Court Document Mailing Packets API reference

PostalForm uses the same workflow definition for this API reference and its guided browser form. Fetch the live schema, collect the active required fields and attachments, and validate the completed request. Review the generated PDF, resolved recipient, mailing service and price with the owner before authorizing payment.

Send a top-level form instead of pdf or letter; those three document sources are mutually exclusive. Workflow forms are letters, not postcards. The machine envelope requires buyer, sender and recipient fields. For predefined or computed recipients, the server binds the final recipient to the workflow rules. Inspect the resolved recipient returned by validation; do not substitute a convenient office address.

The template below is structural, not ready to submit: replace every placeholder, complete the active fields, omit unused optional attachments, and use the field options and visibility rules in the schema. Empty strings and unchecked checkboxes are not user answers. Never infer a signature, legal eligibility, factual declaration or consent from a default value.

{
  "request_id": "<new UUID; preserve on retry>",
  "buyer_name": "<buyer name>",
  "buyer_email": "<buyer email>",
  "sender_name": "<sender name>",
  "sender_address_type": "Manual",
  "sender_address_manual": {
    "line1": "<street address>",
    "city": "<city>",
    "state": "<state or region>",
    "zip": "<postal code>",
    "countryCode": "US"
  },
  "recipient_name": "<confirmed recipient name>",
  "recipient_address_type": "Manual",
  "recipient_address_manual": {
    "line1": "<street address>",
    "city": "<city>",
    "state": "<state or region>",
    "zip": "<postal code>",
    "countryCode": "US"
  },
  "mail_class": "standard",
  "double_sided": true,
  "color": false,
  "certified": false,
  "form": {
    "slug": "court-document-mailing-packets",
    "fields": {
      "document_type": "",
      "document_title": "",
      "case_status": "",
      "case_caption": "",
      "case_number": "",
      "sender_name": "",
      "sender_role": "",
      "sender_address": "",
      "recipient_company_name": "",
      "recipient_name": "",
      "recipient_address": "",
      "filing_deadline": "",
      "packet_notes": "",
      "mail_acceptance_acknowledged": false,
      "filing_requirements_acknowledged": false,
      "no_physical_enclosures_acknowledged": false,
      "service_acknowledged": false,
      "not_filed_acknowledged": false,
      "not_legal_advice_acknowledged": false
    },
    "attachments": [
      {
        "id": "primary_document",
        "file_name": "<filename>",
        "base64": "<base64 file content>"
      },
      {
        "id": "supporting_documents",
        "file_name": "<filename>",
        "base64": "<base64 file content>"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Compound fields use nested objects keyed by subfield ID. Evaluate group and field visibility before deciding which fields are active. Conditional requirements, validation rules, recipient rules, attachment formats and compliance policies are preserved in the complete schema below.

{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "workflow_version": 1,
  "slug": "court-document-mailing-packets",
  "name": "Court Document Mailing Packets",
  "description": "Upload completed court documents and mail them to a court clerk or other verified legal recipient.",
  "agent_summary": "Collect a completed court-document PDF, optional exhibits, document type, case status and optional case number, sender and one court-recipient, deadline context, and acknowledgements that the user verified mailing acceptance, local rules, service, privacy, fees, copies, and signatures. Each order creates one reviewed mailpiece. Mailing does not establish filing, docketing, service, deadline compliance, or court acceptance.",
  "form_summary": "Use this upload-first workflow to print and mail completed court documents you already prepared. Enter one exact court or legal recipient, confirm local mailing requirements, and review the packet before checkout. Create a separate order for any differently reviewed service or courtesy copy.",
  "data_collected": [
    "Court-document type and a user-facing packet label",
    "New-case or existing-case context, case caption, and optional case number",
    "Sender name and return mailing address",
    "Court, clerk, division, or other primary legal recipient and verified mailing address",
    "Optional deadline and handling notes",
    "Primary document PDF, optional exhibits, and required legal-process acknowledgements"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "court documents",
    "court filing",
    "legal mail",
    "motions",
    "court clerks",
    "self-represented litigants"
  ],
  "category": "uploaded_document_packet",
  "publish_state": "published",
  "aliases": [
    "mail-court-documents",
    "court-filing-mailing-packet",
    "mail-legal-documents-to-court"
  ],
  "llms": true,
  "indexable": true,
  "certified_mail": "optional",
  "recipient": {
    "mode": "user"
  },
  "checkout_flow": "forms_order",
  "published_at": "2026-07-10",
  "updated_at": "2026-07-11",
  "groups": [
    {
      "id": "document",
      "label": "Completed court document",
      "description": "Identify the already-prepared document you want printed and mailed.",
      "depends_on": []
    },
    {
      "id": "case",
      "label": "Case details",
      "description": "Add the case information the court uses to route an existing matter.",
      "depends_on": []
    },
    {
      "id": "sender",
      "label": "Sender",
      "description": "Enter the person or organization sending this packet.",
      "depends_on": []
    },
    {
      "id": "recipient",
      "label": "Court or legal recipient",
      "description": "Enter the exact verified filing or correspondence address.",
      "depends_on": []
    },
    {
      "id": "timing",
      "label": "Deadline and handling",
      "description": "Record timing or routing details for your final review.",
      "depends_on": []
    },
    {
      "id": "review",
      "label": "Review acknowledgements",
      "description": "Confirm the local requirements before mailing the packet.",
      "depends_on": []
    }
  ],
  "fields": [
    {
      "id": "document_type",
      "label": "What kind of completed document are you mailing?",
      "type": "select",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "document",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "options": [
        "Complaint or petition",
        "Motion or application",
        "Answer, response, or opposition",
        "Notice or declaration",
        "Appeal-related document",
        "Evidence or exhibits",
        "Correspondence to a court or clerk",
        "Other completed court document"
      ],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "document_title",
      "label": "Document or packet title",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "document",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "case_status",
      "label": "Is this for an existing case?",
      "type": "select",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "case",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "options": [
        "Yes — an existing case",
        "No — this may start a new case or matter",
        "Not applicable — correspondence or another recipient"
      ],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "case_caption",
      "label": "Case caption or matter name (optional)",
      "type": "text",
      "required": false,
      "placeholder": "Example: Smith v. Jones",
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "case",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "case_number",
      "label": "Case or docket number",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "case",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "visibility": {
        "fieldId": "case_status",
        "operator": "equals",
        "value": "Yes — an existing case"
      },
      "depends_on": [
        "case_status"
      ],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "sender_name",
      "label": "Sender full name or organization",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": "name",
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "sender",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "sender_role",
      "label": "Sender role in the matter (optional)",
      "type": "text",
      "required": false,
      "placeholder": "Example: Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, or attorney",
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "sender",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "sender_address",
      "label": "Return mailing address",
      "type": "address",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "sender",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "recipient_company_name",
      "label": "Court, agency, firm, or recipient organization",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "recipient",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "recipient_name",
      "label": "Clerk, division, department, or attention line",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "recipient",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "recipient_address",
      "label": "Verified court or legal-recipient mailing address",
      "type": "address",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "recipient",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "filing_deadline",
      "label": "Filing, response, or delivery deadline (optional)",
      "type": "date",
      "required": false,
      "meta_class": "date",
      "ui_width": "half",
      "group_id": "timing",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "packet_notes",
      "label": "Packet and follow-up notes (optional)",
      "type": "textarea",
      "required": false,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "timing",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "mail_acceptance_acknowledged",
      "label": "I verified that this specific court or recipient accepts this document by mail and confirmed the correct address.",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "review",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "filing_requirements_acknowledged",
      "label": "I reviewed current rules for signatures, copies, formatting, privacy, fees, exhibits, cover sheets, and deadlines.",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "review",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "no_physical_enclosures_acknowledged",
      "label": "I confirmed this submission requires no filing-fee check or money order, wet-ink original, self-addressed return envelope, or extra physical copy that is not already printable in my upload.",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "review",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "service_acknowledged",
      "label": "I understand this one-recipient order does not automatically satisfy service or proof-of-service requirements, and any service copy requires its own reviewed mailing.",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "review",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "not_filed_acknowledged",
      "label": "I understand mailing and USPS delivery do not prove that the document was accepted, filed, or docketed, and I will verify with the recipient.",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "review",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    },
    {
      "id": "not_legal_advice_acknowledged",
      "label": "I understand PostalForm does not prepare or review legal documents and does not provide legal advice.",
      "type": "checkbox",
      "required": true,
      "meta_class": null,
      "ui_width": null,
      "group_id": "review",
      "choice_group": null,
      "choice_label": null,
      "depends_on": [],
      "compound": null
    }
  ],
  "attachments": [
    {
      "id": "primary_document",
      "label": "Completed court document",
      "required": true,
      "instructions": "Upload one final PDF containing the completed primary document. Confirm signatures, case details, formatting, and redactions before uploading.",
      "allowed_types": [
        "pdf"
      ],
      "max_files": 1,
      "max_size_mb": 12
    },
    {
      "id": "supporting_documents",
      "label": "Exhibits and supporting documents",
      "required": false,
      "instructions": "Upload cover sheets, certificates, proposed orders, exhibits, or other documents that should follow the primary document, in the order they should be printed.",
      "allowed_types": [
        "pdf",
        "jpg",
        "jpeg",
        "png"
      ],
      "max_files": 20,
      "max_size_mb": 12
    }
  ],
  "attachments_max_total_size_mb": 12,
  "machine_submission": {
    "payload_property": "form",
    "create_paths": {
      "x402": "/api/machine/orders",
      "mpp": "/api/machine/mpp/orders"
    }
  }
}

Validation does not mail the document. For a human checkout, use MCP postalform.create_form_order_draft and present the returned preview, total and checkout URL. Machine API clients must handle the returned MPP or x402 challenge only within owner-approved spending authority. Preserve request_id and the exact payload for retries; changing the content requires a new request ID. After an uncertain payment, retrieve order status before creating another order. Provider handoff is not USPS delivery.