OpenClaw as a Paralegal: Divorce Case Setup with Discord, Obsidian, and GPT Access

A Reddit user going through divorce and custody mediation in Japan describes how they've been using OpenClaw on a Mac mini as a paralegal workbench. Setup involved Discord channels, an Obsidian vault, and giving GPT access to email, calendar, and file system. The result: a structured evidence repository, bilingual lawyer correspondence, automated deadline reminders, and a verifiable parenting journal that cross-references photos with smartwatch GPS data.

What OpenClaw Is Doing

• Advice & memory: Maintains files with full case chronology, who-said-what, lawyer assignments, and deadlines. Users report lawyers can't keep this level of detail.
• Evidence organization: Indexed and searchable archive of thousands of chat messages, screenshots, photos, and audio files from messaging apps.
• Private case site: Built with Claude on VS Studio, locked behind Cloudflare. Lawyers can search via an AI chatbot instead of receiving zip files by email.
• Parenting journal: Cross-references photos with smartwatch GPS data to produce timestamped records of time spent with child. Tiers from “photo exists” up to “photo + GPS track confirms location.” Sortable and defensible in court.
• Bilingual drafting: Every email to Japanese counsel gets a draft in both English and Japanese.
• Deadline chasing: Nags with lead time for mediation dates, filing deadlines, and what's upcoming.
• Boundary enforcement: Nothing external is sent without explicit approval. The user approves drafts; GPT only drafts.
• Personality: Configured as a “snippy smartarse” – the quips about the ex's antics are described as “seriously hilarious.”

Setup Notes

Initial token burn was significant, but the user notes the cost is negligible compared to lawyer fees. The system also handles personal tasks like garbage collection days (important in Japan), house plant monitoring, and home hub management.