f1ghtback helps self-represented people understand family-court response papers, answer one question at a time, preserve their exact words, and download a draft packet for court self-help, legal aid, or lawyer review.
Built by Faith Atwater-Cheltenham, a Black mother and disabled technologist, from lived experience navigating family court.
- Category: Apps for Your Life
- Runtime: OpenAI Sites / Cloudflare Workers
- AI: optional GPT-5.6 step explanations with strict structured output
- Core guarantee: personal preparation answers remain in browser memory and never enter Sites, D1, GPT, analytics, or persistent browser storage
- Live app: https://f1ghtback-one-safe-next-step.indigo-iris-5804.chatgpt.site
Big Stick existed before Build Week as a private local desktop suite. This repository is the separate public-safe contest app. No private desktop source, record, evidence, transcript, credential, or case strategy is included.
- Routes California, Utah, and cross-state or uncertain situations through three structured choices.
- Provides two deep blank walkthroughs: California FL-320 response preparation and Utah family answer preparation.
- Records the user's exact words only in React memory for the life of the tab.
- Shows form-item transfer targets, official source links, checked dates, unresolved questions, and human-review holds.
- Creates
f1ghtback-review-packet.pdfandf1ghtback-companion-packet.txtentirely in the browser. - Falls back to deterministic source guidance when GPT is unavailable, over budget, invalid, or not configured.
It does not calculate deadlines, upload evidence, fill or file an official court PDF, contact another person, select a form for cross-state matters, or claim legal sufficiency.
Requirements: Node.js 22.13 or newer and npm.
npm ci
npm run devSet OPENAI_API_KEY in an ignored local environment only if you want optional GPT-5.6 explanations. The full router, walkthroughs, official links, and packet downloads work without it.
flowchart LR
R["Three-choice router"] --> G["California or Utah guide pack"]
G --> M["React memory only"]
M --> P["Browser PDF and text packet"]
S["Versioned official-source manifest"] --> R
S --> G
I["Guide ID + step ID only"] --> A["Optional GPT-5.6 explanation"]
M -. "never sent" .-x A
POST /api/next-stepaccepts three enums only.POST /api/explain-stepaccepts guide ID, step ID, and detail level only.- GPT requests use
store:false, no tools, strict JSON Schema, bounded output, and an allowlisted source set. - D1 stores only reusable finite-output cache entries and a global daily AI counter.
- A stale guide disables form-specific preparation.
pdf-libbuilds the review packet locally in the browser.
npm run sources:checkThe weekly workflow checks only allowlisted official URLs, with two-second spacing and no retries. A broken or changed source opens a review issue. Guidance stays held until the current official written source is verified and approved. See docs/SOURCE_MAINTENANCE.md.
npm run typecheck
npm run lint -- --max-warnings=0
npm run test:unit
npm run buildTests cover all router combinations, jurisdiction isolation, stale-source holds, input schemas, model failure, invented source IDs, exact-word preservation, multi-page PDF output, private-answer exclusion, and public-source hygiene.
Personal answers are not legal advice, are not a court form, and are not proof of filing or service. The generated packet is marked DRAFT - NOT FILED - HUMAN REVIEW REQUIRED.
Use a private device for sensitive preparation. Download before closing if you want to retain the session. Confirm jurisdiction, forms, timing, attachments, filing, service, safety, and accessibility with court self-help, legal aid, or a qualified lawyer.
Code is licensed under Apache-2.0. The f1ghtback name, marks, founder story, and non-code brand assets are not granted under that license. See TRADEMARKS.md.