> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.courtaid.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.courtaid.ai/getting-started/common-use-cases.md).

# Common use cases

CourtAid supports a range of legal research workflows. Here are the most common ways practitioners use the platform.

## 1. Quick legal research question

**Scenario:** You need to understand how courts have approached a legal issue.

**Steps:**

1. Go to **New Chat** (the landing page)
2. Make sure the correct **country** is selected
3. Optionally open **Filters** to narrow jurisdiction or court
4. Type your question — e.g. *"What factors do courts consider when granting interlocutory injunctions in contract disputes?"*
5. Review the AI response and click through to cited sources

**Best for:** Exploratory research, understanding legal principles, getting oriented on a new area of law.

***

## 2. Finding relevant cases by topic

**Scenario:** You want a list of cases on a specific subject, not a conversational answer.

**Steps:**

1. Open **Search** from the sidebar (or click **Case Search** on the landing page)
2. Enter your query in **Search** mode (not Chat mode)
3. Select **Smart** search mode for meaning-based results
4. Apply filters — e.g. NSW jurisdiction, Supreme Court, Judgements only
5. Scroll through the summary feed and open promising results

**Best for:** Building a reading list, finding leading authorities, scanning recent decisions.

See [Semantic search](/legal-research-and-search/semantic-search.md) and [Using filters](/legal-research-and-search/using-filters.md) for detail.

***

## 3. Researching a specific jurisdiction

**Scenario:** Your matter is in Victoria and you only want Victorian decisions.

**Steps:**

1. Confirm your country is set to **Australia**
2. Open filters and set **Jurisdiction** to **Victoria**
3. Set **Document Type** to **Judgements**
4. Optionally select a specific **Court** (e.g. Supreme Court of Victoria)
5. Run your search or chat query

**Best for:** State-specific matters, avoiding noise from other jurisdictions.

See [Changing countries](/legal-research-and-search/changing-countries.md) and [Using filters](/legal-research-and-search/using-filters.md).

***

## 4. Working on a client matter

**Scenario:** You have pleadings, correspondence, and court decisions for one matter and want to research across all of them.

**Steps:**

1. Click **New Project** and give it a name (add Client ID / Matter ID if useful)
2. Upload your documents to the project
3. Save relevant court decisions from Search into the project
4. Click **Chat** on the project to ask questions across your files and CourtAid's database
5. Use **Chronologies** or **Tabular** views for deeper analysis

**Best for:** Matter-specific research, combining private documents with public court data.

See [Projects](/matter-workspaces/projects.md).

***

## 5. Reviewing a specific judgement or Act

**Scenario:** You have a citation and want to read, summarise, or discuss a particular document.

**Steps:**

1. Search for the case or legislation by name or citation
2. Click the document title to open it, or click **Summary** for an AI-generated overview
3. Click **Chat PDF** to have a conversation focused on that document
4. Use **Save** to add it to a project for later

**Best for:** Deep-diving into a single authority, preparing for a hearing, checking legislative provisions.

***

## 6. Boolean / keyword search

**Scenario:** You need precise keyword matching — e.g. finding documents that mention specific terms together.

**Steps:**

1. Go to **Search**
2. Switch **Search Mode** from **Smart** to **Boolean**
3. Enter a query with operators — e.g. `contract AND breach NOT employment`
4. Apply any relevant filters

**Best for:** Finding documents containing specific terms, names, or statutory references.

See [Semantic search](/legal-research-and-search/semantic-search.md) for when to use Smart vs Boolean.

***

## 7. Cross-jurisdiction comparison

**Scenario:** You practise across Australia and New Zealand, or you're comparing UK and Australian approaches.

**Steps:**

1. Complete your research in one country (e.g. Australia)
2. Switch country using the sidebar selector or filters panel
3. Re-run the same or similar query in the new jurisdiction
4. Compare results side by side

**Best for:** Comparative law research, multi-jurisdiction practices.

See [Projects](/matter-workspaces/projects.md).

***

## 8. Bulk document review with Tabular View

**Scenario:** You have a bundle of 20+ documents and need the same questions answered for each one — document type, sender, date, key content.

**Steps:**

1. Create or open a [Project](/matter-workspaces/projects.md)
2. Upload all documents to the project
3. Open the **Tabular** tab in the project workspace
4. Create a new review — choose **E-Discovery Review** or a custom workflow
5. Select the documents and run the review
6. Review the populated table, click **View more** on any cell for detail

**Best for:** E-discovery triage, due diligence, contract portfolio review, correspondence analysis.

See [Tabular View](/matter-workspaces/tabular-view.md).

***

## Choosing the right tool

| Goal                                 | Use                                                                       |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Conversational answer with citations | **Chat** (New Chat or Search page Chat toggle)                            |
| Browse many matching documents       | **Search** (summary feed)                                                 |
| Precise keyword matching             | **Search** → **Boolean** mode                                             |
| Meaning-based discovery              | **Search** → **Smart** mode                                               |
| Matter-specific research             | **Projects** → upload docs, chat, run tabular reviews, build chronologies |
| Review many documents at once        | **Projects** → **Tabular** tab                                            |
| One specific document                | **Chat PDF** or **Summary** on a result                                   |


---

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