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Interrogatories Template – Free Download 2026

Download a professional interrogatories template. Customizable for all 50 states, available in PDF and DOCX formats. Attorney-verified and ready to use.

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When Do You Need a Interrogatories?

You are engaged in civil litigation and need to gather information from the opposing party about their claims, defenses, witnesses, expert witnesses, and the factual basis for their position through formal written questions answered under oath.

You need to identify all witnesses and documents the opposing party intends to use at trial — interrogatories are a standard tool for obtaining witness lists, expert identifications, and document descriptions early in discovery.

You need the opposing party to explain the factual and legal basis for specific claims or defenses before proceeding to depositions — interrogatory answers narrow issues and can be used for impeachment at trial.

You have issued a request for production of documents and want to coordinate interrogatories that require the opposing party to identify and explain the documents they produce.

Interrogatory Limits: Under Rule 33(a)(1) of the FRCP, a party may serve no more than 25 interrogatories (including discrete subparts) without leave of court. State courts vary — California permits 35 specially prepared interrogatories; Texas limits to 25. Each subpart of a compound interrogatory counts separately toward the limit.

Contention Interrogatories: Contention interrogatories — asking a party to state all facts supporting a legal contention — are permitted but courts may allow the responding party to defer answer until after substantial discovery is complete (Rule 33(a)(2)). Serve them late in the discovery period when the responding party has no excuse for a non-answer.

What Should a Interrogatories Include?

Definitions and Instructions

Define key terms: "you" (including the party and all agents), "documents" (all written, electronic, and tangible items), "communication," "identify" (for persons and documents), and the relevant time period. Include a supplementation instruction under Rule 26(e).

Identification Interrogatories

Questions asking the responding party to identify: all persons with knowledge of the claims or defenses, all expert witnesses and their opinions, all witnesses expected to testify at trial, and all documents supporting the party's claims or defenses.

Factual Background Interrogatories

Questions about the factual background: key dates, the nature of the relationship between the parties, the specific events giving rise to the claims, and the factual basis for each affirmative defense.

Damages Interrogatories

Questions about the amount and calculation of damages claimed: each category of damages, the factual basis, how the amount was calculated, and the supporting documents.

Contention Interrogatories

Questions requiring the responding party to state all facts, identify all documents, and identify all witnesses supporting each material contention in their pleadings. Best served late in discovery when all evidence has been exchanged.

Legal Details: Key Clauses in a Interrogatories

Review the standard legal provisions included in a professional interrogatories. Each section below contains clause language used in attorney-verified templates.

Definitions & Instructions
1.1

Pursuant to [Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure / applicable state discovery rules], Plaintiff/Defendant [____________] requests that Defendant/Plaintiff [____________] answer the following interrogatories separately, fully, and under oath within [30 / ____] days of service. These interrogatories shall be deemed continuing in nature, and you are required to supplement your answers promptly if you learn that any answer is in any material respect incomplete or incorrect. For purposes of these interrogatories, the following definitions apply: (a) "You" and "Your" mean [Responding Party] and all of its agents, employees, officers, directors, representatives, attorneys, affiliates, subsidiaries, and predecessors; (b) "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, governmental body, or other entity; (c) "Communication" means any oral, written, or electronic exchange of information, including letters, emails, text messages, and voicemails.

1.2

The following instructions govern your responses to these interrogatories: (a) Each interrogatory shall be answered separately and fully in writing under oath; (b) If you object to any interrogatory, state the specific grounds for objection with particularity; you must still answer any non-objectionable portion of the interrogatory; (c) If you are unable to answer any interrogatory fully after exercising due diligence to secure the information requested, so state, explaining in detail why you are unable to answer fully and setting forth whatever information or knowledge you possess regarding the subject matter of the interrogatory; (d) If any document is withheld under a claim of privilege or work product protection, identify the document in a privilege log stating the date, author, recipient(s), general subject matter, and privilege claimed; (e) Where a natural person is asked to identify a document, provide the date, author, recipient(s), title or subject, and location of each responsive document.

Substantive Interrogatories
2.1

INTERROGATORY NO. 1: Identify all persons with knowledge of the facts alleged in the Complaint or Answer, including for each person his or her full name, current address and telephone number, employer, job title, and a brief description of the facts within that person's knowledge. INTERROGATORY NO. 2: Describe in detail all facts supporting [each affirmative defense asserted in your Answer / each element of your claims as alleged in the Complaint], including the identity of all witnesses and documents that support your position. INTERROGATORY NO. 3: Identify all documents that you intend to use as exhibits at trial or in connection with any motion, including for each document its date, author, recipient(s), title, and current location.

2.2

INTERROGATORY NO. 4: Describe all communications between you and [____________] concerning [the subject matter of this litigation], including the date, method, and substance of each communication and the identity of all participants. INTERROGATORY NO. 5: Describe in detail all damages you claim to have suffered as a result of the events alleged in the [Complaint / Counterclaim], including a computation of each category of damages, the method used to compute damages, and all documents on which each computation is based. INTERROGATORY NO. 6: Identify all expert witnesses you intend to call at trial, including for each expert: name, address, area of expertise, opinions to be expressed, and the basis and reasons for each opinion, together with a list of all publications authored by the expert in the preceding ten years and a list of all cases in which the expert has testified in the preceding four years.

Certification & Verification
3.1

VERIFICATION: I, [Name of Responding Party or Authorized Representative], declare under penalty of perjury that I have read the foregoing answers to interrogatories and that they are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief. I am [the responding party / an officer of the responding party duly authorized to make this verification / the attorney for the responding party, making this verification because the responding party is not present in this district and the facts are principally within my knowledge]. Executed on [____________] at [City, State].

Signature Requirements

Attorney or Party Signature Required

Interrogatories must be signed by the propounding party or their attorney of record. Responses to interrogatories must be answered under oath by the responding party.

Discovery requests generally do not require notarization, but answers to interrogatories must be verified (signed under oath) by the responding party. Check your jurisdiction's specific rules on discovery signatures and verification requirements.

How to Fill Out a Interrogatories

1

Plan Your Discovery Strategy

List what you need to know to prove your case or defeat the opposing party's case. Group information needs into categories — witnesses, documents, damages, key facts, defenses — and draft interrogatories for each.

2

Draft Precise, Focused Questions

Each interrogatory should be clear, specific, and directed at a single topic. Compound, multi-part questions invite objections and evasive answers. Clear, targeted questions produce useful answers.

3

Count Your Interrogatories Carefully

Count each question and each discrete subpart toward your limit. If you need more than 25, file a stipulation with opposing counsel agreeing to expand the limit, or file a motion for leave showing good cause.

4

Serve Within Discovery Deadlines

Serve interrogatories with enough lead time to allow a 30-day response period (Rule 33(b)(2)) before the discovery cutoff. Interrogatories served too close to the cutoff may not be actionable.

5

Review and Follow Up on Responses

When responses arrive, compare each answer against the question asked. Identify evasive, incomplete, or objection-only answers. Send a meet-and-confer letter identifying deficiencies. If not cured, file a motion to compel under Rule 37.

Free Template vs Custom Interrogatories

FeatureFree TemplateCustom (AI or Attorney)
Basic interrogatory template with definitions
Standard identification and background interrogatories
Case-type specific interrogatories (contract, personal injury, employment)-
Contention interrogatories for complex litigation-
Attorney-drafted interrogatories tailored to your case-
AI-generated custom versionStarting at $9.99-

Interrogatories Template FAQ

What are interrogatories in a lawsuit?
Interrogatories are written questions served by one party on another party during the discovery phase of civil litigation. The receiving party must answer each question in writing, under oath, within 30 days (Rule 33(b)(2)) or the time set by state rules. Interrogatory answers are treated like sworn testimony — they can be used at trial to impeach the answering party if they contradict trial testimony. They are one of the four main discovery tools, alongside depositions, document requests, and requests for admission, and are particularly useful for identifying witnesses and pinning down the factual basis for claims and defenses.
How do you respond to interrogatories?
The responding party must answer each interrogatory separately and fully under oath, or state a specific objection with the legal basis (Rule 33(b)(3)). Common objections include: overbroad, unduly burdensome, vague, calls for a legal conclusion, seeks privileged information, and exceeds the interrogatory limit. A party cannot simply object without answering — if a partial answer is possible, the non-objectionable portion must be answered. Answers must be supplemented when the responding party learns the original answer is incomplete or incorrect (Rule 26(e)). Strategic use of objections to avoid substantive answers is sanctionable under Rule 26(g).
What is the difference between interrogatories and a deposition?
Interrogatories are written questions answered in writing within 30 days, typically drafted with counsel's assistance and reviewed before answering. Depositions are in-person oral examinations under oath with immediate follow-up questions — the witness cannot consult with counsel about how to answer (only whether to assert privilege). Interrogatories are better for comprehensive factual narratives, identifying documents and witnesses, and pinning down legal contentions. Depositions are better for probing credibility, testing witness knowledge, and locking in testimony before trial.
Can I be forced to answer interrogatories I think are improper?
If you believe an interrogatory is objectionable, you must serve a written objection within 30 days stating the specific legal basis. Simply ignoring interrogatories is not an option. Courts apply a proportionality standard under Rule 26(b)(1): discovery must be proportional to the needs of the case, considering the importance of the issues, the amount in controversy, and the parties' resources. Overbroad and unduly burdensome objections succeed when the requesting party cannot justify the breadth of their requests against the needs of the case.

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