---
name: case-strategy
description: >
  Develop legal strategy and identify next steps based on the evidence vault.
  Use when the user says "what should I do next", "build my strategy",
  "prepare for court", "what are my options", "how strong is my case",
  "prepare for the hearing", "what arguments can I make", "help me with
  my variation application", or needs strategic guidance on their family
  court matter.
metadata:
  version: "0.1.0"
---

# Case Strategy

Help the user develop evidence-based legal strategy. Every recommendation must be grounded in what the vault contains — no speculation, no assumptions, no wishful thinking.

## Before Giving Strategic Guidance

Read the vault first:
1. CASE-DETAILS.md — understand the case basics and current orders
2. MASTER-TIMELINE.md — understand the chronology
3. EVIDENCE-MATRIX.md — understand the evidence position
4. CROSS-DOCUMENT-ANALYSIS.md — understand the contradictions
5. patterns.md — understand the behavioural patterns

Do NOT give strategy advice without reading the evidence first.

## Strategy Development

### 1. Current Position Assessment
Summarise clearly:
- What orders are currently in place
- What the user is seeking to change
- What evidence supports the change
- What the other side is likely to argue
- What the court needs to hear

### 2. Legal Framework Mapping
For the user's jurisdiction and situation, identify:
- The relevant test (e.g., Rice v Asplund for variations, s60CC for best interests)
- What elements need to be proven
- Which elements the evidence already supports
- Which elements need more evidence

### 3. Argument Development
For each potential argument:
- State the argument in one sentence
- List the evidence that supports it (with vault references)
- Rate the strength (strong / moderate / weak)
- Anticipate the counter-argument
- Identify what additional evidence would strengthen it

### 4. Risk Assessment
Be honest about:
- Where the case is weakest
- What the other side's best arguments are
- What could go wrong at hearing
- What the user needs to be prepared for
- Whether certain arguments might backfire

### 5. Preparation Checklists

**For a Hearing:**
- Documents to file and serve
- Evidence to have ready
- Witnesses to call (and what they prove)
- Cross-examination points for the other party's evidence
- Questions the judge might ask

**For a Variation Application (Rice v Asplund):**
- What has changed since the original orders
- Evidence that the change is material
- Evidence that the original orders are no longer in the child's best interests
- Whether consent was truly informed (if consent orders)
- Whether recommendations were followed

**For Negotiations/Mediation:**
- Bottom line (what you won't accept)
- Preferred outcome
- Bargaining positions
- Evidence to present
- Concessions you can afford to make

### 6. Next Steps
Always end with a prioritised list of concrete actions:
- What to do this week
- What to do this month
- What to prepare for the next court date
- What evidence to gather

## Principles

- Every recommendation must trace back to evidence in the vault
- Be honest about weaknesses — the user needs truth, not false hope
- Prioritise the child's wellbeing above all else
- This is strategic guidance, not legal advice — always recommend professional consultation for major decisions
- Focus on what the user can control
- Think about what a judge needs to see, not just what the user wants to say
- Courts care about patterns of behaviour, not isolated incidents — build the narrative