Self Representing Divorce case using AI..Anyone??

druid_enacla · 2026-07-17T07:02:01+00:00

I would use a hammer to build a house, but I wouldn't trust the hammer to do the work. Just like AI, it's a tool. It lacks the adaptability of a human's mind despite it being able to get "virtually" close. The judicial system is a giant paper mill ran by Robert's Rules of Order. There are strict processes in place that you simply have to abide by and if some are not followed there can be serious & possibly lasting consequences. That's why we have lawyers. They went to school to learn about that system and then there are niches like business law, family law, property law, etc etc. If you had a simple case like me, non-contested with no assets or children, then it was fairly easy to find the multiple distinct forms we needed to fill out, file, respond to court, get served, finally get a court date, graciously told to come back in 1 week to file missing paperwork instead of the case getting thrown out due to lack of necessary paperwork, court date the following week, FINALLY divorce finalized. Omg what a headache and it was as simple as a divorce gets.

InDaCourt8836 · 2026-07-16T17:34:02+00:00

Use your gut instinct. if her attorney is one of the chosen few attorneys that own that courtroom and own the judges then there’s nothing you could do, even with an attorney. I could not find an attorney willing to fight false charges against me so I realized I had to do it myself.

Wrong_Report9195 · 2026-07-15T20:35:36+00:00

Eeeech. No. While AI has indeed passed the bar, it does worse as the context grows. The deeper the dive, the more subtle the hallucinations.

I would definitely use AI to sanity check everything along the way. An extra set of digital eyes never hurts. AI knows a lot about the process. AI does well at finding needles in a haystack or giving low depth advice. But I'd never trust it in a domain that I don't understand myself or for a super deep dive.

Unusual-Operation334 · 2026-07-14T20:23:35+00:00

I did it. I find if you have an attorney on the side it can work. I even won in child support court.

rsmiley77 · 2026-07-14T20:01:05+00:00

I represent myself with anything that goes on post divorce. The last thing was adjusting child support after my child graduated. My case went as far as it could go and I can’t imagine not having an attorney there to be a buffer. My attorney was great at filing and doing the little things but was horrible at trial. Thankfully the trial went multiple days, and I’m a professional communicator so I wrote up a script for her to follow in questioning and she followed it. At the end she said she didn’t know if she had ever had a client as prepared as me.

So from someone who’s gone through it… I always like to remind folks that are thinking about going the self route or who aren’t taking the proceedings seriously that there are no do overs (you have 30 days to appeal most decisions in my state but there’s no redoing the trial). You better be damn confident in what you’re doing.

qrc2121 · 2026-07-14T17:27:22+00:00

Depends on what state you’re in. Many courts are banning AI generated filings. There are several cases now where attorneys are being sanctioned and blocked for using AI (you can use your AI to look them up). And, as mentioned before, all of your AI prompts are sent to third party servers so privilege and work product exemptions are usually tossed by the judge and can be requested through discovery. Just because you CAN do it doesn’t mean you SHOULD

vervii · 2026-07-14T14:00:08+00:00

Just a generationally bad idea. You are the epitome of dunning kruger. I can't think of a single lawyer that doesn't pop champagne when they hear the opposing side is "self representing". Best of luck friend.

Grassfed_Burp · 2026-07-14T09:37:11+00:00

ChatGPT logs can be called into evidence. Be careful.

Particular-Depth-973 · 2026-07-14T03:16:07+00:00

After 16 years and 700 pleadings in my family court case, I can tell you from experience that self representation can not only work, but it has unique advantages. BUT the caveat is that I would not self represent if the case goes to trial. Most of the advice on this thread is terrible... I wouldn't worry about law; instead focus on learning how your Judge thinks and reacts, his/her hot buttons, and being as concise and direct as possible. Most of the time when people fail at self representation they can't communicate effectively and spend too much time rambling about things that do not matter.

Effective self representation is all about running up your exes legal costs (ie- wasting her time); while simultaneously treat the court and Judges time with the utmost respect. If you respect the court's time, you can make a lot of friends very quickly.

scivi92 · 2026-07-14T01:08:10+00:00

best to combine with your own research of case law and ordinances. you can go to a local law library if they have designated days that open to the general public, and search for case law. ask ai to write you the queries to find cases like yours and find similar cases. your luck is better if their attorney isn't top tier.

warwww · 2026-07-13T23:00:21+00:00

It can be done, but you have to understand what it is that you're doing. Copying and pasting won't work. The whole court will know that a dunderhead didn't write what you submitted.

In any pleading you make, you have to make it about the kids (that should be your primary objective regardless).

From my experience, if you choose to represent yourself - your work if 100X harder as no closed loop system likes an outsider coming in to show up the professionals. They hate it.

You a commoner vs a bar licensed lawyer that shakes hands with the judges at the yearly luncheons. Your smoked.

You have to write in such a way that your pleading can stand up to all levels of legal scrutiny.

When you're representing yourself you're really going against the judge's discretion which is wide and far in family court.

kwillich · 2026-07-13T22:35:36+00:00

Even if you YOURSELF are a lawyer, self representation is not a great idea in divorce.

Waaaay down the list of reasonable ways to handle it is "Partner with AI" just above hiring RFK Jr or Alan Dershowitz.

EmbarrassedAge7612 · 2026-07-13T21:50:20+00:00

Self representation is never a good idea unless it’s something both sides are doing for a quick divorce. Lawyers are expensive but they know the laws.

peachdog3k · 2026-07-13T21:48:52+00:00

It can definitely be done successfully, but you must keep in mind that AI can hallucinate laws and case law. These tools also tend to act like "yes-men" that simply agree with whatever you suggest.

Two years ago, when AI was still relatively new, I used ChatGPT to draft a court application for my lawyer to review and submit to court. He read through it and congratulated me on the quality of the work. It was highly convincing, and nobody noticed any issues, but later I realized that some of the cited case law was actually fabricated.

To avoid this, always include a request in your AI prompt to double-check all applicable laws against two different sources. Afterward, verify the result using two other AI models. For example, if you use Copilot as your primary drafting tool, ask Gemini and Claude to confirm all the facts. Claude is excellent at this because it often provides useful, contrasting opinions. On the other hand, Grok can be highly encouraging but is too much of a "yes-man" to be reliable, as it frequently makes up information.

SeaworthinessOwn9328 · 2026-07-13T21:20:18+00:00

I fired my lawyer after i caught him double billing and went solo using ai. Do not do this. AI was helpful sometimes and almost completely fucked me on other times. Hire a lawyer.

GreyMerrin · 2026-07-13T20:47:03+00:00

Doing same in child relocation. Won 1st round with chat gpt. Second I conceded, just before - jusge said would have delayed and ordwred investigations. Wednesday have contact details. Prompt correctly, now the law, and it can be done. Just be very careful - it does cost time and knowing what prompts, use projects correctly and bundles. Have mine prepped already for Wedmesday, focusing on contradictions in defences etc. So absolutely possible, and depending on laws where you live.

egoisticHypocrite · 2026-07-13T20:43:33+00:00

Self representing not a good idea. I have no intention of doing that but I have been using codex extensively to get me organized. And then using the information to consult attorneys. If you are interested in know more about how I use codex feel free to dm me.

RabbitGlass5578 · 2026-07-13T20:42:33+00:00

You get what you pay for....you have been warned.

PlaystationSwitchAWD · 2026-07-13T20:13:14+00:00

AI models are not accurate because it doesn’t have enough public cases to train from.

If you want to self represent, study the specific cases and laws in your state.

But I highly recommend you retain an attorney, and then try to do as much of the administrative tasks that you can to save money.

Tvelt17 · 2026-07-13T20:09:36+00:00

If you're in the middle of a bad divorce, get a good attorney. AI will just get you raked over the coals.

Serious_Albatross424 · 2026-07-13T20:04:39+00:00

Dude, no. Just no, there is no ai model out there I would trust especially if you have to go to trial. Get an attorney.

I used AI a lot to look things up, digest the legal documents I had to fill out. It’s great at calculating financials, and coming up with potential outcomes, ie spousal support and asset division predictions etc. it should in no way be used in place of an attorney.

shorthairedlonghair · 2026-07-13T19:59:34+00:00

Your attorneys are less expensive than what self-representing using AI will cost you.

HistoryPristine1029 · 2026-07-13T19:39:34+00:00

Oh my gosh, no don't do it.

warwww · 2026-07-13T19:29:35+00:00

If you sound too smart for a self represented litigant you will be penalized harshly.

PghSubie · 2026-07-13T19:23:30+00:00

Using AI for anything at all is a roll of the dice. In this case, it seems like a pretty expensive gamble

trainwreck1968 · 2026-07-13T19:21:33+00:00

Do not do this. Get a lawyer. Who specializes in divorce/family law.

Evanisnotmyname · 2026-07-13T19:17:00+00:00

You can get a free trial to Vincent by vLex. I think it’s better than nothing….but there’s a reason they’re making money, especially w the allegations.

I would avoid at all costs. There aren’t really any do-overs. That’s what I learned the hard way.

Title	Self Representing Divorce case using AI..Anyone??
Author	turban-legend
Upvotes	0
Comments	38
Date	July 13, 2026 5:57 PM UTC (3 weeks ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/Divorce_Men
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/Divorce_Men/comments/1uviykj/self_representing_divorce_case_using_aianyone/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/Divorce_Men/self-representing-divorce-case-using-aianyone.1584964 https://theredarchive.com/post/1584964

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