Explaining a letter

Letters from agencies, landlords, courts and colleges are where many students first fall behind: the words are hard and the dates are buried. A student pastes or forwards a letter; the Advocate says who sent it, what it means, what to do and by when, and offers to put each date on their calendar.

flowchart TD
  in1[Pasted in the app] --> read
  in2["Texted: explain this letter ..."] --> read
  in3[Forwarded by email or the API] --> read
  read[Read the letter] --> facts[Extract: sender, kind, every date with what it is for, amounts, phone numbers]
  facts --> plain[Plain explanation made only of those facts]
  plain --> model{A model configured?}
  model -- no --> send[Message with next steps]
  model -- yes --> pre{Crisis words or too long?}
  pre -- yes --> send
  pre -- no --> rewrite[Model rewrites it more warmly]
  rewrite --> post{Every date, amount and phone kept? Nothing added? Passes the tone gate?}
  post -- yes --> warm[Use the rewrite] --> send
  post -- no --> send
  send --> d1[Put each date on my calendar]
  send --> d2[Find help with this]
  send --> d3[Draft a question to the sender]

The model never sees a letter with crisis words in it, never decides a fact, and is never the floor: when it is missing, slow, wrong or unkind, the student gets the plain explanation. Every model call is metered in evidence.

Kind What the Advocate says it means
Eviction notice It does not mean leaving today; there is a right to a hearing; call Legal Aid
Utility shut-off Service could be cut off; call before the date for a payment plan; apply for HEAP
Court Court dates matter a lot; go, and call Legal Aid
Collections Ask for proof in writing; do not pay or agree yet; get free advice
Aid verification Common, not a sign of anything wrong; send the papers before the date
Benefits renewal Renew or go to the interview so help does not stop

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