Washington appeal brief requirements

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

In Washington, most appeals are decided by the Washington Court of Appeals, and the Washington 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
Washington Court of Appeals	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1.5", right 1.5", bottom 1.5", left 2"	12,000 words or 50 pages	6,000 words or 25 pages	Appendix · A-12
Washington Supreme Court	Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced	Margins: top 1.5", right 1.5", bottom 1.5", left 2"	12,000 words or 50 pages	6,000 words or 25 pages	Appendix · A-12

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

Required parts of the brief, court by court

Washington Court of Appeals

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from superior courts (civil and criminal)

TABLE OF CONTENTS · TABLE OF AUTHORITIES · INTRODUCTION · ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR AND ISSUES PERTAINING TO ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · Signature block · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE · APPENDIX

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Washington Supreme Court

Court of last resort — hears appeals from direct review (RAP 4.2) and petitions for review of Court of Appeals decisions (RAP 13.4)

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Questions

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

Times New Roman 14 pt, double-spaced; margins: top 1.5", right 1.5", bottom 1.5", left 2"; opening brief limit 12,000 words or 50 pages.

Does the Washington Court of Appeals require an appendix?

Appendix: optional.

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

Opening brief: 12,000 words or 50 pages; reply brief: 6,000 words or 25 pages.

Can AppealDraft format my Washington 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 Washington 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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