AI can assist in family law. It is useful for organizing documents, extracting figures, and preparing templates. It does not replace the lawyer, the notary, or the judge.
It never decides what is in the best interest of the child. It does not set maintenance contributions. In these cases, data is highly sensitive. You need a sourced tool, isolated between organizations, and compatible with professional secrecy. This is the role of Silex.
In short: what AI should produce
Effective use goes beyond just "summarizing the file." It aims for a functional deliverable: an index of received, missing, or illegible documents; a financial overview of income, expenses, assets, and pension funds (LPP); a timeline of relevant facts; points to be addressed in the agreement; and an initial draft—never a document to be signed as is.
Do: assemble and flag. Do not: paste personal data into a public chatbot or let the tool decide on custody.
Why it is useful
Family law cases are often urgent. They are also emotional and document-heavy. Financial records, messages, custody plans, agreements, and pension provisions: the volume adds up quickly.
AI does not resolve conflict. It reduces the time spent extracting and cross-referencing information. The lawyer retains the judgment, the strategy, and the client relationship. See AI for lawyers.
What to ask the tool
Ask for a structured output, not a long text. Documents: what is present, what is missing, and what is undated. Figures: income, expenses, accounts, debts, and LPP assets, with the source document. Discrepancies: a declared amount that does not match a statement.
For children: points already discussed and those still open. Not a "custody recommendation." For the agreement: a template of chapters to be settled, not a final agreement. For questions: what still needs to be asked of the client before the meeting. Every figure and alert must link back to a document. Without a source, the deliverable is not usable. See AI legal analysis.
Points to cover in a Swiss agreement
In Switzerland, divorce by mutual consent requires an agreement on the consequences. AI can list the chapters. It does not validate them. Family home. Parental authority, custody, and visitation rights. Child maintenance contributions. Spousal maintenance, if discussed. Liquidation of the matrimonial regime. Division of LPP assets accumulated during the marriage. Family allowances and any other outstanding points.
The judge reviews the agreement. In principle, they hear from the children. No tool can replace this step. Sources: Fedlex and ch.ch – family and partnership.
Practical applications, case by case
Divorce and separation
AI can prepare an outline and an inventory of documents. It can also extract points that have already been settled and those that remain open. The strategy remains the lawyer's responsibility.
Children: parenting plan
The child's best interests remain the central criterion. AI can structure a plan: schedule, holidays, daily decisions, and handovers. It does not decide on custody. It must not produce an "objective opinion" on which parent is better.
Maintenance contributions
The tool organizes the data and prepares a memo. It does not set the amount due. Foreign scales do not apply as-is in Switzerland. The figures must be verified by the professional.
Matrimonial regime and occupational pension (LPP)
Initial review of the inventory, discrepancies between documents, and pension certificates. Then, human verification. For deeds: AI notary and AI notarial services.
What AI must never do alone
It does not decide on the child's best interests. It does not declare an "amount due" for maintenance. It does not sign or file an agreement. It does not replace hearings, mediation, or the judge. It does not cite case law that the lawyer has not personally reviewed.
The Swiss Bar Association reminds us: AI can be helpful. Professional secrecy and verification remain mandatory. Source: Swiss Bar Association.
6-step method
First, index: documents received, missing, or illegible. Then, classify: civil status, finances, children, housing, and pension provisions. Next, extract: figures, dates, and previously formulated proposals. Then, cross-reference: statements against supporting documents.
Then verify: every alert in the document, every legal source. Finally, adapt: the professional writes, advises, and takes responsibility.
AI accelerates indexing, classification, extraction, and cross-referencing. Starting August 26, 2026, Silo will allow you to query these documents within Silex and trace them back to the source. A case analysis agent, available soon, will perform an initial pass over the entire corpus. Verification and adaptation remain human tasks.
Verify before meetings or sending to the client
Is personal data stored in a professional tool, isolated between organizations? Does every figure have a source document? Have the occupational pension (LPP) certificates been requested or received?
Are the remaining open points regarding children identified, without the AI providing a "verdict"? Have the citations been opened, including laws and case law? Has the text been proofread before being sent or filed?
Confidentiality: a prerequisite
Income, accounts, health, the situation of children, and sometimes violence: everything must remain protected. Data concerning a minor is even more sensitive.
Before using a tool: where is the data stored? Who has access to it? Is it used to train a model? Is it isolated between organizations?
A public chatbot is not suitable. See Silex security, AI and data protection, ChatGPT vs Silex and Claude vs Silex.
Source: FDPIC – AI and data protection.
Legal research, at the heart of the matter
A smooth answer without a source remains fragile. In Swiss family law, you need the Civil Code, case law, and the cantonal context.
See AI case law and AI legal.
Who is this for?
For lawyers: first drafts, outlines, and notes. See AI lawyer. For legal professionals: synthesis and research. See AI legal professional.
For notaries: preparation of family deeds. See AI notaryFor individuals: find your way, don't go it alone. See Legal AI for individuals.
The role of Silex
Silex helps you prepare research, financial overviews, or summaries faster. It relies on Swiss sources and keeps human control at the center. Three new features remain within the same environment.
Silo, starting August 26, 2026
Silo queries your documents from within Silex. Statements, agreements, templates, correspondence. It also links them to legal sources.
Every answer is sourced. You can trace it back to the original document. Files imported into Silo Storage are hosted in Switzerland by Infomaniak on a sovereign cloud. They are not used to train models and are not shared with other organizations. This is critical when dealing with data concerning children.
Case analysis, coming soon
The agent will process a complete file at once. Documents, correspondence, filings, PDFs, audio recordings, plus a description of the case and your instructions.
Target deliverables: summaries, key points, missing elements, areas of concern, and draft documents. This is a first pass. It is not a verdict on custody or a "due" maintenance amount.
New plans, starting August 26, 2026
The plans include Silo and the new AI agents. Storage and credits are tailored to each offer. See the pricing.
See the product and the solutions. To test, book a demo or contact the team. Additional resources: FAQ and legal monitoring.
FAQ: AI for family law
Can AI replace a family law attorney?
No. It gathers and prepares information. Advice, strategy, and accountability remain human responsibilities.
What deliverables should you expect?
An index of exhibits, a sourced financial overview, a timeline, and an outline of points to be resolved. Not a final legal opinion.
Can ChatGPT be used for a divorce case?
Not with confidential data in a public tool. Data concerning children makes the risk even higher. You need an isolated, enterprise-grade environment.
How do I query case documents in Silex?
With Silo, starting August 26, 2026, you can query your documents and cross-reference them with the law. You can trace information back to the original document. A case analysis agent, coming soon, will be able to process an entire corpus at once. Custody and maintenance amounts remain human decisions.
Can AI calculate maintenance contributions?
It can organize the data. It does not set the amount. A foreign scale is not a Swiss court decision.
Can AI decide on child custody?
No. The best interests of the child and judicial decisions cannot be delegated to a tool.
Is Silex suitable for family law?
Yes, as a research and analysis assistant, within a secure, source-verified Swiss framework, featuring document isolation and human validation.
