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Draft a first-pass affidavit from witness notes
Turn interview notes into a clearly numbered draft statement in the witness's own words, ready for lawyer review and the witness to correct.
When to use it
After a witness or client interview
Step by step
Tidy your interview notes
Type up or paste your notes from the interview. Replace names and identifying details with labels unless your firm has approved the AI tool for client data.
Ask for a numbered draft
Paste the notes with this prompt.
Prompt to copyTurn these interview notes into a first-draft witness statement. Rules: first person, in plain everyday words close to how the witness spoke; short numbered paragraphs; one point per paragraph; in date order; only facts the notes contain, nothing added; mark anything the witness was unsure about with [CHECK]; note where the witness refers to a document with [EXHIBIT?]. Do not include legal conclusions or argument. Leave out any formal heading and declaration, I will add our firm's template. Notes: [paste notes]Drop it into your firm's template
Paste the paragraphs into your firm's Word template for affidavits or statements, which has the correct heading, wording and declaration for your court.
Review with the lawyer and witness
The supervising lawyer must review the draft, and the witness must read and correct every paragraph. It must be their evidence, not the AI's wording. If the AI mentions any case or law, check it against the original source, as AI can invent case law.
What you get
1. I have lived at [Address] since March 2021. 2. On or around 12 January 2024 I noticed black mould on the bedroom wall. [CHECK date] 3. I sent an email to the letting agent that evening. [EXHIBIT?] 4. Nobody replied to that email.
Tips
- Never let a statement go out with the AI's phrasing the witness would not use. Courts expect the witness's own account.
- Do not paste confidential client details into a public AI tool unless your firm allows it.