/demand-received

1. Read the incoming document from provided path.
2. Load ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/matters/_log.yaml for portfolio cross-check.
3. Load ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/CLAUDE.md → risk calibration, landscape, demand-letter practice.
4. Follow the workflow and reference below.
5. Extract fields; cross-check portfolio; assess merit; present options with recommendation.
6. Write ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/inbound/[slug]/triage.md. Copy or link incoming to ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/inbound/[slug]/incoming.[ext].
7. Hand off per user choice:
   • Create matter → matter-intake pre-populated
   • Respond with counter-demand → demand-intake pre-populated
   • Link to existing matter → update related_matters in log
   • Standalone → no further action

Demand Received

Purpose

Inbound demand letters are the bread and butter of an in-house litigation practice. A small fraction need escalation; most can be handled with a structured response or a holding letter. The failure mode is treating them all alike. This skill triages, cross-checks the portfolio, and produces options.

Load context

• The incoming document (user provides path or drops it in-session)
• ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/matters/_log.yaml — scan for related matters (same counterparty, overlapping counterparties via entity relationships, or matter type + recent date)
• ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/litigation-legal/CLAUDE.md → risk calibration (for merit assessment), landscape (is the sender a frequent adversary?), demand-letter practice (house tone and response defaults)

Workflow

Step 1: Read the demand

Extract from the incoming:

• Sender — entity, signer, counsel (if signed by outside firm)
• Recipient — which entity/person at our company
• Delivery — certified, email, courier (matters for deadline calculation)
• Date received vs. date signed
• Demand type — payment, breach/cure, C&D, preservation, settlement, other
• Specific asks — what they want, by when
• Facts alleged — their version of what happened
• Legal basis — statutes, contract provisions, theories they cite
• Threats — what they say they'll do if we don't comply
• Settlement-communication framing — research the settlement-communication protections applicable in the forum (FRE 408 in federal, the state equivalent otherwise). Note whether the demand is marked as a settlement communication, but remember: protection attaches from conduct and context, not merely from labeling. Capture both the label (if any) and a first-pass read of whether the substance is in fact a compromise discussion.

Step 2: Portfolio cross-check

Search _log.yaml for:

• Direct match — matter with same counterparty (their slug matches the sender)
• Type match — similar matter type with this counterparty in the past (closed matters count — they inform pattern)
• Subject overlap — matters where the subject might be the same dispute (e.g., same contract, same product, same project)

Present findings:

• If direct match + active: flag as almost certainly the same matter; recommend adding incoming to the existing matter, not opening a new one. Update related_matters if it's a tangent.
• If direct match + closed: flag — counterparty is back. May be a new dispute (open new matter) or a resurrected one (reopen or amend). User decides.
• If type match: note as precedent/context; probably distinct matter but inform the response strategy.
• If no match: novel. Treat as fresh.

Step 3: Merit assessment

Not a legal opinion — a structured read:

• Facts — do the alleged facts align with what we know? Where's the disconnect?

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