Skill: duclawbot/judge (version 1.0.0)

--- name: Court description: A comprehensive AI agent skill for navigating court systems and legal proceedings. Helps you understand what type of court handles your situation, prepares you for hearings, explains court documents in plain language, guides self-represented litigants through procedures, and helps you work more effectively with your attorney when you have one. --- # Court ## The Room Designed to Be Confusing A courtroom operates on rules that were not designed for the people who need them most. The procedures, the terminology, the filing deadlines, the forms, the etiquette, the hierarchy of who speaks and when and to whom — all of it assumes familiarity that most people entering a courtroom for the first time do not have and had no obvious way to acquire. This is not an accident of bad design. It is the accumulated weight of centuries of legal tradition, layered onto systems built by lawyers for lawyers, in language that has resisted simplification because precision matters when the stakes are high and ambiguity is expensive. The result is a room where the outcome of consequential matters — custody of your children, your housing, your finances, your freedom — can turn on procedural knowledge that has nothing to do with the underlying facts of your situation. The person who knows how to file correctly, speak at the right moment, address the judge appropriately, and present their position in the format the court expects has a structural advantage over the person who does not, regardless of whose position is more legitimate. This skill reduces that advantage gap. --- ## Which Court, Which Rules Courts are not interchangeable. A dispute that belongs in small claims court is a different situation from one that belongs in civil court, which is different from family court, criminal court, bankruptcy court, or administrative tribunal. Each has different jurisdiction, different procedures, different filing requirements, and different standards for what constitutes adequate evidence and argument. The first question in any legal situation is whether you are in the right court — and whether the court has jurisdiction over your matter. Filing in the wrong court does not just waste time. It can result in dismissal, missed deadlines that cannot be recovered, and strategic disadvantages that follow the case into the correct venue. The skill identifies which court handles your specific situation, what that court's procedures require, and what the practical differences are between the venue options that may exist for your matter. --- ## Understanding What You Were Served Court documents arrive with the weight of official authority and the clarity of a foreign language. A summons. A complaint. A motion. An order to show cause. A subpoena. Each of these means something specific, requires a specific response, and carries a deadline that does not move because you did not understand what you received. The skill translates any court document into plain language. What it is. What it is saying. What it requires from you. By when. What happens if you do not respond. What your options are for responding. This translation does not replace legal advice for complex matters, but it closes the gap between receiving a document and understanding what it means — which is the gap where most self-represented litigants lose ground before the case has properly begun. --- ## Preparing for a Hearing Walking into a courtroom unprepared is one of the most expensive mistakes available to someone navigating the legal system. Not unprepared in the sense of not knowing your own situation — you know your situation. Unprepared in the sense of not knowing the procedures that govern how your situation will be heard, what the judge expects to see and hear, what you are and are not permitted to say and when, and how the sequence of the hearing will unfold. The skill prepares you completely for any hearing you are facing. The sequence of events and what happens at each stage. What to bring and how to organize it. How to address the judge and opposing counsel. What to say when you are given the opportunity and what not to say when you are not. How to object, when objecting is appropriate, and what happens when you do. How to present evidence in a format the court will accept. This preparation does not guarantee an outcome. It ensures that your position is presented as effectively as the facts and law allow, rather than undermined by procedural errors that had nothing to do with the merits. --- ## Self-Represented Litigants The majority of people who appear in certain courts — family court, small claims, landlord-tenant, some civil matters — represent themselves. This is legal in every court in the country. It is also significantly harder than it looks from the outside, because courts apply the same procedural rules to self-represented litigants as to attorneys, with limited tolerance for errors that attorneys would not make. The skill is specifically designed for people navigating court without an attorney. It covers the filing procedures that must be followed exactly. The deadlines that are absolute. The forms that must be completed correctly or will be rejected. The courtroom conduct that judges expect and the conduct that damages credibility before a word of substance has been spoken. It also helps you understand when a matter has become complex enough that self-representation is genuinely risky — when the procedural requirements, the legal standards, or the opposing party's resources have reached a level where professional representation is the right investment rather than an avoidable expense. --- ## Working With an Attorney Having an attorney does not mean surrendering your understanding of your own case. The client who understands what their attorney is doing and why, who can ask informed questions, who recognizes when something important has not been addressed, and who can evaluate the advice they are receiving — this client gets more from professional representation than the client who hands the matter over and waits for news. The skill helps you be this client. It explains what your attorney's filings accomplish and why. It helps you understand the strategy behind procedural decisions. It prepares you to have productive conversations with your attorney about case developments rather than conversations where you are catching up to information your attorney considers basic. It also helps you evaluate whether the representation you are receiving is adequate — not to second-guess professional judgment, but to recognize the difference between a strategy you do not understand and a strategy that does not exist. --- ## After the Ruling A court ruling is not always the end of a matter. It may be the beginning of an enforcement process, an appeals consideration, a modification procedure, or a compliance obligation that runs for years. The skill helps you understand what a ruling means in practical terms. What you are required to do and by when. What the other party is required to do and what happens if they do not. Whether the ruling can be appealed, on what grounds, within what timeframe, and what the realistic prospects of an appeal are. How to enforce a ruling in your favor when the other party does not comply voluntarily. The courthouse door is not the end of the legal process. Understanding what comes after the ruling is as important as understanding what happened inside the room.

path: examples.md
content: # Court — Real Usage Examples

*Copy these prompts directly into your AI agent to get started.*

---

## Quick Start Prompts

### Understand Your Situation

"I was just served with a summons. I have never been to court before. What does this mean and what do I do first?"

### Identify the Right Court

"My landlord is trying to evict me. Which court handles this in my state and what are my rights as a tenant?"

### Decode a Document

"I received something called an Order to Show Cause. Can you explain what this is and what I need to do?"

### Prepare for a Hearing

"I have a custody hearing in three weeks. I am representing myself. Walk me through exactly how to prepare."

---

## Conversation Examples

### Example 1: First Time Receiving Court Papers

User: I got papers today saying I am being sued by a debt collector for $4,200. I do not know what to do.

Agent: You were served with a civil complaint. The most important thing right now is the deadline — you typically have 20 to 30 days to file a written response called an Answer, depending on your state. If you do not respond, the court will likely enter a default judgment against you automatically, which means the debt collector wins without having to prove anything. Do not ignore this. Tell me your state and the date on the papers and I will give you the exact deadline and next steps.

---

### Example 2: Small Claims Court

User: A contractor took $3,500 from me and never did the work. Can I sue him myself?

Agent: Yes. This is exactly what small claims court is designed for. Most states allow claims up to $5,000 to $10,000 in small claims, you do not need an attorney, and the filing fee is usually $30 to $100. You will need to file in the county where the contractor lives or does business, serve him with notice of the hearing, and bring your evidence — the contract, receipts, texts, emails, any written communications about the work. Walk me through what documentation you have and I will help you organize your case.

---

### Example 3: Family Court Hearing

User: I have a child support modification hearing next month. My income dropped significantly. What do I need to bring?

Agent: For a modification hearing based on income change you will need: your last three pay stubs or proof of current income, your tax returns from the past two years, documentation of the income change such as a termination letter or business records if self-employed, and the existing court order you are asking to modify. The judge will want to see that the change is substantial and ongoing, not temporary. Let me help you prepare your statement and anticipate the questions the judge is likely to ask.

---

### Example 4: Understanding a Ruling

User: The judge ruled against me today. The clerk handed me papers but I do not understand what I am supposed to do now.

Agent: Tell me what the case was about and I will explain what the ruling means in practical terms — what you are required to do, by when, whether you have grounds to appeal, and what the deadline for an appeal would be. In most civil cases you have 30 days from the date of the ruling to file a notice of appeal, so time matters. Share what the papers say and we will work through it together.

---

## Power User Prompts

"Explain the difference between a motion to dismiss and a motion for summary judgment in plain language."

"I want to subpoena records from a company. Walk me through how to do this as a self-represented litigant."

"The other party violated the court order. What is a motion for contempt and how do I file one?"

"I need to write a declaration to submit to the court. What format does it need to be in and what should I include?"

"My hearing is tomorrow and I just found out the other side filed new documents. What are my options?"

---

*Courts reward preparation. The more specific your situation, the more targeted the guidance.*


path: heartbeat.md
content: # Court Skill — Heartbeat

*Active case monitoring. Run these checks throughout your legal proceedings.*

---

## When You First Receive Court Documents

Run immediately:
"I just received [document name]. The date on it is [date]. My state is [state]. What is my response deadline and what do I need to do first?"

Never wait. Deadlines in court are absolute. A deadline missed by one day has the same consequence as a deadline missed by thirty days.

---

## Weekly — Active Case Check

While a case is ongoing, review every week:

"Here is where my case stands: [current stage]. My next deadline is [date]. My next hearing is [date]. What should I be doing this week to prepare?"

Track these every week:

Filing deadlines — documents due to the court
Service deadlines — documents due to the other party
Discovery deadlines — evidence exchange cutoffs
Hearing dates — never miss, never be late
Response windows — time limits on motions filed against you

---

## Before Every Hearing — 72 Hours Out

"My hearing is in 3 days. It is a [type of hearing] in [court type]. I am [represented by attorney / representing myself]. Walk me through final preparation."

Checklist:
- All documents organized and tabbed
- Extra copies for judge, opposing party, and yourself
- Evidence labeled and ready to present
- Opening statement prepared and practiced
- Anticipated questions from the judge prepared
- Logistics confirmed — location, parking, arrival time
- Appropriate courtroom attire planned

---

## After Every Hearing

"My hearing was today. Here is what happened: [summary]. The judge said [ruling or next steps]. What do I need to do now and by when?"

Document immediately after leaving the courthouse:
- What the judge ordered
- Any deadlines mentioned from the bench
- What the other party said or committed to
- Any documents handed to you by the clerk

---

## Case Stage Triggers

Use these at each major stage of your case:

Filing stage:
"I need to file [document type] in [court]. Walk me through the exact requirements and format."

Discovery stage:
"I received a request for [interrogatories / documents / admissions]. What are my obligations and deadline?"

Negotiation stage:
"The other side has offered [settlement terms]. Help me evaluate whether this is reasonable given my situation."

Post-ruling stage:
"The judge ruled [outcome]. I want to understand my options including whether to appeal."

Enforcement stage:
"I have a judgment in my favor but the other party is not paying. What are my enforcement options?"

---

## Annual — For Ongoing Court Orders

For custody orders, support orders, restraining orders, or probation conditions that run for years:

"It has been [time period] since my [order type] was entered. Here is what has changed in my situation: [changes]. Should I consider a modification and what would that involve?"

---

*In court, what you do not know costs you. Regular check-ins keep you ahead of deadlines and prepared for what comes next.*


path: skill.json
content: {
  "name": "court",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "A comprehensive AI agent skill for navigating court systems and legal proceedings. Covers document interpretation, hearing preparation, self-representation guidance, and post-ruling enforcement.",
  "author": "AGIstack",
  "license": "MIT-0",
  "homepage": "https://clawhub.ai",
  "keywords": [
    "court", "legal", "lawsuit", "hearing", "judge", "filing",
    "self-represented", "litigation", "civil court", "family court",
    "small claims", "summons", "motion", "ruling", "appeal"
  ],
  "files": {
    "skill.md": "skill.md",
    "heartbeat.md": "heartbeat.md",
    "examples.md": "examples.md"
  },
  "capabilities": {
    "document_translation": "Explains any court document in plain language with deadlines and required actions",
    "court_identification": "Identifies which court handles your specific matter and why",
    "hearing_preparation": "Complete preparation guide for any type of court hearing",
    "self_representation": "Step-by-step procedural guidance for litigants without attorneys",
    "attorney_collaboration": "Helps clients work more effectively with their legal representation",
    "post_ruling_guidance": "Explains rulings, enforcement options, and appeal considerations"
  },
  "triggers": [
    "court", "lawsuit", "sued", "summons", "hearing", "judge",
    "filing", "motion", "subpoena", "judgment", "ruling", "appeal",
    "small claims", "family court", "civil court", "criminal court",
    "self represented", "pro se", "contempt", "order", "complaint",
    "default judgment", "discovery", "deposition", "settlement"
  ],
  "heartbeat": {
    "immediate": "Decode any new court document and identify response deadline",
    "weekly": "Active case status check and upcoming deadline review",
    "pre_hearing": "72-hour preparation checklist before every court appearance",
    "post_hearing": "Document outcomes and identify next required actions",
    "annual": "Review ongoing court orders for modification considerations"
  },
  "audience": [
    "Self-represented litigants in any court",
    "People who have just been served with legal papers",
    "Anyone preparing for a court hearing",
    "Clients wanting to work more effectively with their attorney",
    "People navigating post-ruling enforcement or appeals"
  ],
  "openclaw": {
    "primaryEnv": null,
    "requires": {}
  }
}


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: suspicious | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: suspicious (MEDIUM)