Case Management

Keep your appeals organized with a root case brief, standard folders, and Case Timeline tracking.

Case Brief (AGENTS.md)

Each matter should have a root AGENTS.md case brief. This plain Markdown file is how the assistant understands the matter—claimant, claim number, jurisdiction, notes, and where reference materials live. SafeAppeals does not manage a separate case-profile.json or Case Organizer UI.

What to include

• Case name, claim number, jurisdiction, and status
• Client / opposing-party snapshot
• Injury or incident date and short case notes for the agent
• Pointer to core_references/ for shared statutes and policy manuals
• A reminder that legal case data should stay local (commit locally; do not push remotes)

Document Organization

Keep case documents in a flat layout at the workspace root (no Case_Files/ wrapper). Standard folders use snake_case:

📁 Smith v. WorkSafe 2025/
├── 📄 AGENTS.md
├── 📁 .safeAppeals/              ← settings, plans, timeline (not .vscode/)
├── 📁 medical_reports/
├── 📁 correspondence/
├── 📁 decisions_and_orders/
├── 📁 evidence/
├── 📁 personal_notes/
├── 📁 to_sort/                   ← unsorted intake
└── 📁 core_references/           ← shared policy manuals (optional)

Folder purposes

• medical_reports — Exams, imaging, treatment records, IMEs
• correspondence — Letters, notices, board/employer communication
• decisions_and_orders — Decisions, orders, rulings
• evidence — Witness statements, photos, pay records, non-medical support
• personal_notes — Your notes and drafts
• to_sort — Unsorted intake before filing
• core_references — Statutes, policy manuals, textbooks (not case-specific medical files)

Supported File Types

• Documents — .docx, .pdf, .md, .txt
• Images — .jpg, .png, .gif (for photos of injuries, workplace, etc.)
• Data — .json, .csv (for structured case data)

Timeline Management

Track important dates and deadlines with the Case Timeline view (Command Palette → Open Case Timeline). Events persist in .safeAppeals/timeline.json.

Adding Timeline Events

1. Open the Case Timeline
2. Click Add Event
3. Enter the date, description, and event type
4. Save the event

See the Timeline guide for jurisdictions, reminders, and PDF export.

Local Git & Privacy

Optional local git is fine for change history on this computer. For client matters, never push to GitHub or another remote unless you explicitly trust that provider with confidential case data. Workspace Chat settings belong under .safeAppeals/, not .vscode/. See the Local Git Backups guide for Source Control steps.

For on-device search over case files and core references (no credits for searching the private index), see Core References & Private Search.

Using Case Context in Chat

When your workspace has an AGENTS.md brief and organized folders, the AI can use that context—and Private Search tools when the on-device index is set up:

Best Practices

Next Steps