Add TRAINING_GUIDE.md — operator + attorney guide to using the platform
Role-aware (staff vs attorney) how-to matching the live UI: the two gates in plain language, menu map, and click-path workflows for intake (standard + emergency), case build-out, conflict screening/clearance, lifecycle stages, documents + review gate, deadlines/calendar, mandatory disclosure + financial affidavits, citations + verification (citation gate), discovery + 12.351 subpoenas, support modification, emergency motions, communications, time/AI-assisted billing, and close/archive/ retention. Includes attorney-only action reference, "what the software will NOT do", troubleshooting/FAQ, and a glossary. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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TRAINING_GUIDE.md
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# Training Guide — Active Blue Family Law (v2)
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How to use the platform day to day. Written for two audiences:
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- **Staff / paralegal** — captures facts, assembles the file, prepares drafts.
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- **Attorney** — reviews, decides, approves, signs. Only the attorney can clear
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conflicts, approve documents, file/send, and attest citations.
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> **The one rule that governs everything:** the software **builds, verifies,
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> organizes, and flags.** A **licensed attorney judges, decides, and signs.** Nothing
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> reaches a client, a clerk, or a court without the attorney's approval. The software
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> never gives legal advice and never predicts who will win.
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App location: the **Family Law (v2)** menu in Odoo.
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---
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## 1. Roles & access
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| You are… | You can… | You cannot… |
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|---|---|---|
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| **Staff (Family Law / Staff)** | Run intake, add parties/children/issues, run conflict screening, draft documents, prepare deadlines/disclosure/discovery, request filing | Clear conflicts, approve documents, file/send, attest citations, close/reopen matters, see matters you aren't assigned to |
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| **Attorney (Family Law / Attorney)** | Everything staff can do **plus** all the gated actions and all matters | — |
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**Matter-scoped access:** staff see only matters where they are the assigned
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attorney/paralegal (or that they created). Attorneys see all matters. This protects
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client confidentiality — don't try to work a matter you weren't assigned; ask the
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attorney to assign you.
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**Golden rule for staff:** you capture and assemble, but you **never communicate a
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legal position or opinion to a client.** Every legal question goes to the attorney.
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---
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## 2. The two gates (what they mean for you)
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1. **Review gate (Gate 1).** Anything the AI produces, and anything headed to a
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client/court, is born as a **Draft**. It cannot be filed or sent until an
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**attorney approves it**. You'll see draft documents marked *Draft* → *In Attorney
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Review* → *Approved*.
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2. **Citation gate (Gate 2).** Every case-law citation starts **Unverified**. It must
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be **verified against a real reporter** (or attorney-attested) before the document
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that uses it can be filed. If a citation can't be verified, it stays blocked — the
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software fails *closed* on purpose, so a made-up citation can never reach a filing.
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You don't have to enforce these — the software does. If a button is missing or a
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warning banner appears, it's a gate doing its job.
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---
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## 3. Menu map
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**Family Law (v2) →**
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- **New Intake** — start a new matter from the guided questionnaire
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- **Cases** — all matters (your assigned ones)
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- **Documents** — work product, with the review gate
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- **Deadlines** — procedural clocks + calendar
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- **Financial Affidavits** — 12.902(b)/(c)
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- **Emergency Motions** — 12.941 pick-up / removal
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- **Support Modifications** — child-support modification workflow
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- **Discovery** — requests + subpoenas
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- **Citations** — case-law citations + verification status
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- **AI Tasks** *(attorney)* — the AI audit/cost ledger
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- **Communications** — client updates (never auto-sent)
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- **Archive** — stored files + retention
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- **Configuration** *(attorney)* — Retention Classes
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---
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## 4. Open a new matter (Intake)
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**Family Law (v2) → New Intake.** The questionnaire runs **triage first**, then
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branches.
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### Step 1 — Triage
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Fill in caller name/phone/email, county/court, case type, opposing party name, whether
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there are minor children, and whether there's an existing order. Then answer the
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**Urgency Screen**:
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- Child being withheld / refused access?
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- Threat of removal from Florida?
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- Domestic violence / immediate safety concern?
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- **If none are checked → Standard path** (strict): you must provide matter name,
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client, case type, and county before the matter can be created. The friction is
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intentional — it keeps the file clean.
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- **If any are checked → Emergency fast-path:** the matter is opened immediately on
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minimum facts (who, which child, what's happening). Complete the rest right after.
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### Step 2 — Case details (standard path)
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Matter name, client contact, attorney/paralegal, and the **Caller's Question for the
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Attorney**. Type the caller's question in their own words — the software logs it for
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the attorney and **does not answer it** ("Do I have a good case?" is the attorney's
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call, never the software's).
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### Step 3 — Modification details (only for modification case types)
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Capture the prior order summary and what changed (income, etc.). Facts only.
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### Step 4 — Complete
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The draft case is created in **Intake** state with an initial proceeding, and
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**conflict screening runs automatically**. Review the result, then click **Open
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Matter**.
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---
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## 5. Work the case
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Open a matter from **Cases**. The form has a status bar (Intake → Engaged →
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Disclosure → Discovery → Mediation → Hearing → Closed) and notebook tabs.
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### Fill in the file (tabs)
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- **Parties** — client, opposing party, opposing counsel, others. Opposing-party names
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feed conflict screening.
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- **Children** — name + date of birth (the system rejects future or implausible
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dates).
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- **Issues** — time-sharing, support, equitable distribution, alimony, etc.
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- **Proceedings** — the units of legal action. The original action is created
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automatically; modifications/enforcements get their **own** proceeding (so their
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deadlines and documents never get mixed up).
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- **Obligations** — for Miami-Dade matters these seed automatically (Status Quo Order,
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Parenting Course, Mediation).
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### Conflict screening & clearance
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1. Add the opposing party, then click **Run Conflict Screening** (anyone can run it).
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2. If the opposing party matches a past/current client or another matter, you'll see a
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**Conflict Hits** tab and a warning banner. The software **flags** — it never
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auto-clears.
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3. **Attorney only:** review the hits, then click **Clear Conflict Check**. The matter
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cannot be **Engaged** until this is done.
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### Move through the stages
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Use the header buttons in order: **Engage** → **Start Disclosure** → **Start
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Discovery** → **Start Mediation** → **Set for Hearing**. The software rejects illegal
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jumps. **Close Case** and **Reopen** are attorney-only.
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> **Miami-Dade course-before-judgment guard:** if the matter involves children, you
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> cannot **Set for Hearing** until the **Parenting Course** obligation is marked
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> completed.
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### Find a matter fast
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In **Cases**, search by matter name, client, **opposing-party name**, **child name**,
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or **court case number**.
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---
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## 6. Documents & the review gate
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**Family Law (v2) → Documents** (or the Documents tab on a proceeding).
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1. Create a document, choose its **Proceeding** and type. A manual draft starts as
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**Draft**; AI-assembled documents are born **Draft** too.
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2. **Submit for Review** → it moves to *In Attorney Review*.
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3. **Attorney:** **Approve** (or **Reject** with feedback → back to draft).
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4. After approval: **Mark Filed** / **Mark Sent** (attorney only). For client-facing
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docs, **Send for E-Signature**.
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You'll see a yellow banner until approved, and a red banner if the document has
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**unverified citations** (it can't be filed until those clear — see §9).
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---
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## 7. Deadlines & calendar
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**Family Law (v2) → Deadlines.**
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- Each deadline belongs to a **proceeding** and computes its **due date** from a
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trigger date + day count, automatically rolling off weekends.
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- From a proceeding, **Seed Standard Deadlines** creates the common ones (answer 20,
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disclosure 45, discovery 30 days).
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- Overdue deadlines are flagged automatically each day and shown in red.
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- Deadlines mirror onto the shared **calendar**; filter by **layer** (statutory /
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hearing / internal).
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- Mark a deadline **Completed** or **Waived** as work progresses.
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> Day-counts follow Florida rules but **always confirm the current rule** for the
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> specific matter — the attorney owns that judgment.
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---
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## 8. Mandatory disclosure & financial affidavits
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**On a proceeding → Disclosure tab / Financial Affidavits tab**, or the menu.
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- **Seed Disclosure Checklist** creates the Rule 12.285 mandatory items. Mandatory
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items **cannot be waived** — the software blocks it.
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- **Financial Affidavit:** enter **Gross Annual Income** and the software picks the
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form — **12.902(b)** (short) below the threshold, **12.902(c)** (long) at/above it.
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It computes the **45-day** due date and totals income/expense/asset/liability and net
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worth from the line items.
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---
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## 9. Citations & verification (the citation gate)
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**Family Law (v2) → Citations**, or the Citations tab on a document.
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- Every citation is born **Unverified**.
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- Click **Verify (CourtListener)** — the software checks it against a real reporter.
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- Found + good law → **Verified**
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- Found but not good law → **Rejected**
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- No record / source down → stays **Unverified** (blocked — fails closed)
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- **Attorney only:** if appropriate, **Attorney Attest** records that the attorney
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personally confirms the citation.
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- A document with **any** non-verified citation **cannot be filed or sent**. Use
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**Verify Citations** on the document to run them all.
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> This is the protection against AI-hallucinated citations. If a citation won't verify,
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> it does not go in the filing — period.
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---
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## 10. Discovery & subpoenas
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**Family Law (v2) → Discovery**, or the Discovery tab on a proceeding.
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- Choose the type. **Non-Party Production (Rule 12.351)** has a hard safety gate:
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1. **Serve Notice (12.351)** to the other parties — this starts the **10-day
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objection window**.
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2. The subpoena **cannot be Issued** until the window elapses and no objection is
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pending. If an objection comes in, **Record Objection** (issuance stays blocked
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until the court resolves it).
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3. **Issue** — the software serves the **Notice of Issuance the same day** and sets
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the response due date.
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- **Routing is automatic** by representation: attorney-of-record matters issue
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directly; **pro se** matters route issuance through the **clerk**.
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---
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## 11. Support modification (headline workflow)
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From a **Child Support Modification** case, click **Open Support Modification** (header
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button), or **Support Modifications → New**.
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- Enter **current** and **proposed** monthly support. The software shows whether the
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change meets the **15% / $50 substantial-change presumption** — this is a factual
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threshold check, **not** a prediction of whether the court will grant it.
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- It opens a **new proceeding** under the same matter and sets the **20-day answer**
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clock.
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- Flag **DOR / Title IV-D** if applicable; the **retroactivity** date defaults to the
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filing date.
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- Paste the prior order text and click **Extract Prior Judgment** (if AI is enabled):
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you get a plain-language summary plus **interpretation questions flagged for the
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attorney** — the software never draws the legal conclusion itself.
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---
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## 12. Emergency motions
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For an emergency matter, click **Emergency Motion** (header button on the case), or
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**Emergency Motions → New**.
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1. Pick the motion type (pick-up order, emergency custody, prevent removal).
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2. Answer **Existing Order to Enforce?** — this **fork** changes the required
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attachments:
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- **Yes** → certified copy of the order + proposed order
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- **No** → verified motion / sworn affidavit + proposed order
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3. **Seed Requirements** builds the checklist. Tick each attachment as **Provided**.
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4. **Mark Ready** — blocked until every required attachment is present. Then **File**.
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---
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## 13. Communications (never auto-sent)
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**Family Law (v2) → Communications.**
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- Draft a client update (optionally AI-assisted). It starts as **Draft**.
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- **Attorney:** **Approve**.
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- Then **Send** — an explicit, human action. The software **never auto-sends** a
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communication, and staff never send legal positions.
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---
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## 14. Time & AI-assisted billing
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On a case, the **Billing / Time** tab: log time entries and tick **AI-Assisted** when
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AI materially helped. The case shows total hours, AI-assisted hours, and the
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**AI-assisted %** — useful for fee transparency.
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---
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## 15. Closing a matter, archive & retention
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- **Attorney:** **Close Case** when done. From a closed matter, **Return Client File**
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records the client-file return.
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- **Archive** (menu): stored files carry a **SHA-256 checksum** and a **retention
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class**. When a file's retention period elapses it becomes **Eligible for
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Destruction**; an attorney can **Destroy** it — the audit log records *that*
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destruction happened (and keeps the checksum as proof) without keeping the content.
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- Retention periods are set under **Configuration → Retention Classes** (attorney).
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---
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## 16. Attorney-only actions (quick reference)
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- Clear Conflict Check
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- Approve / Reject a document; Mark Filed / Mark Sent; Send for E-Signature
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- Attorney Attest a citation
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- Close / Reopen a matter; Return Client File
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- Destroy an archived file
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- Approve a client communication
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- View the AI Tasks ledger and Configuration
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If you're staff and a button isn't there, it's gated to the attorney by design.
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---
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## 17. What the software will NOT do
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- It will **not** tell you (or the client) whether you have a good case or your odds of
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winning. No success percentages, anywhere. That judgment belongs to the attorney.
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- It will **not** rule on whether evidence is admissible — it only flags what's missing.
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- It will **not** file, send, or sign anything without attorney approval.
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- It will **not** let an unverified citation into a filing.
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- It will **not** give legal advice.
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---
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## 18. Troubleshooting / FAQ
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- **"I can't see a matter."** You're not assigned to it. Ask the attorney to set you as
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the paralegal/attorney on the case.
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- **"The Engage button won't work."** The conflict check hasn't been cleared by an
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attorney yet.
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- **"I can't Set for Hearing."** For a children's matter, the Parenting Course
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obligation must be completed first (Miami-Dade).
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- **"I can't file the document."** It's either not approved (Gate 1) or it has
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unverified citations (Gate 2). Check the banners.
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- **"Verify Citations did nothing / stayed unverified."** The verification source had
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no record or was unavailable — the citation stays blocked (by design). The attorney
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can attest it if appropriate.
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- **"AI Draft / Verify / Send for E-Signature is missing or errors."** Those features
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need API keys configured (Claude / CourtListener / DocuSeal). Ask the administrator —
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the rest of the platform works without them.
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---
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## 19. Glossary
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- **Matter / Case** — the client engagement (the spine).
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- **Proceeding** — a unit of legal action under a matter (original, modification,
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enforcement…). Deadlines and documents attach here.
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- **Gate 1 (review)** — attorney must approve before anything goes out.
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- **Gate 2 (citation)** — citations must be verified before they enter a filing.
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- **Conflict screening** — automatic search for conflicts of interest; flags for the
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attorney to clear.
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- **Fast-path** — the emergency intake that opens a matter on minimum facts.
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- **Retention class** — how long a file is kept before it's eligible for destruction.
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---
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*This guide describes how to operate the software. It is not legal advice, and the
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platform does not practice law. A licensed Florida attorney reviews, verifies, and
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signs all output.*
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