Document checklists

These are general lists. Your court or your lawyer may need more, or fewer, documents depending on the facts and the stage of the case. Bring copies, and keep the originals safe.

Bail (regular or anticipatory)

1. Copy of the FIR, or its number, date and police station
2. Any notice received from the police and its date
3. Copies of earlier bail orders or rejection orders in the same case
4. Custody certificate, where the accused is in custody and the court asks for it
5. Details of any other cases against the accused (courts expect these to be disclosed)
6. Identity proof of the accused
7. For sureties: identity proof, address proof and the surety documents the court accepts (for example property papers or a fixed deposit)

Cheque dishonour (Section 138 NI Act)

1. The original dishonoured cheque
2. The bank's return memo, with the date you received it
3. Copy of the demand notice sent, with postal receipts and tracking or acknowledgement
4. Any reply received to the notice
5. Proof of the debt: agreement, invoices, ledger, bank statements or messages
6. Your identity proof; for a company, the board resolution or authorisation

Civil suit (property or recovery)

1. Title documents: sale deed, gift deed, will or allotment letter
2. Revenue records: jamabandi, fard, mutation, or property-tax records
3. Any agreement, receipt or written acknowledgement
4. Correspondence and any legal notice sent or received
5. A site plan, where the suit concerns land or a building
6. Earlier orders in any related case

Matrimonial and maintenance

1. Marriage certificate, or wedding photographs and invitation card
2. Proof of present address of both parties
3. Income proof of both parties: salary slips, ITRs, bank statements
4. Details of children: names, dates of birth, schooling and expenses
5. Copies of any complaint, DIR or earlier case between the parties
6. List of articles (istridhan) and any receipts
7. For maintenance: the affidavit of assets and liabilities that courts require under the Supreme Court's directions in Rajnesh v. Neha, AIR 2021 SC 569, Supreme Court of India, decided 04.11.2020

Consumer complaint

1. Invoice, receipt or booking document
2. Warranty, policy or terms of the product or service
3. Your written complaint to the seller or service provider and their replies
4. Legal notice, if sent
5. Photographs, expert or service reports showing the defect or deficiency
6. Your identity proof

Writ petition (P&H High Court)

1. The order or action being challenged, as a certified or true copy
2. Your representation to the authority and any reply
3. Service or appointment records, for service matters
4. The rules, policy or notification relied on
5. Identity proof with residential address of each petitioner, as the High Court's objection checklist requires
6. Earlier orders in any related case

What to bring to court on a hearing date

1. Photo identity proof (the original)
2. The summons, notice or the last order showing the next date
3. A copy of your case papers, in order
4. For bail matters: sureties with their originals, where the court has asked for them
5. Any document the court directed you to bring
6. A pen and a note of your lawyer's contact number; switch your phone off inside the courtroom

Last reviewed 10 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Stage-by-stage guides for each area are in Know Your Case.