Discover the 9 best fonts for legal documents to ensure they are clear and compliant. Plus, learn formatting tips on size, spacing, and PDF editing.


Choosing the best fonts for legal documents matters more than you might think. The right font ensures your contracts, court filings, and agreements are readable and professional. It can also support compliance by making your content clear and consistent.

With tools like PDF.net, formatting legal PDFs is easy. You can adjust fonts, layouts, and spacing in just a few clicks. This guide will cover everything you need to know.

Fonts on legal documents are essential because they 

directly impact how easy it is to read the content

. A poorly chosen font can cause confusion in contracts, policies, and court filings, where clarity is key.

By using the best legal document fonts, you can 

establish credibility and make sure what you submit meets courtroom standards

. Some jurisdictions or clients may have specific requirements. For example, the appellate court in Connecticut requires paper briefs and appendices to be typed in Arial or Univers.

What Makes a Font Suitable for Legal Documents?

A font is suitable for legal documents if it is 

. This is because contracts, court filings, and agreements are often shared both digitally and in physical form.

Professionalism is also a factor. The best fonts for legal documents are formal, 

 and Raleway, may not render and lead to formatting issues when your document is opened on a different system. When 

, you should use widely supported fonts that can be appropriately embedded.

Decorative fonts, such as Apple Chancery and Brush Script, can look nice, but they are hard to read, especially in dense legal writing. They can make it difficult for readers to absorb critical information quickly. Therefore, it is best to 

Besides choosing readable fonts for lawyers and legal professionals, you should 

. Some fonts require a commercial license for professional or business use. If you use non-licensed fonts in court documents, you risk running into copyright issues.

The best fonts for legal documents are serif fonts or sans-serif fonts. The former are fonts with small "feet" at the ends of strokes; the latter are fonts without the "feet."

Here are five of the best serif fonts for legal contracts, court filings, and agreements:

 and supported across word processors and PDF viewers, making it the go-to font for many legal professionals.

, so it is ideal for legal documents. Many lawyers “expect” Times New Roman to be the professional font for contracts and formal letters.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in particular, recommends Times New Roman in its official guidelines.

. Like the other legal document fonts mentioned, it has wide letterforms and generous spacing. Because of its readability, many U.S. courts, including the 

 in booklet-format documents. You can use it for contracts, submissions, or legal agreements as well.

Georgia is a font with wide letterforms and spacing that 

improve legibility, even at smaller sizes

. That said, it is beneficial for legal PDFs or online contracts that need to be clear on both desktop and mobile devices. If your legal work involves sharing documents electronically, Georgia is a good font option.

Book Antiqua is a traditional and professional font. Its graceful curves and balanced spacing make it easy to read. It is usually compared to Palatino, but Book Antiqua offers a softer tone while still maintaining authority and formality. Thanks to its 

readability and compatibility with most PDF tools

, it is also a reliable choice for long legal texts.

Cambria is a font with strong letter shapes and even spacing. It is in the 

, so it is widely supported and familiar to many people. This makes it 

suitable for contracts, legal reports, and formal correspondence

. Its clarity at small sizes makes it highly recommended for documents with dense text or footnotes, including those 

4 Best Sans-Serif Fonts for Legal Documents

Below are the four best sans-serif fonts for legal documents:

Arial is one of the best fonts for legal agreements. It has clean lines that make it easy to read, even on digital devices. Arial is also included in almost all major operating systems. This means it maintains consistent formatting across platforms. It 

, legal letters, and HR-related legal documents

Featuring uniform letter spacing, its clean design is appropriate for dense legal contracts and agreements. As a standard font on Mac, Helvetica is compatible with 

Calibri, with rounded letters, is a font that is easy on the eyes. It became a Microsoft Office default font in 2007. Therefore, it is a common choice for many business documents, especially 

, Calibri is a reliable font. While this font is widely used in business settings, some courts prefer more traditional fonts like Times New Roman.

Verdana is also a great font for screen viewing. It has tall lowercase letters and wide spacing that improve readability. On 

, Verdana remains a practical choice. It is not as compact as other fonts. However, its clarity can help minimize misinterpretation in 

Font Size and Formatting Guide for Legal Documents

Besides choosing the best fonts for legal documents, it is crucial to be aware of proper font size and formatting. Follow these best practices to ensure your documents appear professional and are accessible in both print and 

ideal font size for legal papers is between 12 and 14

. The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court requires records, appendices, and briefs to be at least 12-point for monospaced typefaces and 14-point for proportionally spaced typefaces. In California Courts of Appeal, appellate filings must use at least 13 points, while Florida Appellate Courts mandate a minimum of 14 points.

The distance between lines can affect the ease of reading legal documents and their overall professional appearance. As such, it is essential to pay attention to line spacing when handling legal writing.

The U.S. Court of Appeals requires double spacing for the Ninth Circuit for briefs and pleadings. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York also mandates this for pleadings, motions, and other papers, except in headings, footnotes, and block quotations.

However, it is necessary to note that double spacing might vary depending on the word processor. To be exact, 

set your document’s line spacing to 24 points for 12-point fonts

Margins and the space between paragraphs are just as important. They are designated to maintain uniformity and readability in legal documents.

one-inch margins on all sides of a document

; for instance, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Some courts may have more specific requirements. For example, the California Rules of Court require each page to have a left margin of at least one inch and a right margin of at least 1/2 inch.

As for paragraph spacing, Washington State’s Office of Administrative Hearings advises using 

. However, as with the best fonts for legal documents, spacing rules can vary by jurisdiction or the preferences of individual judges.

#4. Section headers and numbering conventions

Legal documents are easier to navigate when they have clear section headings and numbering conventions. The specifics depend on each court. For example, Washington State Courts require 

headings and subheadings numbered with Roman or Arabic numerals 

Numbering for paragraphs in North Dakota Courts must begin with the 

Arabic numeral 1 in square brackets (e.g., [1]) and continue sequentially

The Los Angeles Superior Court also has detailed requirements. Line numbers must 

 and be separated from the text by at least one-fifth of an inch. They need to be evenly spaced and start from 1 on each page. There must be a minimum of three line numbers per vertical inch.

bold and italic styles should be used sparingly

. Typically, bold styles are for headers, article titles, or key terms. For example, the New York Supreme Court requires that, for briefs, boldface should not be used except in 

 in certain legal forms, and Washington State’s Office of Administrative Hearings permits boldface to draw attention to corrections in Corrected Orders.

. California, for instance, requires case names to be italicized in forms. The Bluebook, which serves as a 

, recommends italicizing publication titles (e.g., New York Times), foreign words, and any text that was italicized in the source.

4 Font & Style Mistakes to Avoid in Legal Documents

Small font and style mistakes can negatively affect a legal document’s readability and credibility. To maintain professionalism and court compliance, you must avoid these common mistakes:

Fonts like Comic Sans look cute but are inappropriate for legal settings. You should always use formal fonts instead.

Your document will look sloppy if you switch between fonts throughout your document. Stick with one for the body text and one for headings and subheadings.

High-contrast text is an unwritten standard for legal documents. Light-colored fonts, like gray instead of black, can be difficult to read. This is especially true when they are printed after being scanned or faxed.

Avoid using fonts smaller than 11pt or larger than 14pt for body text, as they reduce readability and may not comply with court rules.

How to Format Your Legal Documents With PDF.net

It is easy to prepare and format legal documents professionally with PDF.net

. Before you jump into formatting, you can 

 without losing quality to meet submission requirements.

Once your documents are ready, change the fonts, margins, and add eSignatures that are legally binding under 

. The great part about PDF.net is that it is entirely browser-based. You do not have to sign up for an account or download anything.

Moreover, PDF.net uses encrypted connections to protect your information during upload and automatically deletes files after processing to comply with professional standards. Rest assured that your legal documents will not be stored or accessed by anyone after you finish.

Now that you know the best fonts for legal documents, as well as the vital legal PDF formatting tips, you can ensure everything you submit in legal settings appears readable and professional. Remember to avoid decorative fonts, maintain consistency, and use bold or italic styles sparingly. 

 legal documents in just a few clicks with PDF.net.

#1. What font is used by lawyers and in court documents?

Fonts used by lawyers and in court documents are usually 

. Legal writing prioritizes fonts that are easy to read physically and digitally.

#2. Can I use different fonts in one legal document?

 use different fonts in one legal document because this can 

. If necessary, use one font for headings and one font for the body text, but ensure both are readable.

Upload your file by dragging and dropping it in.

Apply a new font from the available options.

Change the font size and color if you want to.

Discover the 9 best fonts for legal documents to ensure they are clear and compliant. Plus, learn formatting tips on size, spacing, and PDF editing.

9 Best Fonts for Legal Documents + Professional Formatting Tips

Learn how to add audio to a PDF to make it more interactive and informative. Embed or link to it with simple, step-by-step instructions.

Adding audio to PDFs can help make your documents more engaging. Audio complements visuals and ensures your content is accessible to all users.

If you are an educator, marketer, or professional looking to create informative and interactive PDFs with audio, this guide is for you.

We will cover different ways to add audio to PDFs, like embedding and linking. We will also touch on common issues and troubleshooting tips.

Yes, you can add audio to a PDF. Although the original 

 was designed for static content, a PDF can now also support 

audio annotations, voiceovers, and background sounds 

 and WAV formats are compatible with most modern PDF editors and viewers. You can directly 

that plays the audio from an external source.

Usually, when you open a PDF with audio, you will see a Play button that can trigger the sound once or on a loop. The 

specific playback setting depends on your 

older or mobile viewers might not be able to accommodate audio multimedia PDFs.

How to Add Audio to a PDF Document: 2 Methods Explained Step-by-Step

 in the document using Adobe Acrobat or Foxit PDF Editor.

To embed audio in a PDF using Adobe Acrobat, follow these steps:

Open Adobe and upload the PDF you want to add audio to.

Place your audio by dragging it to a specific spot on your page.

Adobe supports MP3 and MP4 audio clips. However, you cannot add audio to PDFs on mobile devices with Adobe Acrobat yet.

If you prefer to add audio to PDFs on a Mac or a similar PC, use Foxit PDF Editor. Here are the steps to follow:

3. Choose where you want the audio to be on your page by pressing and holding down your mouse and dragging to draw an area. This will be your 

that pops up to select the audio that you want to add.

if you want. Usually, this will be selected automatically.

box to make sure the audio plays when you open your PDF on other devices.

7. Decide if you want to include an image in the 

. This is what will appear when your file is not running. If you do not want an image, choose 

from the toolbar at the top of the page to open the 

. Here, you can customize the added audio’s appearance, settings, and actions.

function, also from the toolbar at the top of the page.

Alternative Method of Adding Audio to PDFs

Instead of adding audio to a PDF by embedding it, you can 

 that directs to a file hosted online. Here is how to do it using 

function in the toolbar at the top and then anywhere on the page to add a text box. Or click the 

 function to add an image or icon (JPG or PNG).

3. Click the inserted text box or image/icon and choose 

4. Paste the URL of your audio file in the box that pops up.

5. Customize the text box or image/icon to look like a button for better UX or branding.

With this approach of inserting audio in PDFs, you can 

deliver audio-enhanced content without relying on PDF viewers 

Pros and Cons of Adding Audio as a Clickable Link

There are advantages and disadvantages to adding audio to PDF documents this way. Let’s look at a breakdown:

Compatible with almost all PDF viewers and devices

Does not add to your PDF’s size, so your document loads faster

Easy to set up using browser-based tools like PDF.net

Easy to customize for better UX and branding

Audio does not play directly within the PDF’s tab

Playback will fail if the link to the audio changes or breaks later

Common Issues and Troubleshooting for Audio Not Working in PDFs

If the audio won’t play in your PDF, it is 

with the file format, PDF viewer, or how the audio was added. Below are the common reasons PDFs with audio annotations, voiceovers, and background sounds fail to work, along with troubleshooting steps for each issue.

. If you embed or link to a file that is 

, your PDF viewer might not recognize it.

; it is widely supported and compressed. You can consider WAV if you want higher quality, but note that the tradeoff is a larger file size.

#2. The PDF Reader Doesn’t Support Audio

Some PDF viewers cannot handle rich media

. So, you will have to test your document in one that supports audio playback, like Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit PDF Editor. 

When you link to an audio file instead of embedding it, your PDF relies on the URL. If it is not stable, the audio will not play. Your link might have been 

Double-check that it is still accessible and set to 

 if hosted on Dropbox or Google Drive. Remember not to rename or move any files you host after linking them. Test the link outside of your PDF to confirm that it still opens properly.

Compress, Split, Merge & More with PDF.net

. This makes it load more slowly and interferes with your SEO efforts. If your PDF becomes too large, consider 

other tools to make managing your PDFs simple

. You can prepare them before adding objects to make them dynamic; for example, merge, 

, or make quick edits without starting from scratch.

#1. Can you play audio automatically in a PDF?

Yes, you can play audio automatically in a PDF if it is embedded and your PDF viewer supports rich media. When you embed audio in a PDF, make sure you set it to play when clicked on.

#2. What’s the best format for embedding audio?

The best format for embedding audio is MP3 because it is the most widely supported. It is also not too heavy. WAV is common, but it adds bulk, so you might have to 

. Avoid OGG and AAC, which are less commonly supported.

#3. Will the audio work on mobile devices?

Audio PDFs will not always work on mobile devices unless your app or browser supports multimedia content. If you know your users use phones or tablets to access your PDFs, insert audio in your PDF via a clickable link.

#4. Can you add a voice recording to a PDF?

Yes, you can add voice recordings to a PDF. Record your voice, save it as an MP3 file, and transfer the audio to your PDF by embedding it. Alternatively, upload the file to Google Drive, then link to it in your document using PDF.net.

How to Add Audio to a PDF: 3 Easy Methods With Steps

Learn how to timestamp a PDF quickly and securely to support robust audit trails for time-sensitive files like contracts, agreements, and reports.

Timestamping a PDF is crucial in regulated industries where accuracy is paramount. 

Timestamps pinpoint when a document is created, edited, or finalized

. As such, they serve as proof for professionals who manage time-sensitive files like contracts and reports.

When you know how to timestamp a PDF, you can more easily support audit trails and prevent disputes. This guide will further explain what timestamping is, why it is crucial to understand, and how to do it in a PDF using PDF.net.

 a document was created or modified. This record is verifiable, so it is like a digital receipt.

Unlike metadata, a timestamp is cryptographically sealed

. It is more secure because it cannot be changed without detection.

timestamping a PDF is useful for legal, financial, and business documents

. You can prove authenticity by ensuring that no changes are made after a certain point.

With a PDF timestamp tool, you can strengthen the validity of time-sensitive files like contracts, agreements, and reports. When paired with digital signatures, PDF timestamps can support secure 

However, note that a timestamp added using PDF.net is 

. We simply add a visible date field to the document, which can be useful for general recordkeeping.

How to Timestamp a PDF Using PDF.net: 6 Simple Steps

First, upload your document; PDF, DOC, DOCX, 

, and PNG are all supported. Simply drag and drop it in.

Once uploaded, your document will open in the browser with a full suite of tools. You can then click the 

function in the toolbar at the top of the page.

It is common to place it in the header, footer, or near a signature field.

Customize the date display format by selecting the 

You can also customize both the date field style and text style.

 Change the fill color, border color, border style, border width, opacity, and orientation.

Change the font, font size, color, horizontal alignment, and vertical alignment.

Click your inserted widget’s dropdown to display the calendar. Select the date you want, and PDF.net will fill it in automatically.

A PDF time verification like this clearly shows when your document was created or finalized.

For documents like contracts or agreements, you can pair the timestamp with a digital signature. PDF.net lets you add fillable signature fields directly.

When the signature field appears, you can resize and reposition it as needed. There are also options to customize the signature field style.

Once you have added a signature and date in a PDF, save the 

 and download or share it instantly. PDF.net’s export formats include 

This process ensures your document contains visible and verifiable time information. So, it is simple to meet compliance standards.

Why You Should Timestamp Your PDF Documents

You should add timestamps to PDFs because they can help make your documents more credible. They create a record of when key actions were taken, such as signing or editing. This, in turn, builds trust with stakeholders relying on accurate documentation.

One of the main reasons for timestamping a PDF is to 

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