists, and contracts for a variety of everyday legal and practical transactions that most Americans can safely handle without formal legal help.

American Jurisprudence Legal Forms (Lawyer's Cooperative Publishing)
Call Number KF170 .A542
Located on Third Floor, Willis Library

This multi-volume set offers step-by-step guidance in preparing the appropriate form for virtually any legal need in every jurisdiction in the United States "state and federal" ”plus variations adapted for important differences in the law in individual jurisdictions.

Stevenson's Texas Legal Practice Forms (Lawyer's Cooperative Publishing)
Call Number KFT1268 .S85
Available at Government Documents Service Desk

Looseleaf collection of forms and templates specific to the practice of law in Texas, updated by supplements on CD-ROM. 

Trial Lawyers Series (Knowles Publishing, Inc.)

Each volume in this series of loose-leafs discusses a specific aspect of trial law in Texas and provides appropriate checklists and forms for lawyers. Volumes are located on Third Floor, Willis Library under the call numbers specified below:

• Alternative Dispute Resolution KFT1760.3 .B73
• Automobiles KFT1496 .B72 1984
• Damages KFT1290.D3 B73 1987
• Depositions KFT1737.Z9 B73 1982
• Discovery KFT1737 .L6 1988
• Texas Discovery KFT1737 .A44 2004
• Evidence KFT1740.A59 B7 1991
• Texas Evidence KFT1740 .A59 A354 2003
• Family Law KFT1294 .B73 1990
• Premises Liability KFT1739.P4 B73
• Texas Premises Liability KFT1739.P4 A34
• Products Liability KFT1739.P7 B73
• Professional Liability KFT1739.M34 B73 1988

Topics and Practice Areas

Business

Bankruptcy Forms (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)

Official bankruptcy forms must be used to file and take action in bankruptcy cases. Procedural forms may also be necessary for use during the course of some bankruptcy proceedings. Additional filing instructions, along with the forms, are available in the Bankruptcy Forms Manual included here.

Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement (R. Mark Halligan, Esq.)

Part of the Trade Secrets Homepage, this is to ensure confidentiality in business transactions involving trade secrets.

How to Form a Corporation in Texas: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)
Paper copy in Willis General Reference, Call Number KFT1413.5.Z9 R65 2001

Protect yourself and make the most of your business venture without the expense and delay of hiring a lawyer, by incorporating your business on your own.

How to Register Your Own Trademark: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)

Available to members of the UNT community. Includes bibliography and index.

How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)

Available to members of the UNT community. Includes bibliography and index.

Texas Business Organizations Code Forms (Texas Secretary of State)

The Texas Secretary of State has promulgated these forms to facilitate filings with the office to meet statutory requirements of those doing business in Texas.

Texas Secretary of State

Numerous forms related to corporations, UCC, and notary public.

Trademark Application Forms (Master-McNeil)

Downloadable US Patent and Trademark Office trademark application forms, in PageMaker and WordPerfect formats. Also includes links to foreign and international trademark sites.

EDGAR Filer Manual (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)

Explains how registered EDGAR filers may file electronically with the SEC.

Court Procedure

How to Win in Small Claims Court in Texas: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)

Although small claims courts are designed to be more simple and "do-it-yourself" than other court cases, they can still be very complicated unless you know the process and language of the courts. This online book, available to members of the UNT community, simplifies and thoroughly explains everything you need to know to successfully handle your own small claims case, whether you are the plaintiff or defendant. Provides court terminology, step-by-step instructions, and forms.

Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, with Forms
Located in Remote Storage, Call Number Y 4.J 89/1-10: 

Appellate procedure consists of the rules and practices by which appellate courts review trial court judgments. It deals with such issues as what types of judgments can be appealed, how appeals are to be brought before the court, what must be proved to obtain a reversal of the lower court's decision, and what procedures parties must follow in dealing with the court.

Federal appellate courts are governed by the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. State appellate courts are governed by their own state rules of appellate procedure.

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, with Forms
Located in Remote Storage, Call Number Y 4.J 89/1-11: 

These rules govern the conduct of all civil lawsuits filed in Federal district courts. Although they do not apply to suits filed in state courts, the rules of many states have been closely modeled on these provisions.

Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
Located in Remote Storage, Call Number Y 4.J 89/1-12: 

These rules govern the conduct of all criminal proceedings brought in Federal courts. States also have statutes governing criminal procedure in state courts, subject to important constitutional limits. Most crimes in the United States are defined at the state or local level; federal crimes usually deal with activities that cross state boundaries or have an affect on federal operations.

Family Law

How to File for Divorce in Texas: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)

Filing for an uncontested divorce in Texas is fairly simple. This book, available to members of the UNT community, provides step-by-step instructions and blank fill-in forms.

Real Estate

CTO Form Letters (Cleveland Tenant'™s Organization)

Model letters to landlords for various problems, such as repairs, rent, utility, security deposits, retaliation, quiet enjoyment, and illegal entry.

Forms and Updates (Thomas & Thomas)

Standard California real estate forms for a variety of real estate-related fields as well as legal updates published by Thomas & Thomas, which contain analyses of trends and major decisions impacting real estate professionals in California.

Landlord's Rights and Duties in Texas: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)

Under Texas law, if you do not follow the exact procedures required ot landlords, you can be liable to your tenants for thousands of dollars in damages and attorney's fees. This book, available online to members of the UNT community, explains exactly what to do and how to do it, with forms, flowcharts, and examples from actual cases.

Mechanic'™s & Materialman's Lien Form (Paul J. Malikowski, Esq.)

Electronic fill-in form for a mechanic's and materialsman's Notice of Claim of Lien for the state of Nevada.

Renting, Leasing, and Real Estate (Freebusinessforms.com)

Standard forms related to renting and leasing property.

Wills and Estates

How to Make a Texas Will: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)

This book, available online to members of the UNT community, provides step-by-step instructions and blank fill-in forms.

How to Probate an Estate in Texas: With Forms (Sphinx Publishing)

This book, available online to members of the UNT community, provides step-by-step instructions and blank fill-in forms.

Texas Probate Forms (The Texas Probate Web Site)

Forms related to disability, trusts, estates, determination of heirship, and probate. Not recommended for use without an attorney's advice.

The Living Will Source Book, with Forms (P. Gaines Co.)
In Willis Library Third Floor, Call Number KF3827.E87 Z9587 1986

Includes relevant statutes and a sample form for each U.S. state.

Official Forms From Government Agencies

Many federal government forms are available on the Internet, usually from the Web site of the relevant agency or court.

United States Federal Agencies

Federal Forms Catalog for Citizens

Provides citizens and businesses with a common access point to federal agency forms. Search or browse by agency, form number, title, or keyword.

Forms From the Feds (University of Memphis)

Large selection of forms from U.S. federal government agencies.

Copyright Office

Forms for registering a claim of copyright and for some other purposes.

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The forms most commonly used by customers of Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Rural Development (RD). Many forms can also be electronically submitted to USDA.

See also:
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

Department of Commerce (DOC)

These forms may be completed on the screen before being printed. In order to complete these forms on the screen, you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or above.

See also:
International Trade Administration (ITA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Department of Defense (Office of the Secretary of  Defense)

Forms related to the management of defense-related activities in all branches and at all levels.

See also:
Army | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Air Force
Navy

Department of Education

Contract and grant applications and other forms.

See also:
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Federal Direct Consolidation Loans

Department of Energy (DOE)

Forms designed to obtain or provide structured information common to the needs of two or more DOE field or headquarters organizations.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Departmental forms listed by number and by title. Also includes links to other HHS forms sites.

See also:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) [formerly Health Care Financing Administration]
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Public Health Service (PHS)
Program Support Center (PSC)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

See:
Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBG) [formerly U.S. Customs Service and U.S. Border Patrol]

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUDCLIPS - HUD's Client Information and Policy Service)

Forms related to real estate and housing.

Department of Justice (DOJ)

See:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

Department of Labor (DOL)

The most frequently requested Department of Labor forms. You can complete some forms online, while you can download and print all others.

Department of State (STATE)

Forms related to visas, passports, grants, employment, and other purposes.

Department of the Interior (DOI)

Official forms for internal administrative matters.

See also:
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Ethics Office (DOI)
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
Reclamation Reform Act (Bureau of Reclamation)
Minerals Management Service - Gulf of Mexico Region (MMS)
Minerals Revenue Management (Minerals Management Service)
National Park Service (NPS)
National Register of Historic Places (National Park Service)
Office of Surface Mining (OSM)

Department of the Treasury (Treasury)

Links to forms used by various agencies within the Treasury Department.

See also:
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
Bureau of the Public Debt (BPD)
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC)
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
Financial Management Service (FMS)
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) [also has Corporate Applications]
Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) [also has Applications and Thrift Financial Report forms]
The Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture (TEOAF)
Treasury International Capital reporting system (TIC)

Department of Transportation (DOT)

Mainly forms for internal administrative purposes. Some can be filled out before printing.

See also:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): FMVSS Test Specification Forms | State Crash Forms

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Forms are searchable by number and keyword. Some forms can be filled out online.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Sample mediation agreements, intake sheets, settlement agreements, evaluations, and other forms to assist agencies in developing or improving upon their Alternative Dispute Resolution forms. Also includes sample evaluation forms.

Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank)

Working capital, insurance, and loan guarantee applications and forms to assist in financing the export of U.S. goods and services to international markets.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Applications for licensing and certification, permits, and other forms related to broadcasting.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Forms for internal administrative matters as well as for doing business with the FDIC.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Forms for filing utility annual reports and evaluations.

Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB)

Forms for FHLBank members to report their records of lending to first-time homebuyers.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

Applications, registrations, reports, and other commonly used Commission forms.

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)

ADR and arbitration forms, grant applications, and bargaining notices.

Federal Reserve Board (FRB)

Reporting forms used to collect data from bank holding companies, depository institutions, other financial and nonfinancial entities, and consumers.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Use this form to submit a complaint to the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection about a particular company or organization or to submit a complaint to the FTC concerning media violence.

General Services Administration (GSA)

Standard and optional forms (SF and OF series), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) forms, state hotel tax exemption forms, and other internal and external GSA forms.

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

Instructions and applications for IMLS grants, assessments, and awards.

International Trade Commission (ITC)

Use ITC's Electronic Document Information System to get filing details and to view, print, and download copies of documents filed in investigations. EDIS also lets you file certain documents electronically.

See also:

Administrative Protective Order (APO) forms
FOIA Request forms

Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)

Applications and forms for filing appeals and other pleadings.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Searchable database of electronic NASA and other government forms that can be filled out and submitted online.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Order forms for various records requests.

See also:

Access to Records by Veterans, Next-of-Kin, or the Veteran's Representative [including DD Form 214, Report of Separation]
Military Records Requests (SF 180)
National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) forms
Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) Standard Security forms

National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)

Accounting and reporting forms for credit unions and consumers.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

Research grant applications and related forms.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

NRC forms and International Atomic Energy Agency design information questionnaires.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Grants Management forms.
Paperword Reduction Act forms.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Forms related to federal personnel management. Includes Standard Forms (SF), Optional Forms (OF), OPM forms, and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) forms.

Office of Special Counsel (OSC)

Forms for civil service employees to disclose employer wrongdoing or to report incidents of retaliation for whistleblowing.

Peace Corps

Instructions and application form for joining the Peace Corps.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

Forms for applying for pensions, updating pension accounts, and administering pension plans. Also includes divorce orders.

Postal Service (USPS)

Mail forms and other forms for those who work for or do business with the U.S. Postal Service.

Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)

Reporting forms required in administering various benefit programs for federal railroad workers.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

Forms for requesting financial assistance, paying taxes, and complying with regulations.

Social Security Administration (SSA)

SSA's most frequently requested forms, downloadable in both Postscript and Portable Document Format (PDF).

U.S. Courts (Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts)

Bankruptcy forms and manuals.

State Agencies

AllLaw: State Resources

 Links to selected state government agencies that provide online forms. Select a state, then select "Forms."

FindLaw: State Forms

 This collection contains court forms for selected state courts.

Uniform Laws and Model Acts

Uniform Laws are proposed laws that the states are encouraged to adopt, the object being to achieve uniformity in state laws.

Model Acts are proposed laws on topics where reform, not uniformity, is the dominant aim. Those creating model acts expect state legislatures to make alterations or even take bits and pieces.

Restatements of the Law are efforts to codify or restate systematically areas still governed by common law (judge-made law). They are not proposals to the states, and their object is clarity, not reform or uniformity.

Agencies

National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (UCCUSL)

Drafts proposals for uniform and model laws on subjects where uniformity is desirable and practicable, and works toward their enactment in legislatures. Many of their publications are available online for free.

 American Law Institute (ALI)

Drafts and publishes various restatements of the law, model codes, and other proposals for law reform. Site includes information on ordering their publications.

Commonly Requested Uniform Laws and Model Acts

Many other texts of uniform laws and model acts are available on the UCCUSL Web site. Model Acts developed by the American Law Institute are not publicly available on the Internet.

Uniform Commercial Code (Legal Information Institute - Cornell)

Includes text of the code, browsable table of contents, and search engine. Does not include some of the most recent revisions. 

To see how the U.C.C. was enacted by a particular state, and to see proposed revisions, see Cornell's Uniform Commercial Code Locator. 

Uniform Probate Code (Montana)

The text of the Uniform Probate Code as originally promulgated is not available on the Internet, but Montana has adopted the most recent version with few revisions.

To see how the U.P.C. was adopted by other states, and to see proposed revisions, see Cornell's Uniform Probate Code Locator.

Uniform Rules of Evidence (University of Pennsylvania Law School)

Full text of the 1974 document with 1986 and 1988 amendments, available in HTML, ASCII, WordPerfect, or PDF format. 

To see how the U.R.E. was enacted by a particular state, and to see proposed revisions, see Cornell's Uniform Rules of Evidence Locator. This also includes the Federal Rules of Evidence, which are almost identical to the Uniform Rules of Evidence.

Uniform Business and Financial Laws Locator (Cornell)

This locator links to state laws which correspond to Uniform Laws in the subject areas of business and finance. In cases where the text of the Uniform Law as originally promulgated is available on the Internet, the site also links to that. 

Uniform Matrimonial, Family, and Health Laws Locator (Cornell)

This locator links to state laws which correspond to Uniform Laws in the subject areas of matrimony, family, and health. In cases where the text of the Uniform Law as originally promulgated is available on the Internet, the site also links to that.