How to get better answers from CourtStairs: chat, modes, citations

In short: To get good answers from CourtStairs, ask a real question in plain language and include three things — your province, what actually happened, and what you want to know. Then pick a mode: Default gives a clear, cited answer for most questions (1 credit), Max Mode runs a deeper search for complex or multi-issue questions (2 credits), Draft produces an editable document instead of a chat answer (1 credit), and Learning explains the reasoning as it answers (1 credit). Every response cites the public Canadian law it relied on, so you can verify it. This is general information, not legal advice.

CourtStairs answers Canadian legal questions in plain language and cites where each answer came from. Because most day-to-day law is provincial, the same question can have ten different answers across the country — so how you ask, and which mode you use, changes what you get back. Here's how to get the most out of it.

How do I ask CourtStairs a good question?

Ask in plain language and include your province, the facts, and what you want to know. You do not need legal keywords — ask the way you would ask a knowledgeable friend, but give the facts that matter:

• Where you are. Law varies by province, so "in Quebec" or "in Ontario" changes the answer for tenancy, employment, limitation periods, and more.
• What actually happened. "My employer let me go after 9 years, no reason given" beats "wrongful dismissal."
• What you want to know. An amount? A deadline? Your options? Say so.

You can also ask in French. The whole product is bilingual, and a French question gets a French answer grounded in Quebec and Canadian law.

Which CourtStairs mode should I use?

Start in Default for almost everything; escalate to Max Mode for complex questions, use Draft when you want a document, and Learning when you want the reasoning explained. Above the message box you'll see a style selector and two toggles — Max Mode and Draft — and each changes what the assistant does.

Default

The everyday mode. Ask, and you get a plain-language answer with a citation table and, where relevant, web references. Start here for almost everything. It's fast and costs a single credit.

Max Mode

Turn this on for the hard ones. Max Mode searches wider and deeper — more source documents, more web results, and stronger reasoning — which is what you want when a question has several moving parts. A good example: "My employer in Quebec terminated me without cause after 12 years. What are all my potential remedies under both the Act respecting labour standards and the Civil Code?" That touches statutory notice, a recourse against dismissal, and reasonable notice at once — exactly the kind of multi-issue prompt Max Mode is built for. It costs 2 credits because it does roughly twice the work.

Draft

When you don't want an explanation but a document, switch on Draft. Instead of answering in the chat, CourtStairs produces the document — a demand letter, a notice, a motion — into a canvas beside the conversation. You can edit it there and export it. If you use Microsoft Word, the CourtStairs Word add-in lets you draft the same way inside a document you're already working on.

A useful pattern: research in Default first ("what must a formal demand letter for an unpaid invoice contain in Quebec?"), then switch to Draft and say "draft that letter." The draft is built on the research you just did.

Learning

Learning mode explains the law as it answers, rather than just stating the conclusion. If you're a student, or you want to understand why the answer is what it is, this is the mode. Same cost as Default.

How do I read the citations?

Treat the citations as the real product — every answer is built so you can check it against the primary source. A CourtStairs response has three parts you can verify against:

• The citation table lists the authorities the answer rests on: statutes, regulations, or decisions, with links to the public text on official sites like Légis Québec, the Justice Laws Website, and CanLII.
• Web references show any external pages that were consulted, kept separate from the legal authorities.
• Follow-up chips suggest sharp next questions, so you can drill in without retyping context.

If an answer matters, open the source and read the provision yourself — for example art. 1906 CCQ on rent increases, or the notice rules in the Act respecting labour standards. The assistant points you to it precisely so you can.

What's the fastest workflow from question to document?

Move deliberately: start narrow in Default, escalate only when the question earns it, then draft. Here's the sequence that pays off.

1. 1. Frame the questionProvince + what happened + what you want to know, in one message.
2. 2. Ask in DefaultGet a cited answer for 1 credit. This handles most questions on its own.
3. 3. Escalate to Max Mode if neededFor multi-issue or high-stakes questions, switch on Max Mode (2 credits) for a wider, deeper search.
4. 4. Verify the citationsOpen the source table and read the actual provision — for example art. 1906 CCQ.
5. 5. Switch to DraftSay "draft that letter" and CourtStairs builds the document from the research, ready to edit and export.

A few habits that pay off

• Give the province up front. It's the single biggest factor in getting the right answer.
• One matter per chat. Keep a chat focused on one question or file, and start a new chat for a new topic. Inside a case, the assistant already has your case context.
• Refine, don't restart. Use the follow-up chips or just reply — for example "what if the lease is month-to-month?" — instead of re-explaining from scratch.
• Escalate deliberately. Start in Default and move to Max Mode only when the question earns it. That keeps your credits for the questions that need the depth.
• Verify before you rely. Open the cited source for anything important.

How do credits work?

Each message costs one credit, and Max Mode costs two. There's a free tier to try all of this, and if you run low, top-up credit packs never expire. You don't need to think about credits for ordinary use — just remember that Max Mode is the one that costs double, so save it for the questions that deserve it.

For worked examples of the kinds of questions CourtStairs handles, see our guides on Quebec rent-increase notice periods and wrongful dismissal and severance in Canada.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by province and territory and change over time. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed lawyer or notary in your jurisdiction.