A guide for non-‘techies’ interested in creating Docassemble guided interviews using the Suffolk LIT Lab’s Document Assembly Line

Legal aid programs across the country are looking for ways to make court forms and pleadings more accessible, user-friendly, and efficient. Docassemble Guided Interview Tips for Legal Aiders is designed to help you do exactly that—without needing to be a programmer.

Created by Legal Services Vermont (LSV) as part of a Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) project funded by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), this guide walks legal aid staff through the practical realities of building guided interviews using Docassemble and the Suffolk LIT Lab’s Document Assembly Line.

What This Guide Is About

This resource is written specifically for:

• Legal aid advocates
• Program managers
• Self-help staff
• Innovation teams
• Anyone curious about building guided interviews—but not sure where to start

If you can think through a form and understand client needs, you can build a guided interview. This guide shows you how.

The Tools Behind the Guide

Docassemble

Built on the open-source platform Docassemble, guided interviews allow users to answer plain-language questions and generate court-ready documents at the end.

Docassemble is powerful—but it can feel intimidating at first. That’s where this guide comes in.

Suffolk LIT Lab’s Document Assembly Line

LSV built its interviews using the Suffolk LIT Lab’s Document Assembly Line, a structured framework that simplifies the development process and provides reusable components.

The Assembly Line helps legal aid programs:

• Move faster from idea to implementation
• Use tested patterns and templates
• Reduce technical friction
• Focus on client experience rather than code complexity

This guide includes links to the comprehensive Assembly Line documentation so you can go deeper when you’re ready.

What Legal Services Vermont Built

LSV’s first six guided interviews focused on highly used Vermont court forms (VTCourtForms), originally available as fillable PDFs from the court.

Using Docassemble and the Document Assembly Line, LSV transformed those PDFs into:

• Accessible, plain-language guided interviews
• Mobile-friendly question flows
• Automated PDF outputs
• Court-ready documents users can download, print, or email

LSV is now expanding into MS Word-based pleadings, such as an answer to an eviction complaint—demonstrating that guided interviews can go beyond static court forms.

What You’ll Learn

This guide shares practical, experience-based tips, including:

• How to start with a fillable PDF and turn it into an interview
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Designing interviews that are accessible and user-centered
• Managing scope for your first project
• Working collaboratively between legal and technical staff
• Where to find reliable documentation and support

The guide also connects you directly to:

• Suffolk LIT Lab’s full Document Assembly Line documentation
• Docassemble resources and community materials

Why This Matters

Guided interviews help:

• Reduce barriers for self-represented litigants
• Improve accuracy of filings
• Increase efficiency for legal aid staff
• Expand service capacity without expanding staffing
• Most importantly, they translate complex legal forms into understandable, step-by-step conversations.

Who Should Download This Guide?

• Legal aid organizations considering document automation
• Programs already using Docassemble but looking for structure
• Staff who think they are “not technical enough”
• Innovation labs and TIG grantees
• Court partners exploring form modernization

If you’ve ever thought, “We should build a guided interview—but I don’t know how,” this guide is for you.