To use the Maricopa County blank motion form, download the version that matches your case type from the Law Library Resource Center — form GN10f for civil, DR10f for family, or the probate equivalent — then complete the caption, write out what you are asking the court to do along with a supporting memorandum, attach a certificate of service and (for civil cases) a proposed order, and file everything with the Clerk of the Superior Court.1Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Law Library Resource Center The form is a general-purpose template for asking a judge for a ruling when no specialized court form exists for your request.
Where to Get the Form
The Law Library Resource Center (LLRC) posts the blank motion form on the Maricopa County Superior Court website, organized by case type: family, civil, probate, criminal, and juvenile.1Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Law Library Resource Center The family version is titled “Family Department Pleading/Motion and Order” (DR10f).2Maricopa County Superior Court. Family Court Forms The general civil version is GN10f. Each comes with an instruction sheet.
One warning built into the form’s own instructions: the blank motion cannot be used to open a new case. If you file it that way, the judge may deny it outright.3Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Procedures: What to Do With the Motion When You Have Filled It Out Use it only when a case already exists.
Filling Out the Caption
The top of the form routes your motion to the right courtroom. Write the Petitioner (or Plaintiff) and Respondent (or Defendant) names exactly as they appear on the original case-initiating document. Add the case number and the assigned judicial officer’s name. A typo in any of these fields can misroute the filing or delay processing.
Writing the Motion and Supporting Memorandum
State what you want the court to do, and be specific. “I ask the court to extend the discovery deadline by 30 days” is usable; “I need more time” is not. Under Arizona Rule of Civil Procedure 7.1, every motion must include a supporting memorandum that explains the reasons the judge should grant it, with citations to any legal authority or evidence you rely on.4New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 7.1 Motions It does not need to read like a brief from a law firm, but it does need to show why the court has authority to grant the request and what facts support it.
The motion and memorandum together cannot exceed 17 pages, not counting attachments or any required statement of facts.4New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 7.1 Motions Most routine motions run well short of that. You can ask the court for permission to exceed the cap, but it is rarely needed.
Certificate of Service
You must prove that every other party in the case received a copy of the motion. Arizona Rule of Civil Procedure 5 allows several methods:
- Hand delivery to the party, or leaving it at their office or home with a person of suitable age.
- U.S. mail to the party’s last-known address. Service is complete when you drop it in the mail.
- Electronic means, if the recipient has consented in writing or the court has ordered it.
- Transmission through an approved e-filing service like eFileAZ.
The certificate goes on the last page of the motion or as a separate document, and it must state the date and method of service and list each person served by name and address.5New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 5 Serving Pleadings and Other Documents Without it, the court can decline to consider the motion.
Preparing a Proposed Order
A proposed order is a separate document laying out the exact ruling you want, formatted for the judge’s signature. Under Maricopa County Local Rule 2.2, a proposed order must accompany all civil motions except motions for summary judgment. You lodge the original with the assigned judge’s division when you file the motion, and if a hearing is scheduled, at least two court days before that hearing.6New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 2.2 Proposed Order
Family cases are different. The family department instructions treat the proposed order as optional. If you do submit one, or if your motion is a stipulation between both parties, include a copy of the request and the order plus a stamped, self-addressed envelope for each party who has appeared. The judge uses those envelopes to mail signed copies to everyone involved.3Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Procedures: What to Do With the Motion When You Have Filled It Out
Attaching Exhibits
If your motion relies on documents — a contract, a photograph, correspondence, a medical record — attach them as labeled exhibits. Label each one (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, or Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2) and refer to it by that label in the memorandum so the judge can follow along. An exhibit that sits in the stack without being discussed does little for you.
Break multi-part exhibits into sub-parts (Exhibit 1A, 1B, 1C) if they contain distinct sections. Redact Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth for minor children before filing, especially if you are e-filing.
Filing Your Motion
Once the motion, memorandum, certificate of service, and proposed order are ready, submit them to the Clerk of the Superior Court. Maricopa County offers three routes.
E-Filing Through eFileAZ
eFileAZ handles civil initiating and subsequent filings, family law filings, and probate subsequent filings.7Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court. eFiling Information Lead documents and attachments can be PDF, DOCX, or ODT, but proposed orders must be DOCX or ODT so the court can edit them. Total submission size cannot exceed 9 MB.8Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Instructions: How to eFile Forms in an Existing Family Case Some documents cannot be e-filed at all, including motions to file under seal, hearing or trial exhibits, and fee waiver or deferral applications; those go in on paper.
In Person or by Mail
For in-person filing, bring three copies of the motion, two copies of the proposed order, and two self-addressed stamped envelopes (one for you, one for the other party).3Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Procedures: What to Do With the Motion When You Have Filled It Out File the original with the Clerk, have the clerk stamp all copies, then deliver a conformed copy plus the original and two copies of the proposed order and the envelopes to the assigned judge’s division. Mail a copy of the motion to the other party and keep one for your records.
Filing Depository Boxes
Exterior drop boxes accept filings after hours at four locations:
- Downtown Phoenix: 111 S. 3rd Avenue, outside the West Court Building entrance.
- Mesa: Southeast Court Complex, 222 E. Javelina Avenue, northeast side of the main entrance.
- Northeast Regional Center: 18380 N. 40th Street, main entrance.
- Northwest Regional Center: 14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane, Surprise, main entrance.
Internal boxes are also available inside the Central Court Building at 201 W. Jefferson and inside the Northeast Regional Court Center lobby.9Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court. Filing Depository Boxes
Filing Fees
Fees depend on the case type and the specific motion. In family court, post-decree motions like orders to show cause or stipulations to modify support, parenting time, or legal decision-making carry a $102 filing fee, while a motion for county transfer costs $35. If you have not paid an appearance fee in the case, that fee applies separately: $263 for civil, $287 for family, and $306 for probate.10Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court. Filing Fees
If you cannot afford the fee, Arizona allows a waiver or deferral. People receiving SSI who provide documentation generally qualify for a full waiver. Those receiving TANF or food stamps, or represented by a nonprofit legal aid provider, typically qualify for a deferral that postpones payment. The court may also compare your income to federal poverty levels and set up a payment plan if your income falls between 150% and 225% of the poverty line.11Arizona Judicial Branch. Fee Waiver and Deferral The application form is AOCDFGF1F, available from the Arizona Judicial Branch website.12Arizona Judicial Branch. Fee Waiver and Deferral Forms Fee waiver applications cannot be e-filed; submit them on paper.
What Happens After You File
The opposing party has 10 days to submit a responsive memorandum, subject to the same 17-page cap as your motion.4New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 7.1 Motions If a response comes in, you have 5 days to file a reply, capped at 11 pages, and the reply can only address arguments the response raised.
How Arizona counts those days matters. Because the 10-day response period is less than 11 days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays do not count. And if you served the motion by mail, electronic means, or the e-filing system rather than by hand, 5 extra calendar days are added.13New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 6(e) Computing Time In practice, a mailed motion gives the other party roughly three weeks to respond.
The judge then decides whether to rule on the papers or hold oral argument. Many routine motions are resolved without a hearing; the judge signs the proposed order or issues a minute entry. If a hearing is set, both parties get a notice with the date, time, and appearance format.
Emergency and Expedited Requests
Standard timelines do not fit every situation. Arizona courts recognize two faster tracks.
An emergency (ex parte) order is available when an affidavit or verified motion shows that you or a minor child will suffer irreparable harm before the other party can be heard. You must also certify in writing what efforts you made to notify the opposing party, or explain why notice should not be required.14Pinal County Superior Court. Emergency Orders for Legal Decision Making / Parenting Time File the motion, supporting affidavit, proposed order, and notice of hearing together. The bar is high: specific facts showing the harm is real and imminent, not general concerns.
If your matter is urgent but does not meet that bar, you can request an expedited hearing on a compressed schedule where both sides appear. File the request as a separate document from the underlying motion, and explain why the normal schedule will not work — for example, a property sale closing in two weeks that needs a court order first.
If the Judge Grants or Denies the Motion
A granted motion produces a signed proposed order or a minute entry reflecting the ruling. Keep it; that is the enforceable court order. If you provided stamped envelopes with a proposed order, the court mails signed copies using those envelopes.3Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Procedures: What to Do With the Motion When You Have Filled It Out
If the judge denies the motion, the minute entry or written order usually explains why. Arizona does not have a standalone motion-for-reconsideration rule like some states, but Rule 7.1 does not stop you from filing a new motion that addresses the deficiencies the court identified, provided you have new facts or arguments. Refiling the same motion with the same arguments is unlikely to change the outcome. If the ruling is a final order resolving the entire case or a discrete claim, an appeal — not another motion — is the remedy.