Colorado appeal brief requirements

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

In Colorado, most appeals are decided by the Colorado Court of Appeals, and the Colorado Supreme Court 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
Colorado Court of Appeals	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1.5", right 1", bottom 1", left 1"	9,500 words	5,700 words	Appendix · A12
Colorado Supreme Court	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1.5", right 1", bottom 1", left 1"	9,500 words	5,700 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

Colorado Court of Appeals

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from district court civil and criminal final judgments, probate, juvenile, many agency appeals

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · TABLE OF CONTENTS · TABLE OF AUTHORITIES · STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES PRESENTED FOR REVIEW · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · REQUEST FOR ATTORNEY FEES · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

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Colorado Supreme Court

Court of last resort — hears appeals from certiorari review of Court of Appeals; direct appeals (e.g., water, PUC, election, some constitutional cases)

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Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the Colorado Court of Appeals?

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced; margins: top 1.5", right 1", bottom 1", left 1"; opening brief limit 9,500 words.

Does the Colorado Court of Appeals require an appendix?

Appendix: optional.

How long can a brief be in the Colorado Supreme Court?

Opening brief: 9,500 words; reply brief: 5,700 words.

Can AppealDraft format my Colorado 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 Colorado 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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