How to Merge PDFs for Court Filing in India (High Court & Supreme Court Format)
Step-by-step guide to combine petition, annexures, vakalatnama, and index into one properly ordered PDF for e-filing — without uploading documents to any cloud server.
📋 Applies to
High Court e-filing, Supreme Court ICMS portal, NCLAT, ITAT, DRT, NCLT, CAT, NGT, SEBI SAT, CCI, Customs/Excise/Service Tax Tribunal, and arbitration proceedings.
Why Court Filings Need Proper PDF Merging
E-filing portals across Indian courts require a single PDF containing all documents in a specific order. The Delhi High Court e-filing rules (Practice Direction No. 1/2021) explicitly require:
- A single searchable PDF for the entire filing
- Documents in prescribed order: Index → Petition → Annexures → Vakalatnama
- Bates numbering or sequential page numbers across all documents
- File size under 5MB (some portals: 10MB)
Most advocates piece together filings by printing, scanning, and re-scanning everything into one PDF. This creates bloated files (often 20-30MB), destroys searchability, and wastes hours.
The Correct Order for Court Filing Bundles
Step-by-Step: Merge Court Filing PDFs
Step 1: Prepare Individual PDFs
Ensure each document is a separate PDF. If you have scanned documents, use PDF OCR to make them text-searchable first — some High Courts reject non-searchable PDFs.
Step 2: Open PDF Merge Tool
Go to PDF Merge and drop all your filing documents. Drag to rearrange in the correct order (Index first, Vakalatnama last).
Step 3: Rearrange in Filing Order
Use drag-and-drop to arrange documents in the order prescribed by the relevant court rules. The numbered sequence above is the standard order for most High Court writ petitions.
Step 4: Download Merged PDF
Click "Merge" and download the combined filing. The entire operation runs on your laptop.
Step 5: Add Bates Numbers (Recommended)
Open the merged PDF in Legal Mode and apply sequential Bates numbering. This satisfies court requirements for continuous pagination and makes reference easy during arguments.
Step 6: Compress if Needed
If the merged file exceeds the portal's size limit (typically 5MB or 10MB), use PDF Compress to reduce the file size without losing scan clarity.
Portal-Specific Size Limits
| Court / Portal | Max Size | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court (ICMS) | 5 MB | Searchable PDF |
| Delhi HC e-Filing | 10 MB | PDF/A preferred |
| Bombay HC e-Filing | 5 MB | Searchable PDF |
| NCLAT | 5 MB | PDF only |
| ITAT | 10 MB | |
| DRT / DRAT | 5 MB | |
| NGT | 5 MB | |
| NCLT | 10 MB |
Why Not Use iLovePDF or Smallpdf?
When you upload a vakalatnama with client Aadhaar, or an affidavit with financial details, to iLovePDF or Smallpdf, those files transit through their servers (typically in Europe or the US).
🛑 The Risk
- • Client personal data transferred to third-party servers without consent (DPDP violation)
- • No DPA (Data Processing Agreement) with iLovePDF means unlimited liability
- • BCI Professional Standards Committee can treat this as misconduct
- • Your client can sue for breach of advocate-client privilege
EverydayPDF never receives your files. The merge happens entirely in your browser using pdf-lib compiled to WebAssembly. The network tab in DevTools will show zero outbound requests during processing.
Merge your next court filing bundle in 60 seconds.
Drag-drop, rearrange, merge. No upload, no server, no risk.