> ## 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.
# Master Case File — overview
> The AI-generated comprehensive case document at the heart of every RYTZ matter. Auto-grows over time. One place to point a lawyer, a barrister, or your future self when you need the whole picture in one document.
import { Card, CardGroup, Note, Tip, Warning } from '@mintlify/components'
The **Master Case File** (MCF) is the platform's most-distinctive feature. It is a single, comprehensive, AI-synthesised document that captures the entire shape of your matter — chronology, parties, evidence matrix, strategy, next actions, consultation insights — and grows automatically as your matter develops.
You'll find it at `app.rytz.com.au/master-case-file`.
## Why the platform has this
Australian family-law matters generate enormous amounts of material. Across a 12-month matter you might accumulate:
* Hundreds of evidence items in the Portfolio
* Dozens of AI-assistant conversations
* Multiple drafts of affidavits and forms
* Court correspondence
* Communications with the other party
* Lawyer consultations (notes, advice, fee invoices)
* Decision points (offers made, offers received, strategic pivots)
Without something pulling all of this together, two things happen. First, you forget. The decision you made about a parenting routine in March looks confusing in September unless you remember why you decided it. Second, you cannot brief a third party fast. A lawyer you engage three months in needs the whole picture; producing it from raw material is a 4–8 hour exercise.
The MCF solves both problems by being the always-current synthesised document.
## Master Case File ≠ User Profile
A common confusion worth clearing up. There are two distinct surfaces:
| Surface | Route | Purpose |
| -------------------- | ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Master Case File** | `/master-case-file` | AI-synthesised case document. Lives at the top of your matter. Auto-grows. About *the matter*. |
| **User Profile** | `/profile` | Your account settings — name, contact details, password, subscription. About *you*. |
The names sound similar but they do different things. Most platform actions reference the MCF. Your profile is rarely something you'd interact with after sign-up.
## What's in the MCF
The MCF is structured as **six sections**:
A 200–400-word synthesised summary of the matter as it stands today. Updated whenever something material changes. The version a lawyer would read first.
Date-ordered list of every material event — relationship start, separation, key communications, evidence captured, court events, decisions made. The factual spine of the matter.
Structured cross-reference of evidence by stage, by topic, and by source. Mirrors the [Court Readiness Matrix](/evidence/court-readiness-matrix) but at narrative level rather than dashboard level.
The platform's synthesis of where you are and what's working. Identifies leverage points, risks, and the case theory the AI assistant is operating on.
Prioritised list of what you should do next, with reasons. Updates as you complete actions or as new material arrives.
Captures of any lawyer consultations, FDR sessions, or other professional engagements — what was discussed, what was advised, what was agreed.
See [What it shows](/master-case-file/what-it-shows) for the full breakdown of each section.
## How it stays current
The MCF is generated by AI synthesis over your entire matter — the Master Case File feature itself, the Evidence Portfolio, your AI-assistant conversations, your drafts, the Case Roadmap state, and any structured intake data. The platform regenerates sections on a schedule and on-demand.
**Automatic regeneration** happens:
* When you upload material evidence (high-impact item types)
* When you make a substantial change in another planner (Settlement / Parenting)
* After a long AI-assistant conversation
* Once a week as a refresh sweep
**On-demand regeneration** is one click — there's a "Refresh" button at the top of the MCF surface. Use it before:
* A lawyer consultation (so the lawyer reads the most-current version)
* A court event
* A negotiation session
* An FDR session
## How long it takes to generate
The full MCF takes 30–90 seconds to regenerate. Sections regenerate independently when their underlying material changes — the Chronology section refreshes on every Evidence Portfolio update; the Strategy section refreshes less frequently because strategic synthesis is more compute-intensive.
The platform always shows the MCF as it stands. If a regeneration is in flight, the document still loads (with the prior version) and a small indicator notes "refreshing in background".
## Export options
Two main export formats:
* **PDF (full)** — the entire MCF as a single PDF. Suitable for emailing a lawyer, taking to a consultation, or printing. Page numbered, indexed, formatted for print.
* **Lawyer brief** — a condensed, lawyer-format extract. Drops casual language, prioritises the chronology and strategy sections, includes the evidence matrix in tabular form. Roughly 60% the length of the full PDF. Suitable for first-consultation briefings.
Both exports reflect the MCF as at the moment of export. The platform records every export with a timestamp so you know which version you sent to whom.
See [Refresh and export](/master-case-file/refresh-and-export) for the full export flow.
## What the MCF will not do
A few honest constraints:
* **It does not replace direct evidence.** The chronology references evidence; it does not contain the evidence itself. You still need the Portfolio open when discussing specifics.
* **It does not advise on strategy.** The Strategy section synthesises the platform's understanding of your matter — it does not tell you what to do. Strategic decisions remain yours (and your lawyer's).
* **It is not legal advice.** The MCF is educational. Decisions that affect your matter should be checked with a family-law solicitor, not made on the MCF alone.
* **It only knows what you've told it.** Anything you haven't put in the Portfolio, the chats, or the planners, the MCF can't reflect.
**Privacy note.** The MCF synthesises sensitive information. Sharing the PDF with a third party means sharing your entire case position. Take care with who receives it. Consult [Privacy and data](/account/privacy-and-data) for how the MCF is stored and protected.
## Where the MCF connects
The MCF is the central reference point for many other surfaces:
* **AI assistant** — when you start a conversation, the assistant has access to the MCF as context. "Look at where we are in my matter" is a useful first message.
* **Affidavit Preparation** — wizards pull from the MCF for parties, chronology, and case framing.
* **Settlement Planner / Parenting Planner / Case Roadmap** — all reference and contribute to the MCF.
* **Evidence Portfolio** — the MCF's chronology and evidence matrix are derived from the Portfolio.
* **Forms Library** — forms pre-populate from the MCF.
## What's next
Section-by-section breakdown of what each part of the MCF contains.
The flow for keeping the MCF current and exporting versions.
The original MCF setup. Re-visit this after major life changes.
How the MCF is stored, encrypted, and shared.