Tools for independent law firms
Client journeyProofPublic guidesCoverage & security
Sign in
DocketBuddyfor firms
Overview
PracticesPricingWhy DocketBuddy
30-day free trialNo credit card to start

Case Stress Test

See the source behind each case issue

Start with one closed or redacted file. DocketBuddy checks case documents, intake, deadlines, and case facts for missing proof, contradictions, and practice-specific questions. Each finding keeps the supporting source and next attorney decision together.

PracticeOS includes the DocketBuddy software suite at $99/monthUnlimited matters. Ready automation covers up to 100 new client files each month. Site launch work and managed services are scoped separately.

Explore a sample case Run one closed file

Synthetic samples use no client data. We do not sell client data. Real client data is encrypted at rest and in transit and excluded from AI training. Privacy

One file to startSupporting sources retainedIncluded with PracticeOS
Response deadlineTaylor Morgan · Sample case
1 attorney decision open
A
August 19, 2026Client intake answer
Client source
B
August 16, 2026Uploaded county notice · Page 2
Document source
?
Which date controls the case?Both sources remain available for review
Attorney
Conflict prepared for reviewSources retained

Sample files by practice

Each fictional case shows one concrete issue, the record behind it, and the attorney-controlled next step. Choose the file closest to your work.

Bankruptcy

The file may contradict itself. You can see exactly where.

Bank statement: Bank statement · Apr 12 · $1,000 transfer to M. Avery

The source-linked issue leads to an exact client follow-up, with the attorney making the disclosure decision.

Run a closed file free See the sample

Immigration

The RFE packet answers only part of what USCIS requested.

RFE demand: USCIS notice · Six months of current pay records plus a complete, signed Form I-864

A demand-to-proof matrix keeps two supported, one partial, and one missing response item visible before filing.

Run a closed file free See the sample

Family Law

A five-figure transfer needs a story before mediation.

Bank statement: Joint checking · Mar 11 · $12,000 transfer to an individual account

The documented transaction becomes a specific proof request, while the attorney controls any dissipation analysis.

Run a closed file free See the sample

Social Security Disability

The hearing theory and the opinion evidence do not line up yet.

ERE evidence: Ex. 1F · Alternates sitting and standing; no treating-source RFC form completed

The RFC conflict and missing source stay explicit while the attorney controls the benefits analysis.

Run a closed file free See the sample

Probate

The accounting is off by $1,250 – and the file shows why it matters

Estate statement: Combined estate accounts · Reported ending balance $90,150

Closing status remains blocked until cash reconciles and allowed claims resolve.

Run a closed file free See the sample

Estate Planning

The beneficiary form could override the plan the clients described.

Beneficiary record: Joint brokerage account · Current POD beneficiary: Maya Shah

The conflict becomes an attorney-controlled implementation task before any beneficiary designation changes.

Run a closed file free See the sample

Workers' Comp

The carrier’s wage basis excludes an $80 weekly input from the workpaper.

13-week wage packet: Cash wages plus employer-paid health premium · Workpaper AWW $1,000

The wage difference and missing payment become reviewable issues for the attorney’s entitlement analysis.

Run a closed file free See the sample

Personal Injury

The crash report names a witness. The liability packet does not contain the statement.

Crash report: Independent witness identified in the recorded rear-impact sequence

The missing proof blocks demand readiness and leaves fault, valuation, and settlement analysis with the attorney.

Run a closed file free See the sample

1

See the exact source

Open the statement, notice, record, or workpaper that raised the question.

2

Understand the mismatch

Compare the source with intake, the packet, the calculation, or the current case record.

3

Control the next move

Confirm the fact, request the missing proof, and decide the legal treatment yourself.

See every check DocketBuddy can run+

Case Stress Test

See what someone else may question – and the proof that answers it

DocketBuddy includes 36 practice-specific checks for risk, missing proof, local practice, and post-submission work. Each check shows what a trustee, agency, opposing counsel, adjuster, ALJ, court, or beneficiary may question, then connects that issue to its source, the missing proof, and a specific client request.

Practice management records the case. Case Stress Test finds the problems someone else may use as leverage, puts the next action in your hands, and stays quiet when the file gives it no reason to speak.

Actual product recording: a client document packet uploaded, organized, and checked in the bankruptcy workspace

36

Practice-specific checks

10

Issue types checked

6

Places issues can appear

What gets questioned

What will someone else question?

Facts from intake, uploads, deadlines, notes, and active matters determine when a stress test appears.

Issue card

One problem, four next moves

Each issue shows why it appeared, the supporting source, the missing proof, and the next attorney action, then lets the firm copy the client request or open the issue.

Attorney control

Proof, client request, and decision stay together

Sources, review questions, and attorney-only decisions remain visible before anything is shared with the client.

Data the file can cite

The stress tests stay grounded in current legal data

Behind the checks is a maintained legal-data library with citations and a permanent change history. Legal Radar reports every tracked change to your practice's values with its source, and District Filing Intelligence reads federal court records for filing volume, chapter mix, and market trend in your district.

Legal Radar

Tracked registry changes, each with the primary-source citation, on your dashboard and in the weekly digest

District Filing Intelligence

Filing volume, chapter mix, and year-over-year trend from federal court records, with coverage caveats stated on every view

See your district's data →

What each practice checks

The questions match the practice

Each practice starts with the pressure points attorneys already watch for, then connects them to a source-linked finding, a clear client request, and an attorney decision record.

Bankruptcy

trustee questions, exemption exposure, transfers, cash advances, student-loan AP value, Chapter 13 drift

Immigration

RFE source sufficiency, I-864 proof, receipt/status posture, deadline windows, local interview prep

Family law

financial disclosure gaps, high-asset/control issues, DV safety routing, fee/scope pressure, post-judgment changes

SSDI

RFC proof, onset/SGA/DLI posture, medical-record gaps, ALJ hearing theory, claimant credibility issues

Probate

fiduciary duties, accounting objections, beneficiary conflict, asset inventory gaps, closing readiness

Injury and comp

SOL and lien posture, treatment gaps, policy-limits demand proof, AWW/settlement support, disbursement risk

When a check appears

DocketBuddy stays quiet until a matter needs attention

Every question starts with a fact, document, deadline, or note from the matter. It explains why it appeared, names who may raise the issue, shows the supporting source, and keeps client communication blocked until the attorney approves it.

1. Matter signal

A fact starts the check

A stress test appears only when a practice-specific fact, uploaded document, deadline, attorney note, or review status is tied to the open matter.

2. Why it appeared

Show why it appeared

The first screen shows the matched fact, supporting source, missing proof, likely reviewer, and when the question will return.

3. Where it appears

Put it where work is happening

The question appears in intake, document review, deadlines, the matter page, or the attorney review queue instead of a separate catalog.

4. Attorney approval

Keep every legal judgment yours

Client messages, legal conclusions, strategy, fee changes, and outcome language stay blocked until the attorney approves the source and content.

5. Work product

Leave a record the file can stand on

A completed review keeps the question, source checked, proof requested from the client, and attorney decision together in the matter.

Checks appear only when needed

The right review appears with the matter

Each review appears from a relevant matter fact, missing source, uploaded document, deadline, attorney note, or review priority. The first screen explains who may question the issue, why it appeared, what to do next, and what must remain attorney-only.

Intake capture

Catch a risky fact before the consultation

When intake reveals a risky fact, missing proof, or unexpected complexity, DocketBuddy turns it into a specific attorney review question instead of another vague note.

Document upload review

Find the contradiction at the source

Uploaded notices, records, statements, or financial documents open a review only when they create a real conflict, proof gap, or question.

Deadline warning

Connect the deadline to the file

RFE dates, hearing dates, limitation language, appeal windows, and objection periods appear with their supporting source and an attorney review step.

Matter panel

The open file explains what may be attacked

Inside a live matter, the first read leads with the finding, then shows the supporting record, the evidence gap, and the recommended attorney review.

Needs attorney review

Rank the problems that change the file

Urgent, high-value, local-practice, post-submission, and red-flag items are ranked by source support, deadline urgency, and the next attorney action.

Dashboard queue

See which matters need review now

The dashboard shows active matters that deserve attention and stays quiet when there is no relevant fact, source conflict, deadline, or attorney-review reason.

Reviews appear when a relevant fact, new source, deadline, or attorney decision makes them useful. Ordinary matter work stays clear the rest of the time.

Case-file checks

The package is complete when it sees the case the way a reviewer will

Consistency

Facts conflict across intake, forms, uploads, prior filings, notes, or evidence.

Proof burden

Claims, elements, eligibility points, or requested benefits lack supporting proof.

Timeline integrity

Dates have gaps, overlaps, missing month/year precision, or impossible sequences.

Bad facts

Scrutiny-worthy facts are hidden, weakly explained, or unsupported.

Deadlines and posture

Response windows, objection periods, appeals, hearings, or filings create timing risk.

Eligibility thresholds

Gatekeeping facts need attorney confirmation before the matter proceeds.

Credibility

The story is vague, contradicted, over-polished, or unsupported by corroboration.

Evidence sufficiency

The packet is coherent but thin against what a reviewer would expect.

Scope and fee risk

The matter is becoming more complex than quoted or needs a paid diagnostic.

Theory of case

The attorney sees the cleanest story, what supports it, what undermines it, and what remains unproven.

Every check ends in the same place: a review question the attorney can answer, the source that answers it, and the client request that closes the gap.

Case selection

Is this case worth taking?

Screen the facts that drive margin, difficulty, and fit before the matter becomes another open file.

Output: Attorney review memo

Revenue expansion

Is there more value in the file?

Surface adjacent claims, higher-value tracks, or premium work that routine intake can miss.

Output: Value-expansion checklist

Risk detection

What could blow this up?

Flag bad facts, missing disclosures, deadline pressure, and evidence problems while there is still time to act.

Output: Red-flag queue

Evidence sufficiency

Do we have enough proof?

Map each claim or agency request to the proof on hand, the gap, and the next document request.

Output: Evidence matrix

Local practice

What does this venue expect?

Capture trustee, court, judge, board, or field-office preferences as attorney-owned workflow guidance.

Output: Local-practice note

Post-submission

What happens after filing?

Keep the case alive after the package goes out: objections, RFEs, follow-ups, hearings, liens, and modifications.

Output: After-filing action plan

Stress test library

Every stress test names the likely reviewer, the proof it needs, and the attorney decision it protects

1Immigration
Attorney-review ready

I-864 financial evidence RFE review

Upload the RFE, get the deadline, itemized requests, sponsor flags, client request packet, and attorney-review draft.

What you get

Deadline · Itemized USCIS requests · Sponsor review flags

Common, deadline-driven, and easy to explain to independent family-based immigration practices.

6Estate planning
Attorney-review ready

Trust funding and asset alignment review

Show which assets still need retitling, beneficiary review, or funding follow-up.

What you get

Funding task list · Beneficiary mismatch flags · Retitling checklist

Turns simple planning work into post-signing implementation revenue.

8Probate
Attorney-review ready

Probate accounting exception resolver

Find accounting defects, missing receipts, creditor issues, beneficiary objections, and closing-package gaps before court review.

What you get

Exception list · Receipt gap table · Creditor claim review

Clear pain for independent probate practices; court and accounting mistakes create expensive rework.

10SSDI
Attorney-review ready

Medical records to hearing theory

Convert records into RFC support, listing gaps, bad facts, and hearing brief outline.

What you get

RFC support table · Listing gap report · Bad-fact list

Capped-fee practices win by reducing prep time and finding proof gaps early.

12Workers comp
Attorney-review ready

AWW and settlement prep review

Find wage-rate issues and assemble settlement prep in state-specific workflows.

What you get

AWW input checklist · Settlement prep memo · Lien checklist

A math-and-settlement wedge that can change case value quickly.

13Personal injury
Attorney-review ready

Policy-limits demand and treatment-gap review

Find demand-package upside, causation gaps, preexisting-condition problems, liens, and treatment patterns before sending the demand.

What you get

Demand outline · Treatment-gap flags · Lien review list

Demand packages are competitive, but independent-practice pricing plus source-linked claim control is a sharper wedge.

15Family law
Attorney-review ready

Financial disclosure deficiency matrix

Turn income, assets, debts, account statements, tax records, and support facts into a missing-document and affidavit-readiness matrix.

What you get

Disclosure gap matrix · Affidavit readiness score · Client request packet

A practical intake-to-disclosure wedge for independent family-law practices.

19Bankruptcy
Attorney-review ready

Student-loan discharge opportunity screen

Find bankruptcy clients who may justify student-loan discharge review and produce hardship-factor evidence gaps.

What you get

AP candidate memo · Hardship-factor map · Evidence gaps

Turns an ordinary bankruptcy into a high-value add-on when facts support attorney review.

27Firm economics
Attorney-review ready

Fee and scope control packet

Spot matters likely to become underpriced, over-scoped, high-conflict, or poor-fit before the engagement letter locks the firm in.

What you get

Fee-risk memo · Scope limit notes · Engagement checklist

Speaks directly to independent-practice margin protection without adding another practice-specific workbench.

30Firm economics
Attorney-review ready

Source-backed proof binder

Tie every draft, checklist, and attorney-review packet back to the source document, fact, or client answer that supports it.

What you get

Source table · Proof map · Document citations

Trust layer for serious firms: not just AI output, but source-backed work product the attorney can verify.

31Firm economics
Attorney-review ready

Upgrade and add-on trigger packet

Find the paid legal work hiding inside a routine matter and turn it into an attorney-reviewed quote path.

What you get

Upgrade trigger · Quote suggestion · Client explanation

Directly connects Case Stress Test to attorney revenue without asking the buyer to understand the whole architecture.

33Firm economics
Attorney-review ready

Matter health and stuck-case rescue queue

Surface files that are stale, blocked by client response, drifting past internal targets, or missing the next action after filing.

What you get

Stale-matter queue · Next-best action · Client follow-up task

Easy dashboard value for every practice: fewer stale files and fewer surprise client calls.

DocketBuddyfor firms

Client acquisition, document preparation, case intelligence, and practice operations for independent law firms.

Products

DocketBuddy SitesOpportunity CampaignsAttorney WorkpapersDocketBuddy PreflightDocketBuddy ReadyPracticeOS

Explore

DocketBuddy in 60 secondsCase Stress TestProof LibraryPublic guidesProduct documentationPractice workflowsPricing

Trust and company

Coverage and sourcesSecurityAboutPrivacyTerms
© 2026 DocketBuddy · Atlanta, Georgiahello@docketbuddy.org