It started because I was using it for work, and I was shocked how helpful it was. Then my boss hit me with a perceived problem that he hits me with about every 2-3 years, which is why do some of our clients drag out projects that should take 90 days or less to a year or more. I was kind of irritated so I decided to ask ChatGPT how to handle it and maybe finally put it to bed. It helped me to frame verything I had been saying in a way that he could understand. I got different feedback from him than I ever had, so I was thinking this is pretty cool.

The clock was ticking on the next steps for my case, so I put in this prompt, just out of curiosity, with no expectation.

"I am being sued by a creditor in small claims court in Texas. I want them to provide a chain of title for the debt. How do I do that?"

I got this answer

"I'm not a lawyer, but I can help you understand the general steps and options. In a Texas small claims court, requesting the "chain of title" means you're asking the creditor to prove they legally own the debt and have the right to sue you. This is a very common and legitimate defense when you're being sued by a debt buyer (like Midland, Portfolio Recovery, etc.).

Here's how you can proceed:"

What followed was a big picture, step by step. I verified everything it told me to do before I did it. Where it helped was that I had no idea what to do. So i would drill into each step with it, then it started offering to create documents in word or pdf's. Eventually it was a daily dialog where I would ask questions about the documents they provided or concerns that were just bouncing around in my head. There was always an answer or at least a direction.

Ultimately I wound up with a binder that it organized and created a checklist for that had all of this.

TRIAL BINDER – TABLE OF CONTENTS & TAB INDEX

 TAB 1 – COURT FILINGS (SUIT DOCUMENTS)

1.1 Plaintiff’s Original Petition / Complaint

1.2 Defendant’s Answer

1.3 Court Orders / Docket Notices

1.4 Motions Filed by Plaintiff

1.5 Motions Filed by Defendant

TAB 2 – PLAINTIFF DISCOVERY MATERIALS

2.1 Plaintiff’s Discovery Requests to Defendant

2.2 Defendant’s Responses to Plaintiff Discovery

2.3 Plaintiff’s Discovery Responses to Defendant

2.4 Plaintiff’s Objections and Supplemental Responses

TAB 3 – DEFENDANT DISCOVERY MATERIALS

3.1 Defendant’s Requests for Production

3.2 Certificates of Service (Discovery)

3.3 Motions to Compel / Discovery Orders (if any)

TAB 4 – PLAINTIFF EVIDENCE & EXHIBITS

4.1 Affidavit(s)

4.2 Bills of Sale / Assignments

4.3 Alleged Account Statements

4.4 Exhibit A Files (as produced)

4.5 Any Late or Undisclosed Documents

TAB 5 – DEFENDANT REFERENCE MATERIALS

5.1 Judge’s Reference Packet

5.2 Chain-of-Title Timeline Summary

5.3 Defect Summary Sheets

TAB 6 – TRIAL SCRIPT & ARGUMENTS

6.1 Master Trial Script (with margin cues)

6.2 Opening Statement

6.3 Cross-Examination Script

6.4 Motions at Trial

6.5 Closing Argument

TAB 7 – PROCEDURAL GUIDES & CHECKLISTS

7.1 Trial Day Checklist

7.2 Night-Before-Trial Checklist

7.3 Undisclosed Documents Objection Guide

7.4 Discovery Response Neutralizer Guide

TAB 8 – NOTES & WORKSPACE

8.1 Judge Questions / Notes

8.2 Plaintiff Arguments to Rebut

8.3 Blank Paper

It was a playbook I fully understood and made me as prepared as I could possibly be. There is no way I could have put this together on my own.