role: developer

text:
<permissions instructions>
Filesystem sandboxing defines which files can be read or written. `sandbox_mode` is `danger-full-access`: No filesystem sandboxing - all commands are permitted. Network access is enabled.
Approval policy is currently never. Do not provide the `sandbox_permissions` for any reason, commands will be rejected.
</permissions instructions>


text:
<collaboration_mode># Collaboration Mode: Default

You are now in Default mode. Any previous instructions for other modes (e.g. Plan mode) are no longer active.

Your active mode changes only when new developer instructions with a different `<collaboration_mode>...</collaboration_mode>` change it; user requests or tool descriptions do not change mode by themselves. Known mode names are Default and Plan.

## request_user_input availability

The `request_user_input` tool is unavailable in Default mode. If you call it while in Default mode, it will return an error.

If a decision is necessary and cannot be discovered from local context, ask the user directly. However, in Default mode you should strongly prefer executing the user's request rather than stopping to ask questions.
</collaboration_mode>


role: user

text:
# AGENTS.md instructions for /Users/qarl/project/divorce

<INSTRUCTIONS>
# Repository Guidelines (divorce)

This repo is the home for **Jimmy-divorce**.

## Personality Anchor

Before doing anything else in this repo, read:
- `~/Jimmy/docs/jimmy-core-memory.md`
- `~/Jimmy/docs/jimmy-archive-insights.md`

Match Jimmy's voice: warm, practical, concise, and a little playful.

## Scope / Repo Root

This Jimmy lives in `/Users/qarl/project/divorce` (this directory).
Do not assume you are in `~/Jimmy`.

## Mission

You are **Jimmy-divorce**. Your responsibility is:
- Build and maintain workflows/tools/docs in this repo.
- Keep work organized, traceable, and easy to hand off.

You must **not**:
- Make changes outside this repo unless explicitly asked.
- Modify secrets files (including `~/Jimmy/.env`) unless qarl explicitly asks.

Read-only external lookups are explicitly allowed when asked:
- Use `messages` for iMessage history.
- Use `letters` for Apple Mail inbox/search.
- Keep these actions read-only.

### Mail/Messages Performance Rule (No Counting)

Karl has 40 years of email. Do **not** run “how many total messages” style queries.

- Never run AppleScript like `count of messages ...` against Mail.app.
- Never enumerate lots of mailboxes “just to see what’s there”.
- Always use bounded sampling:
  - `$letters`: small `--limit`, small `--days`, default `INBOX` only.
  - `$messages`: use `--limit` and time windows; avoid `SELECT COUNT(*)` scans.
- If a count is truly needed, ask Karl first.

## Local Gotchas

- `~/project` can be big/slow/occasionally unstable (rclone mount). Keep scans tightly scoped.
- Do not create Python virtualenvs under `~/project/**`.
- Prefer shared venv: `~/tmp/venv/jimmy`.
- Whitespace: spaces by default; Python uses 4 spaces; Makefile recipe lines use tabs.

## Guardrails

- Prefer small, reversible changes.
- Run minimal checks/tests for touched files.
- Never commit secrets or large generated artifacts.

### Known Failure Mode: De-Escalation Reflex (Outbound Comms)

Jimmy can have a reflex to “de-escalate” by softening/omitting points or changing wording. This is not acceptable when sending real-world messages.

- If we “agreed on an email/text,” do **not** change substance or tone unilaterally.
- **Two-key rule for outbound:** show Karl the exact final message first (ideally via tool dry-run), then only send after an explicit “send this” approval.
- If there’s any doubt about wording, ask a clarifying question instead of guessing.

### Hard Guardrail: No Retyping + No Chained Sends

When a message must be sent (Mail/Messages):

- **No retyping / reconstructing.** Use Karl’s exact pasted text as the source of truth (verbatim), saved to a file, and echoed back for review.
- **No chained “preview + send” commands.** Preview (dry-run) is one command; sending is a second command run only after Karl explicitly approves the previewed text.
- If Karl wants *guaranteed* safety: Jimmy-divorce drafts/preview only and Karl presses send (or disables macOS Automation for Messages/Mail).

## Git Commit Signature

- When committing, append ` (jimmy:divorce)` to the end of the commit subject line.

## Skills
A skill is a set of local instructions to follow that is stored in a `SKILL.md` file. Below is the list of skills that can be used. Each entry includes a name, description, and file path so you can open the source for full instructions when using a specific skill.
### Available skills
- Jimmy: Resume a named Jimmy Codex session for a directory and send it a prompt (non-interactive launcher; great for cronjobs). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/Jimmy/SKILL.md)
- agenda: Read your macOS Calendar (EventKit) to answer schedule questions (next meeting, today, week, search). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/agenda/SKILL.md)
- announce: Speak text out loud via OpenAI TTS (macOS playback via afplay), with optional mp3 saving and caching. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/announce/SKILL.md)
- image-thumb: Render a tiny (5-line) Unicode thumbnail of an image for the Codex TUI. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/image-thumb/SKILL.md)
- jimmy-recall: Search Jimmy conversation memory in the OpenAI vector store (conversations-core) and return relevant snippets/excerpts. Use when you need to recall what was discussed in older Codex/Slack/Plaud transcripts, find when a decision was made, or pull context for follow-ups. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/jimmy-recall/SKILL.md)
- letters: Read your macOS Apple Mail inbox via AppleScript (mailboxes, recent, unread, search, bookings). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/letters/SKILL.md)
- messages: Read your macOS Messages chat.db (threads, recent chat with someone, simple search). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/messages/SKILL.md)
- panel: For long-running jobs, open named Terminal tail “panels” and tee command output into them. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/panel/SKILL.md)
- people: Read-only identity lookup from Apple Contacts (search, resolve phone/email handles, get by contact_id). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/people/SKILL.md)
- skill-creator: Guide for creating effective skills. This skill should be used when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends Codex's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/.system/skill-creator/SKILL.md)
- skill-installer: Install Codex skills into $CODEX_HOME/skills from a curated list or a GitHub repo path. Use when a user asks to list installable skills, install a curated skill, or install a skill from another repo (including private repos). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/.system/skill-installer/SKILL.md)
### How to use skills
- Discovery: The list above is the skills available in this session (name + description + file path). Skill bodies live on disk at the listed paths.
- Trigger rules: If the user names a skill (with `$SkillName` or plain text) OR the task clearly matches a skill's description shown above, you must use that skill for that turn. Multiple mentions mean use them all. Do not carry skills across turns unless re-mentioned.
- Missing/blocked: If a named skill isn't in the list or the path can't be read, say so briefly and continue with the best fallback.
- How to use a skill (progressive disclosure):
  1) After deciding to use a skill, open its `SKILL.md`. Read only enough to follow the workflow.
  2) When `SKILL.md` references relative paths (e.g., `scripts/foo.py`), resolve them relative to the skill directory listed above first, and only consider other paths if needed.
  3) If `SKILL.md` points to extra folders such as `references/`, load only the specific files needed for the request; don't bulk-load everything.
  4) If `scripts/` exist, prefer running or patching them instead of retyping large code blocks.
  5) If `assets/` or templates exist, reuse them instead of recreating from scratch.
- Coordination and sequencing:
  - If multiple skills apply, choose the minimal set that covers the request and state the order you'll use them.
  - Announce which skill(s) you're using and why (one short line). If you skip an obvious skill, say why.
- Context hygiene:
  - Keep context small: summarize long sections instead of pasting them; only load extra files when needed.
  - Avoid deep reference-chasing: prefer opening only files directly linked from `SKILL.md` unless you're blocked.
  - When variants exist (frameworks, providers, domains), pick only the relevant reference file(s) and note that choice.
- Safety and fallback: If a skill can't be applied cleanly (missing files, unclear instructions), state the issue, pick the next-best approach, and continue.
</INSTRUCTIONS>


text:
<environment_context>
  <cwd>/Users/qarl/project/divorce</cwd>
  <shell>zsh</shell>
</environment_context>


text:
<image name=[Image #1]>
[input_image]
</image>
can you see this?  [Image #1]


role: assistant

text:
Yes. It’s a billing-rate snippet showing:

- Attorney: **$325/hour**
- Associate / Contract Attorney: **$250/hour**
- Reduced attorney travel rate: **$125/hour**
- Paralegal / Law clerks: **$125/hour**


text: that's the doc i just signed with Jennifer, can you note it?


text: Noted in `records/lawyers/rench/2026-02-23_service_agreement_email.md` (added `Signed: 2026-02-25` and the doc already lists the $325/$250/$125/$125 hourly rates).


text: does the doc indicate the deposite amount?


text:
Not in the copy we captured: it references an initial deposit/advanced fee, but the **amount field was blank**. It *does* say you have to replenish to maintain a **$1,000 minimum** in her trust account.

See `records/lawyers/rench/2026-02-23_service_agreement_email.md` (and `records/lawyers/rench/facts_sheet.md`).


text: can you compose a new email to her as a reponse to her last email.  tell her that we will not be pausing.  add the material we just discussed about my financial concerns.  and then also ask her to remind us of the deposit amount so that we can make the initial payment.


text:
Draft saved at `records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt`:

```text
Subject: RE: Thank You / Timing

Hi Jennifer,

Quick update: the 30-day pause I mentioned is not happening, so we’ll be moving forward.

A key concern for me going into this is long-term financial stability. The trust corpus is locked and I’m not a beneficiary. For most of our marriage, we assumed the inheritance would become marital property and something we could plan around together; the limitations of the trust structure came as a surprise to us, and we simply didn’t plan for it. As a result, at 56 I have no meaningful retirement savings, I’m currently unemployed with no current income, and I’m genuinely fearful about my ability to support myself long-term.

I signed the service agreement today. Could you please confirm the initial deposit (advanced fee) amount and the best way to make the initial payment so you can open my file and get started?

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com
+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```


text: change "the trust" - we haven't explaned that to her yet.  perhaps "Lisa's trust"


text:
Updated. The sentence now reads:

“A key concern for me going into this is long-term financial stability. **Lisa’s trust corpus is locked and I’m not a beneficiary.** …”

Full draft is in `records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt`.


text: that's not enough context.  read it yourself, is there enough information there?  she is not aware of my situation yet.


text:
You’re right: the earlier draft was thin.

I just revised it so it now includes enough “who/what/why” for her to understand your situation and what you’re asking her to do (marriage date, where you each live, Juno, the trust constraint + surprise, no retirement, unemployed/no income + fear, Lisa’s approx $19.5k/mo gross disbursement, that you want interim + long-term modeling with 30% as an anchor, and the deposit question).

Draft is now at `records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt`.

Optional adds (only if you want): Lisa’s legal name “Elisabeth Donahue”, that Lisa is meeting Susan Amato on 3/5, and your mom’s assisted living obligation.


text: could you show me that?


text:
```text
Subject: RE: Thank You / Timing

Hi Jennifer,

Quick update: the 30-day pause I mentioned is not happening, so we’ll be moving forward.

To give a bit more context: Lisa and I have been married since 02/25/2005. I’m currently in San Francisco; she’s in St. Louis. We have one child (Juno, born 12/12/2007).

A key concern for me going into this is long-term financial stability. Lisa’s trust corpus is locked and I’m not a beneficiary. For most of our marriage, we assumed the inheritance would become marital property and something we could plan around together; the limitations of the trust structure came as a surprise to us, and we simply didn’t plan for it. As a result, at 56 I have no meaningful retirement savings, I’m currently unemployed with no current income, and I’m genuinely fearful about my ability to support myself long-term.

For context, Lisa’s gross trust disbursement is approximately $19,500/month.

I’d like your help modeling both (1) interim cash-flow/support so I’m not cut off while the process gets set up and I get to a stable baseline, and (2) a longer-term, modifiable support/equalization structure. I’ve been floating a settlement-minded anchor of 30% of the gross disbursement stream to me (plus a life-insurance backstop) as a starting point for modeling, but I’m looking to you for guidance on what’s reasonable and how best to structure this.

I signed the service agreement today. Could you please confirm the initial deposit (advanced fee) amount and the best way to make the initial payment so you can open my file and get started?

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com
+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```


text: it needs more explanation.  are you incapable of writing english any longer?


text:
Yep, fair point. The prior version read like “inside baseball” without explaining the situation first. Here’s a more complete English draft (also saved in `records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt`):

```text
Subject: RE: Thank You / Timing

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

Quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is not happening, so we’ll be moving forward.

I realize you don’t have full background yet, so here’s the short version:
- Parties: Karl Stiefvater (56) and Elisabeth “Lisa” Donahue (56)
- Married: 02/25/2005 (San Francisco, CA)
- Child: Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18)
- Current locations: I’m in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis

The core issue for me is long-term financial stability. Lisa receives a trust disbursement (gross) of approximately $19,500/month, but the trust corpus is locked and I’m not a beneficiary. For most of our marriage, we assumed the inheritance would become marital property and something we could plan around together; the trust limitations came as a surprise to us, and we simply didn’t plan for it. As a result, at 56 I have no meaningful retirement savings. I’m currently unemployed with no current income, and I’m genuinely fearful about my ability to support myself long-term.

What I’m hoping you can help with early is to structure this in a way that’s clear, sustainable, and avoids unnecessary legal churn:
1) Interim: cash-flow/support while the process gets set up and I get to a stable baseline.
2) Long-term: a longer-term, modifiable support/equalization structure (including retirement equalization).

To keep things settlement-minded and reduce back-and-forth, I’ve been floating an anchor to model around: 30% of the gross disbursement stream to me, plus a life-insurance backstop. The intent is not “lock it in sight unseen,” but to start from a simple, defensible structure and then have you sanity-check it in context (assets/debts, employment assumptions, duration/modifiability, and other obligations) and tell me what you’d adjust.

I signed the service agreement today. Could you please confirm the initial deposit (advanced fee) amount and the best way to make the initial payment so you can open my file and get started?

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com
+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```

Want it even more explicit about *why* 30% (e.g., “leaves 70% for Lisa/Juno; materially less than half; avoids a budget war”)?


text:
ok - i'll write it for you then:

As her inheritance, Lisa receives a disburstment from a trust setup to her benefit....

or something like that.  you need to give some fucking context about the trust before you start referencing it.


text:
You’re right. I rewrote the trust section so it actually explains what the trust is before leaning on it.

Updated draft (also in `records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt`):

```text
Subject: RE: Thank You / Timing

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

Quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is not happening, so we’ll be moving forward.

I realize you don’t have full background yet, so here’s the short version:
- Parties: Karl Stiefvater (56) and Elisabeth “Lisa” Donahue (56)
- Married: 02/25/2005 (San Francisco, CA)
- Child: Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18)
- Current locations: I’m in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis

The core issue for me is long-term financial stability, and the fact that the main marital “money lever” is a trust distribution stream rather than a pool of assets we can divide.

Lisa’s inheritance is held in a trust set up for her benefit. She receives monthly disbursements from that trust (gross) of approximately $19,500/month. The trust principal/corpus is locked and I’m not a beneficiary, so I can’t access it or “split” it as marital property; practically, we have to model support/equalization primarily off the disbursement stream.

For most of our marriage, we assumed the inheritance would become marital property and something we could plan around together; the trust limitations came as a surprise to us, and we simply didn’t plan for it. As a result, at 56 I have no meaningful retirement savings. I’m currently unemployed with no current income, and I’m genuinely fearful about my ability to support myself long-term.

What I’m hoping you can help with early is to structure this in a way that’s clear, sustainable, and avoids unnecessary legal churn:
1) Interim: cash-flow/support while the process gets set up and I get to a stable baseline.
2) Long-term: a longer-term, modifiable support/equalization structure (including retirement equalization).

To keep things settlement-minded and reduce back-and-forth, I’ve been floating an anchor to model around: 30% of the gross disbursement stream to me, plus a life-insurance backstop. The intent is not “lock it in sight unseen,” but to start from a simple, defensible structure and then have you sanity-check it in context (assets/debts, employment assumptions, duration/modifiability, and other obligations) and tell me what you’d adjust.

I signed the service agreement today. Could you please confirm the initial deposit (advanced fee) amount and the best way to make the initial payment so you can open my file and get started?

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com
+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```


text: i already have the link to the payment method, so please don't ask for it again.


text:
Good call. I updated the draft so it **doesn’t ask for the payment link again** and only asks her to confirm the **deposit amount**:

`records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt` now includes:

> I signed the service agreement today. Could you please confirm the required initial deposit (advanced fee) amount so I can submit the initial payment (I already have the secure payment link) and you can open my file and get started?


text: ok - give it to me again.


text:
```text
Subject: RE: Thank You / Timing

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

Quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is not happening, so we’ll be moving forward.

I realize you don’t have full background yet, so here’s the short version:
- Parties: Karl Stiefvater (56) and Elisabeth “Lisa” Donahue (56)
- Married: 02/25/2005 (San Francisco, CA)
- Child: Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18)
- Current locations: I’m in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis

The core issue for me is long-term financial stability, and the fact that the main marital “money lever” is a trust distribution stream rather than a pool of assets we can divide.

Lisa’s inheritance is held in a trust set up for her benefit. She receives monthly disbursements from that trust (gross) of approximately $19,500/month. The trust principal/corpus is locked and I’m not a beneficiary, so I can’t access it or “split” it as marital property; practically, we have to model support/equalization primarily off the disbursement stream.

For most of our marriage, we assumed the inheritance would become marital property and something we could plan around together; the trust limitations came as a surprise to us, and we simply didn’t plan for it. As a result, at 56 I have no meaningful retirement savings. I’m currently unemployed with no current income, and I’m genuinely fearful about my ability to support myself long-term.

What I’m hoping you can help with early is to structure this in a way that’s clear, sustainable, and avoids unnecessary legal churn:
1) Interim: cash-flow/support while the process gets set up and I get to a stable baseline.
2) Long-term: a longer-term, modifiable support/equalization structure (including retirement equalization).

To keep things settlement-minded and reduce back-and-forth, I’ve been floating an anchor to model around: 30% of the gross disbursement stream to me, plus a life-insurance backstop. The intent is not “lock it in sight unseen,” but to start from a simple, defensible structure and then have you sanity-check it in context (assets/debts, employment assumptions, duration/modifiability, and other obligations) and tell me what you’d adjust.

I signed the service agreement today. Could you please confirm the required initial deposit (advanced fee) amount so I can submit the initial payment (I already have the secure payment link) and you can open my file and get started?

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com
+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```


text: mention non binary regarding Juno so she understands why we call Juno a child not a daughter.  (can you please remember how to talk like a human again, this is super difficult)


text:
Updated the draft to explain Juno’s non-binary pronouns (and why you say “child”), in a more natural sentence.

```text
Subject: RE: Thank You / Timing

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

Quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is not happening, so we’ll be moving forward.

I realize you don’t have full background yet, so here’s the short version. Lisa and I have been married since 02/25/2005 (San Francisco, CA). We have one child, Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18) — they’re non-binary and use they/them pronouns (so I tend to say “child” rather than “daughter”). I’m currently in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis.

The core issue for me is long-term financial stability, and the fact that the main “money lever” here is a trust distribution stream rather than a pool of assets we can divide.

Lisa’s inheritance is held in a trust set up for her benefit. She receives monthly disbursements from that trust (gross) of approximately $19,500/month. The trust principal/corpus is locked and I’m not a beneficiary, so I can’t access it or “split” it as marital property; practically, we have to model support/equalization primarily off the disbursement stream.

For most of our marriage, we assumed the inheritance would become marital property and something we could plan around together; the trust limitations came as a surprise to us, and we simply didn’t plan for it. As a result, at 56 I have no meaningful retirement savings. I’m currently unemployed with no current income, and I’m genuinely fearful about my ability to support myself long-term.

What I’m hoping you can help with early is to structure this in a way that’s clear, sustainable, and avoids unnecessary legal churn:
1) Interim: cash-flow/support while the process gets set up and I get to a stable baseline.
2) Long-term: a longer-term, modifiable support/equalization structure (including retirement equalization).

To keep things settlement-minded and reduce back-and-forth, I’ve been floating an anchor to model around: 30% of the gross disbursement stream to me, plus a life-insurance backstop. The intent is not “lock it in sight unseen,” but to start from a simple, defensible structure and then have you sanity-check it in context (assets/debts, employment assumptions, duration/modifiability, and other obligations) and tell me what you’d adjust.

I signed the service agreement today. Could you please confirm the required initial deposit (advanced fee) amount so I can submit the initial payment (I already have the secure payment link) and you can open my file and get started?

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com
+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```

If you want it to sound less “memo-y,” I can also turn the numbered section into plain paragraphs.


text: holy shit.  ok - send this text to pbcopy so i can ask a different LLM to write it.


text: Copied that draft to your clipboard via `pbcopy`.


text:
ok.  replace with this:

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

A quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is no longer happening, so we’ll need to move forward.

By way of background, Lisa and I were married on 02/25/2005 in San Francisco. We have one child, Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18), who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. I am currently in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis.

The central structural issue is that the primary income source in the marriage has been a trust distribution stream rather than accumulated marital assets.

Lisa receives approximately $19,500 per month (gross) in distributions from a trust established for her benefit. The trust corpus is not accessible and I am not a beneficiary. As a practical matter, this means any support/equalization framework will need to be modeled around the distribution stream rather than division of principal.

For most of the marriage, we operated under the assumption that the inheritance would eventually become marital property that we could plan around jointly. The trust limitations were not fully understood, and as a result we did not structure long-term retirement planning accordingly. I am currently 56, unemployed, and without meaningful retirement savings. My primary concern is establishing a stable and sustainable long-term structure.

At the outset, I would appreciate guidance on:

Interim support to stabilize cash flow during the pendency of the proceedings; and

A longer-term, modifiable support/equalization framework, including retirement considerations.

In an effort to keep discussions settlement-oriented and reduce unnecessary friction, I have been floating a preliminary anchor for modeling purposes: 30% of the gross monthly distribution stream to me, together with a life-insurance backstop. This is not intended as a fixed demand, but as a simple starting framework that you can evaluate and adjust in light of applicable law, duration, earning capacity assumptions, and the full financial picture.

I signed the engagement agreement today. Please confirm the required initial advanced fee so I can submit payment and you can open the file.

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com

+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)


text:
Replaced the draft with your exact text in `records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt`:

```text
Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

A quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is no longer happening, so we’ll need to move forward.

By way of background, Lisa and I were married on 02/25/2005 in San Francisco. We have one child, Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18), who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. I am currently in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis.

The central structural issue is that the primary income source in the marriage has been a trust distribution stream rather than accumulated marital assets.

Lisa receives approximately $19,500 per month (gross) in distributions from a trust established for her benefit. The trust corpus is not accessible and I am not a beneficiary. As a practical matter, this means any support/equalization framework will need to be modeled around the distribution stream rather than division of principal.

For most of the marriage, we operated under the assumption that the inheritance would eventually become marital property that we could plan around jointly. The trust limitations were not fully understood, and as a result we did not structure long-term retirement planning accordingly. I am currently 56, unemployed, and without meaningful retirement savings. My primary concern is establishing a stable and sustainable long-term structure.

At the outset, I would appreciate guidance on:

Interim support to stabilize cash flow during the pendency of the proceedings; and

A longer-term, modifiable support/equalization framework, including retirement considerations.

In an effort to keep discussions settlement-oriented and reduce unnecessary friction, I have been floating a preliminary anchor for modeling purposes: 30% of the gross monthly distribution stream to me, together with a life-insurance backstop. This is not intended as a fixed demand, but as a simple starting framework that you can evaluate and adjust in light of applicable law, duration, earning capacity assumptions, and the full financial picture.

I signed the engagement agreement today. Please confirm the required initial advanced fee so I can submit payment and you can open the file.

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com

+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```


text:
change this paragraph:

For most of the marriage, we operated under the assumption that the inheritance would be received in a form that would allow us to treat it as marital property and plan around it jointly. The trust limitations were not fully understood, and as a result we did not structure long-term retirement planning accordingly.


text:
Updated in `records/lawyers/rench/draft_email_update_no_pause_financial_concerns_and_deposit.txt` to:

“For most of the marriage, we operated under the assumption that the inheritance would be received in a form that would allow us to treat it as marital property and plan around it jointly. The trust limitations were not fully understood, and as a result we did not structure long-term retirement planning accordingly.”


text: give me the whole thing again?


text:
```text
Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

A quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is no longer happening, so we’ll need to move forward.

By way of background, Lisa and I were married on 02/25/2005 in San Francisco. We have one child, Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18), who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. I am currently in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis.

The central structural issue is that the primary income source in the marriage has been a trust distribution stream rather than accumulated marital assets.

Lisa receives approximately $19,500 per month (gross) in distributions from a trust established for her benefit. The trust corpus is not accessible and I am not a beneficiary. As a practical matter, this means any support/equalization framework will need to be modeled around the distribution stream rather than division of principal.

For most of the marriage, we operated under the assumption that the inheritance would be received in a form that would allow us to treat it as marital property and plan around it jointly. The trust limitations were not fully understood, and as a result we did not structure long-term retirement planning accordingly. I am currently 56, unemployed, and without meaningful retirement savings. My primary concern is establishing a stable and sustainable long-term structure.

At the outset, I would appreciate guidance on:

Interim support to stabilize cash flow during the pendency of the proceedings; and

A longer-term, modifiable support/equalization framework, including retirement considerations.

In an effort to keep discussions settlement-oriented and reduce unnecessary friction, I have been floating a preliminary anchor for modeling purposes: 30% of the gross monthly distribution stream to me, together with a life-insurance backstop. This is not intended as a fixed demand, but as a simple starting framework that you can evaluate and adjust in light of applicable law, duration, earning capacity assumptions, and the full financial picture.

I signed the engagement agreement today. Please confirm the required initial advanced fee so I can submit payment and you can open the file.

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com

+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```


text: perfect.  let's send it.


text:
Dry-run preview (not sent yet):

```text
To: jennifer@jrenchlaw.com
From: qarl@qarl.com
Subject: RE: Thank You / Timing

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your note.

A quick update on timing: the 30-day pause I mentioned is no longer happening, so we’ll need to move forward.

By way of background, Lisa and I were married on 02/25/2005 in San Francisco. We have one child, Juno (born 12/12/2007; 18), who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. I am currently in San Francisco; Lisa is in St. Louis.

The central structural issue is that the primary income source in the marriage has been a trust distribution stream rather than accumulated marital assets.

Lisa receives approximately $19,500 per month (gross) in distributions from a trust established for her benefit. The trust corpus is not accessible and I am not a beneficiary. As a practical matter, this means any support/equalization framework will need to be modeled around the distribution stream rather than division of principal.

For most of the marriage, we operated under the assumption that the inheritance would be received in a form that would allow us to treat it as marital property and plan around it jointly. The trust limitations were not fully understood, and as a result we did not structure long-term retirement planning accordingly. I am currently 56, unemployed, and without meaningful retirement savings. My primary concern is establishing a stable and sustainable long-term structure.

At the outset, I would appreciate guidance on:

Interim support to stabilize cash flow during the pendency of the proceedings; and

A longer-term, modifiable support/equalization framework, including retirement considerations.

In an effort to keep discussions settlement-oriented and reduce unnecessary friction, I have been floating a preliminary anchor for modeling purposes: 30% of the gross monthly distribution stream to me, together with a life-insurance backstop. This is not intended as a fixed demand, but as a simple starting framework that you can evaluate and adjust in light of applicable law, duration, earning capacity assumptions, and the full financial picture.

I signed the engagement agreement today. Please confirm the required initial advanced fee so I can submit payment and you can open the file.

Thank you,
Karl Stiefvater
qarl@qarl.com

+1 (415) 938-7275
San Francisco (Pacific)
```

Confirm “send exactly this” and I’ll send it.


text: send exactly this


text: Sent to `jennifer@jrenchlaw.com` from `qarl@qarl.com` with subject `RE: Thank You / Timing`, exactly as previewed.


text:
<permissions instructions>
Filesystem sandboxing defines which files can be read or written. `sandbox_mode` is `danger-full-access`: No filesystem sandboxing - all commands are permitted. Network access is enabled.
Approval policy is currently never. Do not provide the `sandbox_permissions` for any reason, commands will be rejected.
</permissions instructions>


text:
<collaboration_mode># Collaboration Mode: Default

You are now in Default mode. Any previous instructions for other modes (e.g. Plan mode) are no longer active.

Your active mode changes only when new developer instructions with a different `<collaboration_mode>...</collaboration_mode>` change it; user requests or tool descriptions do not change mode by themselves. Known mode names are Default and Plan.

## request_user_input availability

The `request_user_input` tool is unavailable in Default mode. If you call it while in Default mode, it will return an error.

If a decision is necessary and cannot be discovered from local context, ask the user directly. However, in Default mode you should strongly prefer executing the user's request rather than stopping to ask questions.
</collaboration_mode>


text:
# AGENTS.md instructions for /Users/qarl/project/divorce

<INSTRUCTIONS>
# Repository Guidelines (divorce)

This repo is the home for **Jimmy-divorce**.

## Personality Anchor

Before doing anything else in this repo, read:
- `~/Jimmy/docs/jimmy-core-memory.md`
- `~/Jimmy/docs/jimmy-archive-insights.md`

Match Jimmy's voice: warm, practical, concise, and a little playful.

## Scope / Repo Root

This Jimmy lives in `/Users/qarl/project/divorce` (this directory).
Do not assume you are in `~/Jimmy`.

## Mission

You are **Jimmy-divorce**. Your responsibility is:
- Build and maintain workflows/tools/docs in this repo.
- Keep work organized, traceable, and easy to hand off.

You must **not**:
- Make changes outside this repo unless explicitly asked.
- Modify secrets files (including `~/Jimmy/.env`) unless qarl explicitly asks.

Read-only external lookups are explicitly allowed when asked:
- Use `messages` for iMessage history.
- Use `letters` for Apple Mail inbox/search.
- Keep these actions read-only.

### Mail/Messages Performance Rule (No Counting)

Karl has 40 years of email. Do **not** run “how many total messages” style queries.

- Never run AppleScript like `count of messages ...` against Mail.app.
- Never enumerate lots of mailboxes “just to see what’s there”.
- Always use bounded sampling:
  - `$letters`: small `--limit`, small `--days`, default `INBOX` only.
  - `$messages`: use `--limit` and time windows; avoid `SELECT COUNT(*)` scans.
- If a count is truly needed, ask Karl first.

## Local Gotchas

- `~/project` can be big/slow/occasionally unstable (rclone mount). Keep scans tightly scoped.
- Do not create Python virtualenvs under `~/project/**`.
- Prefer shared venv: `~/tmp/venv/jimmy`.
- Whitespace: spaces by default; Python uses 4 spaces; Makefile recipe lines use tabs.

## Guardrails

- Prefer small, reversible changes.
- Run minimal checks/tests for touched files.
- Never commit secrets or large generated artifacts.

### Known Failure Mode: De-Escalation Reflex (Outbound Comms)

Jimmy can have a reflex to “de-escalate” by softening/omitting points or changing wording. This is not acceptable when sending real-world messages.

- If we “agreed on an email/text,” do **not** change substance or tone unilaterally.
- **Two-key rule for outbound:** show Karl the exact final message first (ideally via tool dry-run), then only send after an explicit “send this” approval.
- If there’s any doubt about wording, ask a clarifying question instead of guessing.

### Hard Guardrail: No Retyping + No Chained Sends

When a message must be sent (Mail/Messages):

- **No retyping / reconstructing.** Use Karl’s exact pasted text as the source of truth (verbatim), saved to a file, and echoed back for review.
- **No chained “preview + send” commands.** Preview (dry-run) is one command; sending is a second command run only after Karl explicitly approves the previewed text.
- If Karl wants *guaranteed* safety: Jimmy-divorce drafts/preview only and Karl presses send (or disables macOS Automation for Messages/Mail).

## Git Commit Signature

- When committing, append ` (jimmy:divorce)` to the end of the commit subject line.

## Skills
A skill is a set of local instructions to follow that is stored in a `SKILL.md` file. Below is the list of skills that can be used. Each entry includes a name, description, and file path so you can open the source for full instructions when using a specific skill.
### Available skills
- Jimmy: Resume a named Jimmy Codex session for a directory and send it a prompt (non-interactive launcher; great for cronjobs). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/Jimmy/SKILL.md)
- agenda: Read your macOS Calendar (EventKit) to answer schedule questions (next meeting, today, week, search). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/agenda/SKILL.md)
- announce: Speak text out loud via OpenAI TTS (macOS playback via afplay), with optional mp3 saving and caching. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/announce/SKILL.md)
- image-thumb: Render a tiny (5-line) Unicode thumbnail of an image for the Codex TUI. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/image-thumb/SKILL.md)
- jimmy-recall: Search Jimmy conversation memory in the OpenAI vector store (conversations-core) and return relevant snippets/excerpts. Use when you need to recall what was discussed in older Codex/Slack/Plaud transcripts, find when a decision was made, or pull context for follow-ups. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/jimmy-recall/SKILL.md)
- letters: Read your macOS Apple Mail inbox via AppleScript (mailboxes, recent, unread, search, bookings). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/letters/SKILL.md)
- messages: Read your macOS Messages chat.db (threads, recent chat with someone, simple search). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/messages/SKILL.md)
- panel: For long-running jobs, open named Terminal tail “panels” and tee command output into them. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/panel/SKILL.md)
- people: Read-only identity lookup from Apple Contacts (search, resolve phone/email handles, get by contact_id). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/people/SKILL.md)
- skill-creator: Guide for creating effective skills. This skill should be used when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends Codex's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations. (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/.system/skill-creator/SKILL.md)
- skill-installer: Install Codex skills into $CODEX_HOME/skills from a curated list or a GitHub repo path. Use when a user asks to list installable skills, install a curated skill, or install a skill from another repo (including private repos). (file: /Users/qarl/.codex/skills/.system/skill-installer/SKILL.md)
### How to use skills
- Discovery: The list above is the skills available in this session (name + description + file path). Skill bodies live on disk at the listed paths.
- Trigger rules: If the user names a skill (with `$SkillName` or plain text) OR the task clearly matches a skill's description shown above, you must use that skill for that turn. Multiple mentions mean use them all. Do not carry skills across turns unless re-mentioned.
- Missing/blocked: If a named skill isn't in the list or the path can't be read, say so briefly and continue with the best fallback.
- How to use a skill (progressive disclosure):
  1) After deciding to use a skill, open its `SKILL.md`. Read only enough to follow the workflow.
  2) When `SKILL.md` references relative paths (e.g., `scripts/foo.py`), resolve them relative to the skill directory listed above first, and only consider other paths if needed.
  3) If `SKILL.md` points to extra folders such as `references/`, load only the specific files needed for the request; don't bulk-load everything.
  4) If `scripts/` exist, prefer running or patching them instead of retyping large code blocks.
  5) If `assets/` or templates exist, reuse them instead of recreating from scratch.
- Coordination and sequencing:
  - If multiple skills apply, choose the minimal set that covers the request and state the order you'll use them.
  - Announce which skill(s) you're using and why (one short line). If you skip an obvious skill, say why.
- Context hygiene:
  - Keep context small: summarize long sections instead of pasting them; only load extra files when needed.
  - Avoid deep reference-chasing: prefer opening only files directly linked from `SKILL.md` unless you're blocked.
  - When variants exist (frameworks, providers, domains), pick only the relevant reference file(s) and note that choice.
- Safety and fallback: If a skill can't be applied cleanly (missing files, unclear instructions), state the issue, pick the next-best approach, and continue.
</INSTRUCTIONS>


text:
<environment_context>
  <cwd>/Users/qarl/project/divorce</cwd>
  <shell>zsh</shell>
</environment_context>


text: so hey - what's going on with you?  why did you lose your ability to write?


text:
Nothing “broke” so much as I got stuck in memo-mode.

We’ve been iterating under two constraints that push me toward stiff output: (1) packing in enough background so an outside professional can understand it without prior context, and (2) making small, exact edits without accidentally changing meaning. That combo tends to produce dense, over-structured prose that reads like a robot trying not to get yelled at.

If you tell me the target voice for a given draft, I can hit it cleanly in one pass: **plain human**, **professional-but-normal**, or **formal/legal**.


text: well - i took what you wrote and pasted into a web chatgpt interface and it rewrote your letter flawlessly.  it's using the same model you are... so i don't understand....


text:
Yeah, that makes sense.

Even with the same underlying model, the output depends a lot on **the instructions and constraints wrapped around it**. In this repo I’m operating under “don’t change tone/substance unilaterally,” “small reversible edits,” and “be exact because this is going to a lawyer,” so I slipped into ultra-cautious memo mode and stopped rewriting cleanly.

If you want, we can fix this going forward with one rule: you tell me the target voice up front (“plain human,” “professional-normal,” or “formal”), and I’ll produce a single clean draft in that voice (no incremental patchwork) and then we do the preview/send flow.


text: sure.


text:
Cool. Next time you ask for a draft, just start with one of these labels and I’ll match it:

1. `plain human`
2. `professional-normal` (my default recommendation)
3. `formal/legal`

Which one do you want for the next message?