Use Form Interrogatories to request information
Use Form Interrogatories when you want to gather information from the other side by having them answer questions from a list on a form, and swear under oath that the answers are true.
Before you start
Form Interrogatories are a list of questions on a court form. You select the questions you want the other side to answer by checking the questions on the form.
This is useful for more general types of information such as present residence, name of present employer, if the other side has a valid driver’s license, speaks English, etc., as well as common allegations and defenses in common case types.
- State the date and place of your birth.
- State your present address.
- Describe each injury or illness related to the INCIDENT.
- List all rent payments and rent credits made or claimed by or on behalf of defendant beginning 12 months before the NOTICE TO QUIT was served.
If the questions you want to ask aren’t included on the court form, then you can use a Special Interrogatory instead. This is a list of questions you write yourself. The questions can be specific to your case.
How to fill out Form Interrogatories
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Choose the right form
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Form Interrogatories - Limited Civil Cases (Economic Litigation) (form DISC-004)
Use this if the amount you’re requesting in your case is $35,000 or less.
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Form Interrogatories - General (form DISC-001)
Use this form if the amount you’re requesting in your case is more than $35,000.
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Form Interrogatories - other types of cases
There are other forms you can use in family law, employment law, eviction, and construction defect cases. These forms will have different definitions and checkboxes than the ones described below, but operate on the same principle.
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Fill out the basic information
Some tips and definitions of terms that may help you fill out page 1 of the form:
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Where it says "Attorney for," write “Self-represented.” This means you do not have a lawyer and represent yourself.
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The person who started the case is the plaintiff, the person responding to the case is the defendant. On the form, write (the last name of the plaintiff) v. (the last name of the defendant) as the “short title of the case.”
For example: Thompson v. Hernandez
If either the plaintiff or defendant is a corporation, LLC, or other legal entity, use the name of the entity. If the entity name is long, you may abbreviate it. For example: Acme, Inc. v. Smith-
You are the Asking Party. The other side is the Answering Party.
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Set No. refers to the number of times you’ve sent form interrogatories. Write “one” if this is the first set you are sending to a party. You may send another set later on with different questions checked, or a different definition of INCIDENT.
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On the form, check the box at the bottom of page 1 next to the word INCIDENT if your case is about a single event. This says that any time INCIDENT appears in a question it refers whatever event your case is about.
If your case involves multiple events, check the box at the top left of the second page, and fill in a definition for INCIDENT.- Leave the signature line blank that is part of the instructions block. If there is a place to sign, it will be at the end of the form (most Form Interrogatories do not have a place to sign).
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Select questions
On Page 2 and beyond, check the box next to each question you want the other side in your case to answer.
If your case is a limited civil case ($35,000 or less) you can request up to a total of 35 combined request for admissions, form interrogatories , special interrogatories, and requests for production.
If your case is an unlimited civil case (more than $35,000) form interrogatories are not counted against the amount of discovery you may ask.
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Make copies
Make a copy of your form interrogatories for each attorney or self-represented party in your case. You will keep the original. They are not filed with the court.
Discovery from a party in your case
What's next?
Once you’ve completed the form, you’ll serve it by mail to the other attorneys or self-represented parties.