How to use AI Chat GPT to File Custody Cases

The Dads’ Resource Center recently had a father reach out to us who had successfully used ChatGPT in his custody case. This sparked our interest, so we asked other separated parents their thoughts about using ChatGPT for their custody case. Most had never used it for this purpose but relayed an interest in getting more information about it.

A Google search reveals that the legal community is already making, or preparing to make, extensive use of AI technology. For example, the American Bar Association Journal article states, “According to the survey, “84% believe generative AI tools will increase the efficiency of lawyers, paralegals or law clerks.” In addition, “It’s not just the practice of law; 61% of lawyers and 44% of law students also believe generative AI will change law schools and the way law is taught and studied.”

How lawyers can take advantage of ChatGPT and other large language models disrupting the legal industry

Some of the positive feedback we received about the use of ChatGPT:

• Great for editing and formalizing text.
• I wrote my affidavit in my wording and used Chat GPT to rewrite it using stronger and more professional wording and to format it to meet the court’s standards.
• Yes! I have had it write agreements for me!
• It can be helpful to use it to organize and present your facts. Feed it the laws and feed it your information.
• It is extremely helpful. You can jot down your facts and it organizes then better. Helps whether you are a lawyer or not. It can ingest and organize unlimited information and organize it however you want.
• You can use it to analyze full websites.
• Prompt engineering is the key (two articles to help with this are at the end this blog post).

It can take time, but your ability to provide the AI with good “prompts” is the key to getting the information you are looking for. We have included some web articles on this at the end of this blog post.

The feedback we received from parents who have used ChatGPT for their custody case, as well as further research into it, found some things to be careful about:

• Use AI as a starting point, not an ending point. Always second check any citations, laws, procedures, or analysis generated by AI. There was recent case where a judge sanctioned lawyers who submitted a legal brief written by ChatGPT that included citations of non-existent court cases.
• ChatGPT takes the information given to it and “learns” from it, and possibly will use it when it responds to others. So, do not put specific personal, privileged, or confidential information into it. One person said to use parent 1 and parent 2 when denoting the mother and father.
• There are local courts that prohibit or restrict the use of AI. It is best to check with your court administrator to see if there are any AI restrictions in place.
• There is both a free and paid version of Chat GPT. People have found the free version to be useful, but the paid version is more updated and there is a general sense that it works better.

Click here to access Chat GPT

Additional information can be found at:

Chat GPT: A Lawyer’s Dream Come True or Their Worst Nightmare?

Some good information on how to create good prompts at:

11 ChatGPT Prompts to Transform Your Legal Practice

Best ChatGPT Prompts for Family Lawyers