swarm-master/swarm-common/obsidian-vault/will/will-shared-zap/Atlas/Personal Context/Areas/Legal Order Triage Playbook.md

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tags	type	created	sensitive	status
atlas personal-context legal playbook	playbook	2026-05-15	true	active

Legal Order Triage Playbook

Purpose: create a low-anxiety way to look at a new court/contempt order without getting overwhelmed.

This is not legal advice. This playbook is for emotional load reduction, document triage, and preparing questions for a lawyer or legal-aid resource.

Current context

• Will is not able to pay everything the court ordered.
• Will recently had a contempt hearing.
• A new contempt order arrived yesterday.
• Will has not looked at the order yet because legal-related things trigger anxiety and can trigger panic attacks.

Goal

Extract only the minimum actionable facts:

1. Are there deadlines?
2. Is there a required payment amount or payment schedule?
3. Is there another hearing date?
4. Are there required documents, classes, appearances, or actions?
5. Who can help interpret this: attorney, legal aid, court facilitator, clerk, advocate?

Minimum viable win

If energy is low, do only this:

• Put the unopened order somewhere visible/safe.
• Take one photo or scan of the first page.
• Ask Atlas or a trusted person to help extract deadlines only.

That counts as progress.

Grounding before opening

Before opening or reading:

• Sit down somewhere safe.
• Have water nearby.
• Set a 10-minute timer.
• Remind yourself: "I am only extracting dates and next actions, not solving the whole case."
• If possible, have Roxanne or another trusted person nearby.

The 10-minute triage method

Do not read the whole document deeply at first.

1. Look only for:
   • dates
   • deadlines
   • dollar amounts
   • required actions
   • hearing information
   • contact information
2. Write those in the tracker below.
3. Stop after 10 minutes.
4. Decide the next support step.

Tracker

Item	Found?	Details
Deadline
Hearing date
Amount ordered
Payment schedule
Required action
Contact / filing info
Consequence if missed

Questions to ask legal help

• I cannot afford the full court-ordered amount. What options exist to request modification, payment plan, or relief?
• What exactly does the new contempt order require me to do?
• What is the deadline to respond or comply?
• What happens if I cannot pay by the date listed?
• Can I file anything explaining inability to pay?
• Are there local legal aid or court facilitator resources for this kind of matter?

If panic starts

Pause. The document can wait 10 minutes.

• Put the document down.
• Take slow breaths.
• Name five things you can see.
• Text or ask someone: "I opened the legal document and I'm panicking. Can you sit with me for 10 minutes?"
• Resume only if you feel able.

Assistant role

Atlas can help by:

• Extracting dates, deadlines, amounts, and required actions from text or photos Will provides.
• Turning the order into a plain-English checklist.
• Drafting a neutral message to an attorney/legal-aid resource.
• Creating reminders only after Will explicitly approves them.

Atlas should not:

• Give legal advice as if it were a lawyer.
• Contact court/attorneys/other parties without explicit consent.
• Push Will to read more than is necessary in one sitting.

Related notes

• Legal
• Will