How to Make an Exhibit List for Family Court (With a Template)

Your hearing notice or pretrial order says you need to submit an exhibit list, or you simply want the judge to be able to follow your evidence without hunting through a stack of paper. Either way, you’re looking at a pile of printouts and wondering what this document is supposed to look like.

An exhibit list is simpler than it sounds: an organized index of what you plan to show the court. Done well, it helps the judge, the other side and you keep track of every document during a hearing that can move fast. This guide covers where to find your court’s requirements, what goes in each column, how to word descriptions, when to share the list, and how to use it once the hearing starts.

What is an exhibit list?

An exhibit list is a table of every exhibit you intend to use, with a number, a short description and a date for each one. It is an index, not an argument, and it isn’t the exhibits themselves. Think of it as the table of contents for your evidence.

It helps in three ways. The judge can see at a glance what you plan to present. The other side knows what to expect, which many courts require as a matter of fairness. And you have a checklist to make sure nothing important gets forgotten in the moment.

Where do you find your court’s requirements?

Look before you build. Many courts have a required form, format or deadline, and using the wrong one can cause delays. The answer is usually in one of a few places.

• Your hearing notice, scheduling order or pretrial order. Deadlines for exhibit lists are often set here.
• Your court’s local rules, usually posted on the court’s website.
• The court’s forms page. Some courts publish a fill-in exhibit list form.
• The self-help center or clerk’s office. Staff can’t give legal advice, but they can usually point you to the right form and deadline.
• The judge’s own procedures, if your judge publishes standing orders or courtroom preferences.

As you look, write down the answers to these questions: When is the list due? Is it filed with the court, exchanged with the other side, or both? Is there a required form? Do you use numbers or letters? How many copies of each exhibit should you bring? How are digital or video exhibits handled?

What goes on an exhibit list?

At the top, the case information. Below that, one row per exhibit with a number, a description and a date, plus room to track what happens to it at the hearing. If your court has a form, follow it exactly; if not, a simple table like the one below works in many courts.

The header usually includes the court’s name, the case number, the parties’ names as they appear on your filings, a title such as “Petitioner’s Exhibit List,” and your name, the date and your signature. Some courts also want a certificate of service stating when and how you delivered it to the other side.

Some court forms add more columns, such as “Identified,” “Objection” or “Date admitted.” Those columns are for tracking what happens in the courtroom. Leave them blank on the copies you hand in, unless your court tells you otherwise.

How should you describe each exhibit?

Neutrally and specifically: what it is, who made it, the date or date range, and how many pages. The description tells the reader what the item is; it’s the judge’s job to decide what it proves.

Argumentative descriptions tend to cost credibility, and they can draw an objection before the exhibit has even been discussed. Vague descriptions cause a different problem: no one can tell which document you mean. Specific and neutral solves both.

What order should exhibits go in?

Usually the order you plan to present them, which tends to be either chronological or grouped by issue. Either works, as long as the numbers on the list match the labels on the exhibits exactly.

• Chronological is easy to follow when your case tells a story over time, such as a pattern of missed exchanges.
• Grouped by issue works when you have several separate points, such as school, health and communication.
• One exhibit or several? A long text thread can be one exhibit, but splitting it by date range or topic makes it easier to point to the exact part you mean, and if one part draws an objection, the rest isn’t tangled up in it.
• Freeze the numbers once you’ve shared the list. If you add something later, ask how your court handles additions rather than renumbering everything.

Labeling is its own skill. Our guide to labeling and numbering exhibits covers stickers, page numbers and copy sets.

When and how do you share the exhibit list?

By the deadline in your order or local rules, delivered the way your court requires, with proof that you did it. Missing the deadline can lead to objections to your evidence, so treat it like a court date.

1. Finalize the list and the exhibits together. Every number on the list should match a labeled exhibit.
2. Sign and date it, and add a certificate of service if your court requires one.
3. File it, exchange it, or both, as your court requires, along with copies of the exhibits if those must be exchanged too.
4. Keep proof of delivery, such as a filing stamp, an email confirmation or a mailing receipt.
5. Prepare hearing copies: commonly one for the court, one for the judge if separate, one for the other side, one for the witness stand, and your own working copy.

How do you use the exhibit list during the hearing?

As your checklist. The general process for using an exhibit often goes like this: you identify it by number, show it to the other side, have a witness (often you) explain what it is, ask the court to admit it, and the judge rules. Courts handle the details differently, so watch how your judge runs things.

• Mark your working copy as you go: “O” when you offer an exhibit, “A” when it’s admitted, “X” if it’s excluded, plus a word or two about any objection.
• Before you finish presenting your side, scan the list for anything you meant to offer but didn’t. In many courts, an exhibit you talked about but never formally offered isn’t part of the evidence.
• Keep your list in the front of your binder so you can find it fast. Our guide to building a trial binder for family court shows a layout that works.

How can you build the list faster?

Build it as you go, not the night before. Every time an item makes your “definitely using this” pile, add a row with its description and date while the details are fresh.

If your evidence already lives in a tool like Evidence Helper, its Evidence Index can serve as a starting draft that you then adapt to your court’s form; the evidence guide explains how the index and exports fit together. For the bigger picture of getting ready, see how to prepare for a custody trial on your own. And if your case has many exhibits or complicated evidence questions, a limited consultation with a licensed attorney where you live can be a practical way to check your list before it’s due.