A2J Author

A2J Author helps legal organizations turn court-document processes into guided online interviews. It is best suited to legal aid groups, courts, government entities, nonprofits, and law schools serving self-represented litigants. Its free authoring and hosting options are attractive, but HotDocs document generation requires a separate service or server.

Overview

Staff use A2J Author to build question-and-answer pathways that guide people through completing court documents. The visual, flowchart-based approach is designed for non-technical staff, making it a practical fit for organizations that need to shape an interview around their own process rather than select from a ready-made consumer form library.

The project began in 2004. Version 5.0 made authoring a cloud-based web service, while version 7.0 opened the source under the GNU Affero General Public License. The product supports browser-based work alongside the option for organizations to host components themselves.

Key features

Visual interview authoring

A graphical flowchart map lets authors lay out dialogue and branching questions. That can make interview structure more approachable for staff without technical backgrounds, though it does not remove the need to write clear questions and carefully plan how answers route users.

Templates and document assembly

A2J Author includes the A2J Document Assembly Tool for creating templates, and version 6.0 added a template automator for basic documents. Custom templates and fillable PDFs support organization-specific paperwork, with PDF as the stated download format. Compatibility with LawHelp Interactive and HotDocs can support workflows that pair interviews with document templates, but those integrations bring hosting constraints.

Hosting and accessibility

CALI offers free hosting on A2J.org for guided interviews and A2J templates intended to help self-represented litigants. HotDocs templates cannot be published there. Organizations can self-host the A2J Viewer, A2J DAT, and interviews, but generating documents from HotDocs templates requires LawHelp Interactive or a HotDocs server. That distinction matters: the free hosted route covers A2J materials, not every document-generation setup.

The maker says authors can create Section 508- and WCAG2-compliant interviews using the latest A2J Viewer and following its accessibility checklist. Compliance therefore depends on the viewer version and the authoring process, rather than being automatic. The privacy policy describes industry-standard security measures and notes that users may enter sensitive information, including Social Security numbers and domestic violence history. Vulnerability reports are accepted by email, with no active bug bounty or reward program.

Pricing

A2J Author is free for legal aid organizations, government entities, courts, and other nonprofits when used for non-commercial purposes. The A2J Author plan costs nothing, but requires a registered and authenticated account. This is a meaningful option for qualifying public-interest organizations; commercial users do not meet the stated eligibility terms.

Free hosting is available through CALI for qualifying guided interviews and A2J templates. Organizations choosing self-hosting take on their own deployment, and HotDocs document generation still requires LawHelp Interactive or a HotDocs server. The no-cost price does not remove those workflow requirements.

Platforms

A2J Author is a web-based service and can also be self-hosted. The authoring system supports current Chrome, Safari, and Firefox according to a browser page last updated in August 2019, so organizations should confirm their browser environment before standardizing on it. Self-hosting is an option for the A2J Viewer, A2J DAT, and interviews, not a way to publish HotDocs templates on A2J.org.

Who it's for

A2J Author is aimed at legal aid providers, courts, government entities, nonprofits, and law schools building guided legal interviews for people representing themselves. It makes the most sense when staff need to design a tailored interview and the organization qualifies for non-commercial free use. It is a weaker fit for individuals seeking ready-to-use legal forms, or for organizations that need HotDocs generation without access to the required separate service or server.

Pros and cons

Pros

• No-cost qualifying use: Eligible public-interest organizations can author and host interviews without a software charge.
• Visual branching design: The flowchart map gives non-technical staff a way to organize dialogue and question paths.
• Flexible deployment: Organizations can use CALI hosting for A2J materials or self-host core components and interviews.
• Accessibility guidance: The maker identifies a route to Section 508 and WCAG2-compliant interviews using the latest viewer and checklist.

Cons

• Eligibility is restricted: Free use is for specified organizations and non-commercial purposes, with an authenticated account required.
• HotDocs has extra dependencies: Templates cannot be published on A2J.org, and generation requires LawHelp Interactive or a HotDocs server.
• Support access has friction: The technical-problems contact form requires users to log in or register to view it.
• Browser guidance may be dated: The browser-support page was last updated in August 2019.

Alternatives

Compare legal forms software if you are choosing among tools for a broader legal-document need rather than specifically building guided interviews.

• Docassemble is a free, self-hosted alternative for organizations that want Linux, web, or API options; its software has no fee, though hosting typically costs $10–$40 per month or more depending on performance, availability, and support needs.
• LawHelp Interactive is another free web option for legal forms and account registration, and may be the more direct alternative when the priority is accessing free legal forms.
• Trust & Will suits people focused on estate planning: its free Basic membership provides estate plan creation with no ongoing membership, while Essentials costs $49 a year.
• Dokuily offers common simple documents for free, with unlimited clean downloads for free documents and the first three paid-eligible completions included during launch; it better fits simple document completion than custom interview authoring.
• eForms is a web-based option with a seven-day free trial and unlimited access to all documents; its Pro Monthly trial renews at $49 per month, making it more relevant to users seeking a document library than an interview builder.
• FreeWill offers free web-based estate-planning tools, including a last will and testament and a California revocable living trust, for people focused on those documents.
• Will.com provides four state-specific documents as free browser-generated PDF downloads without an account; its paid plan is $29 a year.
• US Legal Forms is a paid web, Android, and iOS service with access to more than 85,000 U.S. legal forms, a better direction for users seeking a broad forms subscription.

Verdict

Choose A2J Author if your eligible organization needs to build tailored guided interviews that help self-represented litigants complete court documents, especially when free A2J hosting suits the workflow. Its visual authoring and public-interest pricing are the main draw; look elsewhere if you need a consumer forms library, commercial use, or HotDocs document generation without a separate service or server.