> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.divorce.law/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Co-Counsel Agent > Your AI legal strategist for motion drafting, legal research, and case strategy ## Overview Victoria's **Co-Counsel** agent is your AI legal strategist powered by Claude Sonnet 4.5. With deep knowledge of family law across all 61 jurisdictions (U.S. and Canada), Co-Counsel helps you develop winning strategies, draft compelling pleadings, and analyze complex legal issues. **Model**: Claude Sonnet 4.5 **Average Cost**: \~\$0.05-0.10 per conversation **Primary Use**: Legal strategy, motion drafting, litigation planning **Co-Counsel is always running** - It maintains the primary attorney relationship and coordinates with other specialist agents when needed. ## Capabilities Draft motions, responses, and pleadings with jurisdiction-specific formatting Apply case law YOU upload to drafting and strategy (not a replacement for Westlaw/LexisNexis) Develop case strategy and anticipate opposing counsel's arguments Analyze complex legal issues and provide detailed explanations Draft settlement proposals and analyze settlement offers Prepare for hearings and trials with strategic planning **Victoria is NOT a legal research tool.** She cannot replace Westlaw, LexisNexis, or similar case law databases. Victoria can cite and apply case law that YOU research and upload, but she cannot comprehensively search case law or guarantee citation accuracy without your verification. **Hallucination risk**: Never ask Victoria to "find cases" without uploading them first. ## What Co-Counsel Does ### Trial Strategy & Litigation Planning * Develop comprehensive litigation strategies * Analyze strengths and weaknesses of your case * Anticipate opposing counsel's arguments * Identify favorable and unfavorable facts * Suggest tactical approaches for hearings and trials ### Motion Practice * Draft motions (modification, enforcement, temporary orders) * Prepare responses to opposing motions * Write reply briefs and supplemental briefs * Format pleadings per local court rules * Generate proposed orders ### Legal Arguments & Brief Preparation * Construct persuasive legal arguments * Apply case law from your uploaded research to briefs * Draft trial and appellate briefs using firm knowledge base * Prepare declarations and affidavits * Review and critique opposing arguments ### Settlement Negotiations * Analyze settlement proposals * Draft settlement agreements * Calculate settlement ranges * Prepare settlement conference statements * Suggest negotiation strategies ### Court Procedure Questions * Answer questions about procedural requirements * Calculate deadlines (response times, filing dates) * Explain local court rules * Guide through filing procedures ### Working with Case Law **IMPORTANT**: Victoria integrates case law YOU provide, not comprehensive legal research. **Best Practice Workflow:** 1. Research case law on Westlaw/LexisNexis as you normally would 2. Upload relevant cases to your firm's LexVault 3. Ask Victoria to cite and apply those cases in her drafting **What Victoria CAN do:** * Cite cases uploaded to your firm knowledge base * Distinguish uploaded cases from your fact pattern * Apply uploaded case holdings to your legal arguments * Reference landmark cases in the platform library (limited) **What Victoria CANNOT do:** * Comprehensively search all case law * Replace Westlaw or LexisNexis * Guarantee citation accuracy without verification * Find cases you haven't uploaded (hallucination risk) ### The Case Law Library Victoria has access to a **limited, curated library** of major family law cases: **Platform Library (Growing):** * Landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases (e.g., *Obergefell v. Hodges*) * Major state supreme court precedents (custody, support, property division) * Frequently cited family law cases across jurisdictions * \~500-1,000 cases total (as of 2025) **Your Firm's Library (Custom):** * Cases YOU upload to LexVault * Builds over time as you upload research * Searchable by Victoria across all your cases * Becomes your firm's institutional knowledge **Combined**: Victoria can cite from BOTH the platform library and your firm's uploaded cases. **What This Is NOT:** * ❌ NOT a comprehensive case law database * ❌ NOT a replacement for Westlaw/LexisNexis (millions of cases) * ❌ NOT updated with new case law automatically * ❌ NOT suitable for complex appellate research **What This IS:** * ✅ A growing library of frequently used family law cases * ✅ Access to major landmark precedents * ✅ Your firm's custom research library * ✅ Integration of YOUR uploaded research with platform knowledge **Best Practice**: Continue using Westlaw/LexisNexis for comprehensive research. Upload relevant cases to build your firm's Victoria-accessible library over time. ## Intelligence Layers Co-Counsel draws from 7 layers of intelligence to provide contextual, accurate responses: **1. Base Prompts** Role, expertise, and ethical constraints **2. Practice Knowledge** Jurisdiction-specific laws and procedures (all 61 jurisdictions: 50 U.S. states + 11 Canadian provinces/territories) **3. Case Context** Facts, parties, timeline, and case status **4. CaseMind Memory** All discovered facts from previous conversations and documents **5. Document Knowledge** RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) from uploaded case documents **6. Conversation History** Recent messages for contextual continuity **7. Your Query** The specific question or request you make ## Example Uses **Motion Drafting:** ``` "Draft a motion to modify spousal support based on material change in circumstances. My client lost their job." ``` **Statutory Analysis:** ``` "What is the standard for modifying child custody in California under Family Code § 3087?" ``` **Case Law Integration (after you upload research):** ``` "I just uploaded In re Marriage of Smith. Use that case to support our argument for modifying custody based on relocation." ``` **Strategy:** ``` "Opposing counsel filed a motion for attorney's fees. What's our best defense strategy?" ``` **Settlement Analysis:** ``` "Opposing counsel offered $2,500/month in spousal support for 3 years. Analyze this offer and suggest a counter." ``` ## Screenshot > **Note**: Screenshots showing Victoria Co-Counsel interface will be added here. Contact your firm admin for current product screenshots. Victoria Co-Counsel Interface ## When to Use Co-Counsel Use Co-Counsel when you need: ✅ **General legal strategy and planning** ✅ **Motion and brief drafting** ✅ **Statutory and procedural analysis** ✅ **Case law integration** (after you upload research) ✅ **Settlement negotiation assistance** ✅ **Trial preparation and strategy** Don't use Co-Counsel for: ❌ **Comprehensive case law research** (use Westlaw/LexisNexis, then upload to Victoria) ❌ **Complex financial calculations** (use Financial Analyst instead) ❌ **Discovery document management** (use Discovery Manager instead) Co-Counsel has access to all case documents in LexVault and facts in CaseMind. Reference specific documents for more targeted responses: "According to the financial affidavit uploaded yesterday..." For case law, upload relevant cases first, then ask Victoria to apply them. **Critical**: ALWAYS verify case citations before filing. Victoria can only cite cases uploaded to your firm's knowledge base or in the limited platform library. Never rely on Victoria to "find" cases—research on Westlaw/LexisNexis first, upload, then ask Victoria to use them. ## Cost Optimization Co-Counsel is cost-effective at **\~\$0.05-0.10 per conversation**: **Tips to minimize costs:** * Ask multiple related questions in one conversation * Provide context upfront to avoid follow-up questions * Reference specific documents by name * Be clear and specific about what you need **Typical usage:** * 10 conversations/day = \~\$0.50-1.00/day * 200 conversations/month = \~\$10-20/month per lawyer ## Best Practices **CRITICAL**: Always upload case law before asking Victoria to cite it. **Proper Workflow:** 1. Research on Westlaw/LexisNexis 2. Download relevant cases as PDFs 3. Upload to LexVault in your case folder 4. Ask Victoria: "Use In re Marriage of Smith (uploaded today) to support our relocation argument" ❌ "Find California cases on child relocation" ✅ "I uploaded In re Marriage of LaMusga and In re Marriage of Burgess. Use these cases to draft our anti-relocation response." **Why**: Prevents hallucination and ensures citation accuracy. The more context you give, the better Co-Counsel's response: ❌ "Draft a motion to modify custody" ✅ "Draft a motion to modify custody in a California case. Father seeks increased time due to mother's recent DUI arrest. Reference the police report uploaded last week." When asking about facts in documents: ❌ "What's the opposing party's income?" ✅ "What's the opposing party's income according to the W-2 uploaded on November 1st?" Always mention your jurisdiction for statutory analysis: ❌ "Can I modify spousal support?" ✅ "Under California Family Code § 4320, can I modify spousal support if the payor retired early?" When drafting documents, specify the format: ❌ "Draft a motion to modify custody" ✅ "Draft a motion to modify custody in California Superior Court format, including Notice of Motion, Memorandum of Points and Authorities, and proposed Order" ## Limitations **What Co-Counsel Cannot Do:** ❌ **Comprehensive Legal Research** * Victoria is NOT a replacement for Westlaw, LexisNexis, Casetext, or Fastcase * Victoria CANNOT search all case law comprehensively * Victoria can only cite cases uploaded to your firm's knowledge base or in the limited platform library ❌ **Guarantee Citation Accuracy** * **Hallucination risk**: AI may cite non-existent cases if asked to "find" case law * Always verify case citations on Westlaw/LexisNexis before filing * Only ask Victoria to cite cases YOU have uploaded ❌ **Replace Professional Judgment** * Victoria provides draft work product requiring attorney review * Cannot guarantee legal outcomes * Cannot make strategic decisions independently * Cannot practice law without attorney supervision ❌ **Take Actions** * Cannot file documents with courts * Cannot communicate with opposing counsel * Cannot make decisions on your behalf **Always:** * ✅ Research case law on Westlaw/LexisNexis FIRST * ✅ Upload relevant cases to LexVault BEFORE asking Victoria to cite them * ✅ Verify all case citations before filing * ✅ Review all AI-generated content with your professional expertise * ✅ Make final decisions yourself **What Victoria Replaces:** * ✅ Case management systems (Clio, MyCase, etc.) * ✅ Paralegal document organization * ✅ Manual drafting from templates * ✅ Basic legal analysis **What Victoria Does NOT Replace:** * ❌ Westlaw, LexisNexis, Casetext (legal research) * ❌ Your professional judgment * ❌ Attorney supervision and review ## Next Steps For asset division and support calculations For discovery strategy and document requests Understand how Co-Counsel remembers your case facts Get started with Victoria AI OS