> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.rytz.com.au/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How the AI assistant works

> What the chat is grounded in, how it produces answers, and what its limits are.

import { Card, CardGroup } from '@mintlify/components'

The AI assistant is one of the most powerful features on RYTZ — and one of the most carefully built. This page explains what's actually happening under the surface so you can use it well.

## What it's grounded in

Every substantive answer the chat gives is produced by **retrieval-augmented generation** against a curated corpus of Australian family-law primary sources:

* **Family Law Act 1975 (Cth)** — every section, indexed and embedded
* **Federal Circuit and Family Court Rules 2021** — procedural rules
* **Curated landmark cases** — Stanford, Mallet, Pierce, Polonius, Bonnici, Kowaliw, Singerson, McCalman, Williams, Kennon, M v M, McCall & Clark, Goode & Goode, Rice v Asplund, Marsden v Winch, SPS v PLS, and others
* **RYTZ procedural handbook** — an in-house reference covering the practical operation of the FCFCOA process
* **Your Master Case File** — the chat sees your specific matter context (party status, children, jurisdiction, FV history) so answers are framed for your circumstances

The AI engine is **Claude (Anthropic)** — specifically Claude Opus 4.6 for chat, Claude Sonnet 4.5 for analysis. We do not use general-purpose chatbots for this — the model has been chosen for its strength in legal reasoning, not just general knowledge.

## How an answer is produced

<Steps>
  <Step title="Your question is parsed">
    The platform classifies what you're asking — is it about parenting, property, procedure, an existing order, a specific section?
  </Step>

  <Step title="Relevant sources are retrieved">
    A vector search across the corpus returns the most relevant statute sections, cases, and procedural handbook entries.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Your case file is added as context">
    Your party status, children, jurisdiction, FV history, and other case-file fields are included so the answer is framed for your situation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Claude generates the answer">
    With strict instructions to cite primary sources, stay within legal-information (not advice), and flag uncertainty.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Citations are attached">
    The answer includes citations to the specific sections and cases relied on. Every substantive claim has a source.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What the citations look like

A typical answer ends with citations like:

> *Sources: Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) ss60CA, 60CC, 65DAAA · Rice v Asplund (1979) FLC 90-725*

You can click each citation to open the source. Section citations link to the Federal Register of Legislation; case citations link to AustLII.

If the AI says something unusual or surprising, **always check the citation first**. The citation is often the most useful part of the answer.

## What it can do well

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Explain how a statute works" icon="circle-check">
    *"What does s65DAAA mean for varying my final parenting orders?"* The chat will walk you through the section, the codified Rice v Asplund threshold, and what counts as "significant change in circumstances".
  </Card>

  <Card title="Surface relevant case law" icon="circle-check">
    *"What's the case law on initial contributions in a long marriage?"* Mallet, Polonius, Bonnici, with their holdings.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explain procedure" icon="circle-check">
    *"What's a Notice of Risk and when do I file it?"* Procedural answers grounded in the FCFCOA Rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Frame your situation" icon="circle-check">
    *"My ex wants to relocate 200km. What are my options?"* The chat reads your case file and frames the analysis under the relocation case-law line.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Flag jurisdictional differences" icon="circle-check">
    *"Does QLD treat de facto property differently to NSW?"* Surfaces state-specific considerations where relevant.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Translate jargon" icon="circle-check">
    *"What's a section 60I certificate?"* Plain-English explanations of every acronym and term.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What it can't do

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Predict outcomes" icon="circle-xmark">
    The chat will not say *"the court will order X"* — that's predicting a specific judicial decision, which no responsible system does. It will say *"the court typically considers …"* and *"a likely range is …"*.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Give legal advice" icon="circle-xmark">
    Specific guidance to your particular situation is the lawyer's domain. The chat provides legal information, not advice. The line is real and we hold it carefully.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Replace a lawyer at trial" icon="circle-xmark">
    The chat helps you understand and prepare. It does not appear at hearings, sign documents, or take instructions. Court appearances need professional representation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Answer factual questions about your case" icon="circle-xmark">
    *"What's the value of my super?"* That's not a legal question — that's a factual one your super fund can answer. The chat won't fabricate values.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Counsel you emotionally" icon="circle-xmark">
    Family-law matters are emotionally heavy. The chat is built to help with the legal substance — but if you're struggling, talk to a counsellor (Beyond Blue, Lifeline, or 1800RESPECT for FV).
  </Card>

  <Card title="Replace common sense" icon="circle-xmark">
    If something the chat says doesn't sound right, check it. Cite-and-verify is the right posture, even with a tool grounded in primary sources.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The 5-message free quota

New accounts get **5 free chat messages**. After that, the chat unlocks with the premium subscription. The reason: the AI calls cost real money (Claude Opus 4.6 is a frontier model), and the free tier exists to let you evaluate the platform.

If you're hitting the limit and want to keep going, see [Pricing and tiers](/account/pricing-and-tiers).

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Asking good questions" icon="lightbulb" href="/ai/asking-good-questions">
    How to phrase questions to get the most useful answers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Privacy + data" icon="lock" href="/account/privacy-and-data">
    What happens to the questions you ask + the data the chat sees.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>