Yes! You can use AI to fill out Form MC-011, Memorandum of Costs (Worksheet)

This form is a worksheet requiring numerous calculations for subtotals and a grand total. It's common for filers to make manual addition errors, leading to an incorrect final cost amount. This can result in the court clerk rejecting the memorandum or the opposing party successfully challenging the amounts, causing delays and a reduction in recoverable costs. To avoid this, meticulously double-check all calculations or use a calculator; AI-powered tools like Instafill.ai can perform these calculations automatically to ensure accuracy.

Sections 6, 7, 9, 13, and 15 require the filer to 'specify' or 'itemize' the costs being claimed. A frequent mistake is entering a total cost without providing a clear, detailed description of what the cost covers. This lack of detail can lead to the court disallowing the cost because its basis is unsubstantiated and its allowability cannot be determined. Always provide a concise but complete description for each cost to ensure it is properly justified.

Section 10 is strictly for contractual or statutory attorney fees that are fixed and do not require a separate court hearing. A critical error is to claim other types of attorney fees here, which almost always require a separate, noticed motion. Claiming fees improperly in this section will result in their denial and requires the filer to start over with the correct motion process, wasting time and effort. Carefully read the instructions for Section 10 and seek legal advice if unsure about the proper procedure.

Section 4 explicitly asks for deposition costs to be broken down into 'Taking,' 'Transcribing,' 'Travel,' and 'Videotaping' for each deponent. Filers often make the mistake of lumping these into a single figure or entering the total in only one column. This fails to provide the required level of detail and may lead to challenges and potential disallowance of these costs. To prevent this, obtain an itemized invoice from the court reporting agency and enter each component cost in its respective column.

The 'Case Number' and 'Short Title' fields appear at the top of every page of the form. A common oversight is to fill this information on the first page but leave it blank on the following pages. This can cause confusion and processing delays, especially if pages become separated during filing or handling by the court. Ensure that the case number and short title are accurately entered on every single page before submission.

Section 8a for ordinary witness fees requires a specific calculation breakdown (days x daily rate + miles x mileage rate). A common error is to simply enter a total fee without showing this calculation, or to miscalculate the mileage by using the wrong rate. This lack of transparency can lead to the fee being challenged or reduced by the opposing party or the court. Always show the full calculation as requested on the form to justify the amount claimed.

The form has separate, distinct sections for ordinary witness fees (8a), expert fees (8b), and court-ordered expert fees (8c). People often list all witnesses under one section without differentiating between lay witnesses and paid experts. This is incorrect and can lead to the denial of recoverable expert fees, which are governed by different rules and statutes. Carefully categorize each witness and list their associated fees in the correct corresponding section.

Several sections provide limited space and instruct the filer to use an attachment for additional items. A mistake is to either try to cram more information into the limited space or to use an attachment without explicitly referencing it in the main form. This can lead to the information on the attachment being overlooked or disregarded. When you have more costs than lines available, check the box or write 'See Attachment [Number]' on the last line and include a clearly labeled attachment with the rest of the items.

The bottom of each page includes a 'Page __ of __' field. Filers frequently forget to complete this, leaving it blank or only filling in the first number. This creates ambiguity about whether the submission is complete, especially when attachments are included. An incomplete-looking document can be rejected or cause confusion, so always fill in both the current page number and the total number of pages (including all attachments) on every page.

Section 5 breaks down service costs into categories like 'Public officer,' 'Registered process server,' and 'Publication.' A frequent data entry error is placing a cost in the incorrect column, for example, putting a private process server's fee in the 'Public officer' column. This can cause confusion and may require clarification or correction later. To avoid this, carefully match the type of service cost with the correct column on the form. AI-powered form filling tools like Instafill.ai can help prevent this by guiding users to the correct field based on the type of expense.