Research Workflow
Verity uses a structured three-stage workflow to take you from a matter description to a comprehensive list of relevant authorities. Each stage builds upon the previous one to ensure thorough and accurate legal research.
Stage 1: Legal Issue Identification
What Happens
After you provide a matter description, Verity’s AI analyzes the text and identifies potential legal issues that may be relevant to your case. Each issue is categorized and given an applicability rating.
Three-Band System
- ✓ Applicable - Highly relevant issues that should definitely be considered
- ? Possibly Applicable - Issues that may be relevant and require your review
- ✗ Not Applicable - Issues that are not relevant to this matter
Your Actions
- Review all identified legal issues
- Change applicability ratings by clicking the indicator
- Remove irrelevant issues using the remove button
- Add custom issues if any are missing
- Must review all “Possibly Applicable” issues before proceeding
Issue Categories
- CIVIL - Disputes between private parties (contracts, torts, property)
- CRIMINAL - Offenses against the state (theft, assault, fraud)
- REGULATORY - Breaches of government regulations
- CIVIL/REGULATORY - Matters with both private and regulatory aspects
Stage 2: Element Breakdown
What Happens
For each confirmed legal issue, Verity breaks it down into constituent elements - the specific legal components that must be proven or established for that issue.
Your Actions
- Review elements for each issue using the tabbed interface
- Remove elements that don’t apply to your specific facts
- Add elements if any are missing from the AI’s analysis
- Ensure each issue has at least one element before proceeding
Example: Breach of Contract Elements
- Valid Contract - Was there a legally binding agreement?
- Breach - Did a party fail to perform their obligations?
- Damage/Loss - Did the breach cause quantifiable harm?
Stage 3: Authority Mapping
What Happens
Verity searches its comprehensive database of Australian legal authorities to find cases and legislation relevant to your confirmed elements. Results are displayed in an interactive graph showing relationships between authorities.
Interactive Features
- Pan and Zoom - Navigate the authority graph
- Drag Nodes - Reorganize the layout to your preference
- Click for Details - View authority summaries and citations
- Filter Options - Focus on specific issues, elements, or authority types
Graph Elements
- Legislation Nodes - Rectangular nodes representing Acts and Regulations
- Case Nodes - Rounded rectangular nodes representing court decisions
- Relationship Lines - Show how authorities cite, interpret, or relate to each other
- Color Coding - Green (Applicable), Yellow (Possibly Applicable), Red (Not Applicable)
Authority Relationships
- Cites - When one authority references another as support
- Interprets - When a case explains what legislation means in practice
- Overrules - When a higher court decides a lower court was wrong
- Distinguishes - When a court explains why a previous case doesn’t apply
Exporting Your Results
Once you’ve reviewed and adjusted the authority classifications, click “Copy Authority List” to generate a formatted plain text list suitable for pasting into legal documents.
Export Format
- Organized by applicability (Applicable, Possibly Applicable, Not Applicable)
- Sub-organized by type (Legislation first, then Cases)
- Includes full citations and relevant elements
- Shows total counts for each section