Alabama appeal brief requirements

Format, length, required sections and appendix rules — and a brief formatted to them for $299.

In Alabama, most appeals are decided by the Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama or the Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, and the Supreme Court of Alabama is the court of last resort. Each court has its own rules for how a brief must look and what it must contain.

At a glance

Court	Type	Margins	Opening brief	Reply	Appendix
Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama	Century Schoolbook 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	14,000 words	7,000 words	Appendix · A12
Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama	Century Schoolbook 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	14,000 words	7,000 words	Appendix · A12
Supreme Court of Alabama	Century Schoolbook 14 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	14,000 words	7,000 words	Appendix · A12

Rules profiles reviewed September 2026. Court rules change — confirm the current rules with the clerk.

Required parts of the brief, court by court

Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from civil cases within its statutory jurisdiction (e.g., amount in controversy up to $50,000), domestic relations, workers' compensation, administrative agency appeals (jurisdictional thresholds not verified here)

STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT · TABLE OF CONTENTS · STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION · TABLE OF AUTHORITIES · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES · STATEMENT OF THE FACTS · STATEMENT OF THE STANDARD OF REVIEW · SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

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Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from all criminal and quasi-criminal cases, post-conviction proceedings

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Supreme Court of Alabama

Court of last resort — hears appeals from civil appeals outside Court of Civil Appeals jurisdiction; certiorari review of Courts of Civil and Criminal Appeals

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Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama?

Century Schoolbook 14 pt, double-spaced; 1-inch margins; opening brief limit 14,000 words.

Does the Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama require an appendix?

Appendix: optional.

How long can a brief be in the Supreme Court of Alabama?

Opening brief: 14,000 words; reply brief: 7,000 words.

Can AppealDraft format my Alabama appeal brief?

Yes. Upload your draft and record documents, choose the court, and pay once ($299). You get the brief and appendix in Word and PDF, formatted to that court’s rules.

Have a draft for a Alabama appeal?

Upload it with your record documents. We put it in the court’s required form and build the appendix — Word and PDF, $299.

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