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Prompts are the instructions you provide to an AI to perform a certain action. We also refer to the prompts more simply as the legal questions you want to ask LawY.
Effective prompting starts by carefully considering the legal question you're addressing. First, clearly identify the issues involved, and second, determine the applicable legal principles. Use LawY to find the relevant principles, cases, primary sources, and concepts. The key is being specific and clear.
That’s why we encourage you to experiment—ask questions, explore the limits, and adapt. If a response isn’t quite right, revise the prompt and try again. This approach not only improves results but also builds AI literacy.
Here are the prompts and follow-up questions we used:
I'm a lawyer who acts for a client who has just ended a de facto relationship of approximately 15 years my client is concerned about her spouse who settled a discretionary family trust with himself and his brothers as trustee shortly before the relationship or at the start of the relationship this trust now holds the matrimonial home the home was purchased by my client's de facto spouse about two years prior to the relationship using a mix of inherited funds and personal savings our client has instructed me to commence proceedings please prepare a checklist it should be concise about eight to ten points for example it should start with the letter to the X spouses solicitor seeking disclosure of the trust documents this would probably then followed by the letter of advice to a client
Start step one
Expand the list to include the additional items required for the proper exchange of full and frank disclosure do these in a separate headings as well as a separate heading for the trust request set out a section that we expect them to act in good faith and that we need a response within 14 days
Please now draft a letter to the client providing a visual initial advice in relation to the clients de facto trust spouses particularly that the matrimony home was transferred into the trust just before they moved in together we donate this stage have sufficient information in relation to that trust and an unaware of the trust expenditure and that will need to consider any material that may be provided by the client and the other side solicitor the letter I don't want to refer to the direct references to case law but should refer to relevant legislation and sections for any potential claims that we may have explain this in a manner suitable for a layperson in law but sophisticated otherwise
Amend and include in that letter and expand upon what the potential claims are and how the court might deal with them please set out what we need in relation to our own clients disclosure as well as any information has relating to the operation of the trust we should also enclose a copy of the draft letter to the other side solicitor for her review and approval we also will need a section for her to attend the office and discuss any material the conduct of this matter please also use headings for any references to potential claims and sections otherwise update the letter appropriately
Please set out any relevant case law in relation to possible claims under section 44 dispositions to defeat claims
Please drop a memorandum to a solicitor in my firm to conduct a review of the cases from this conversation confirming relevance and the principles are still followed as well as confirming any relevant updated cases should be made clear in the memorandum that these cases were generated from the use of an AI tool
Please give me more information on Sutton V Bell including any quotes use exact words from the judgment in support of the courts reasoning https://www.nzlii.org/cgi-bin/sinodisp/nz/cases/NZSC/2023/65.html
Please expand the letter to the client taking into consideration the courts perspective in Sutton V Bell particularly in light of the uncertainty regarding whether the transfer of the matrimonial home and to trust occurred before or after the commencement of the relationship and how the court's reasoning will impact that it appears to transfer its likely completely shortly before the parties began living together but likely when that started their relationship please ensure that the letter addresses these points without specifically referring to the case
Now please set up a follow up and checklist to do in relation to this conversation
Today is the 30th of July 2025 New Zealand Standard Time I want to send the letter of advice out to the client by closing business Friday as such I will also then need to draft a letter to the solicitor that needs to be finished please include dates and times as relevant to this where there are no specific dates suggest dates or include them as a placeholder in the to do list
Please do a legal file note of only the work done in this conversation it's important to make clear that the file note and the working material referred to in this file note was prepared with the assistance of an AI tool this should be included at the start and where appropriate elsewhere
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Links to Online Cases
Template for an AI-use policy
How to use Windows Dictation
Blog post: The secret to powerful and effective AI prompts
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