Yes, absolutely. Organizing your thoughts on index cards is a brilliant, time-tested strategy often called “paper prototyping” or “card sorting” in software engineering.
For a complex system like estate settlement—which requires strict permissions (your 5 users), legal workflows, and heavy document handling—jumping straight into coding usually leads to messy, expensive mistakes.
Here is why your index card approach is the right move and how to do it effectively for a developer or AI hand-off.
1. Why Index Cards Work for This Project
- Separation of Logic vs. Tech: It forces you to focus on what the program should do (business logic), rather than how to code it (syntax).
- Visualizing Permissions: With 5 different user roles, it can get confusing who is allowed to see what. Cards allow you to physically group actions by “User Type.”
- Cheap to Change: If you realize a step is wrong, you just throw away a 3-cent card. If you code it first, you might waste hours of development time re-writing the database structure.
2. How to Structure Your Cards
To make this easy for a programmer or AI to digest later, treat each card as a single “User Story” or “Action.”
I recommend using a standard format for every card:
- Top Left (Who): The User Role (e.g., Executor, Beneficiary, Lawyer, Accountant, Family Member).
- Center (What): The Action (e.g., Upload Death Certificate, View Bank Spreadsheet, Approve Sale of Asset).
- Bottom (Permission Rule): Who else can see this? (e.g., Visible to: Executor & Lawyer only. Hidden from: Beneficiaries).
3. The 3-Step “Card Process”
Since you are building a flow, organize your session like this:
Phase 1: The Role Check
Write out 5 header cards, one for each of your 5 user types. Place them at the top of a table. List exactly what “power” each has (e.g., User 1 = Read Only, User 2 = Can Edit, User 3 = Admin).
Phase 2: The Timeline (The “Happy Path”)
Map out the estate settlement from start to finish linearly.
- Card 1: Estate Created.
- Card 2: Assets Listed.
- Card 3: Debts Paid.
- Card 4: Final Distribution.
Phase 3: The Layering
Go back through that timeline and place “Action Cards” under the steps for specific users.
- Example: Under “Debts Paid,” put a card for User 1 (Executor) that says “Upload Invoice.” Put a card for User 2 (Accountant) that says “Verify Payment.”
4. Handing Off to AI or a Programmer
Once your physical board looks right, you don’t just hand them a stack of cards. You convert it.
- For a Human Programmer: Take photos of the flow or type the text of the cards into a document. This becomes the “Functional Specification.”
- For AI: AI models are excellent at reading structured logic. You can literally prompt an AI with:
“I have a user role ‘Executor’. They need a function to ‘Upload PDF’. Only ‘Lawyer’ and ‘Executor’ can view this file. Write the database schema for this relationship.”
Summary Recommendation
Do the index cards. It will likely save you weeks of frustration by clarifying the complex permission rules before a single line of code is written.
Would you like me to help you define the specific permissions for your 5 user types right now?
Great. Let’s draft your 5 Role Cards. You can write these directly onto your index cards.
I have structured these based on standard estate settlement needs, but you should tweak them if your specific process is different.
Card 1: The Executor (or Personal Representative)
- Role Type: Super Admin (The “Pilot”)
- Goal: To manage the entire process and distribute assets.
- CAN DO (Write):
- Add/Edit/Delete all Assets and Debts.
- Invite other users (Lawyer, Accountant, etc.).
- Upload all document types.
- Mark tasks as “Complete.”
- CAN SEE (Read):
- Everything. No restrictions.
- RESTRICTIONS:
- Cannot delete the “Audit Log” (for legal safety, the system should track what they do).
Card 2: The Attorney
- Role Type: Oversight & Compliance (The “Navigator”)
- Goal: To ensure legal steps are met and file court documents.
- CAN DO (Write):
- Upload legal filings (Probate petitions, court orders).
- “Approve” or “Reject” steps taken by the Executor (e.g., approving an asset valuation).
- Post comments/notes on documents.
- CAN SEE (Read):
- All Assets, Debts, and Documents.
- Private communications with the Executor.
- RESTRICTIONS:
- Usually cannot “Delete” assets without Executor approval (depends on your workflow).
Card 3: The Accountant (CPA)
- Role Type: Financial Specific
- Goal: To file tax returns (1041, K-1s) and track cash flow.
- CAN DO (Write):
- Upload Tax Returns and Tax Invoices.
- Mark debts as “Paid.”
- Edit “Value” fields on monetary assets.
- CAN SEE (Read):
- Bank statements, brokerage accounts, debts.
- RESTRICTIONS:
- Hidden Access: They often do not need to see the “Family Photo Gallery” or non-financial personal documents, or privileged messages between Executor and Lawyer.
Card 4: The Beneficiary
- Role Type: Restricted Viewer (The “Passenger”)
- Goal: To stay informed and receive their inheritance.
- CAN DO (Write):
- Update their own contact info/bank details (for payout).
- E-sign “Receipt & Release” forms.
- Maybe: Select personal property items they want (if you have a “round-robin” feature).
- CAN SEE (Read):
- The “Inventory” (list of assets).
- Status updates (e.g., “House listed for sale”).
- RESTRICTIONS:
- Hidden Access: Cannot see the debts of other beneficiaries. Cannot see private legal correspondence (Client-Attorney privilege). Cannot edit any asset values.
Card 5: The “Observer” (or Family Member / Advisor)
- Role Type: Highly Restricted
- Goal: To preserve memories or monitor specific aspects without legal power.
- CAN DO (Write):
- Upload photos/memories (optional).
- Comment on specific “allowed” items.
- CAN SEE (Read):
- Only items explicitly shared with them (e.g., the obituary, funeral details, family photo albums).
- RESTRICTIONS:
- Hidden Access: Zero access to financial values, bank accounts, or legal docs.
How to check if this is right for you:
Look at Card 2 (Attorney) and Card 4 (Beneficiary).
- The Conflict: Often, an Executor does not want a Beneficiary to see every single email sent to the Attorney.
- The Rule: On your cards, write “PRIVILEGED” in big letters on the Attorney card to remind the developer that Attorney communications must be invisible to the Beneficiary role.
What to do next:
Write these 5 cards out. Once you have them, would you like to move to Phase 2: The Timeline, where we map out when these people interact? (e.g., “Step 1: Upload Death Certificate”)
That is a smart addition. In many modern e-filing jurisdictions, the court is an active participant in the digital workflow, not just a recipient of paper.
Here is the draft for your 6th card.
Card 6: The County Probate Judge (or Court Clerk)
- Role Type: External Authority (The “Tower Control”)
- Goal: To review filings and issue legal Orders (Letters Testamentary, Order of Discharge).
- CAN DO (Write):
- Digital Signature on Court Orders.
- “Reject” filings (sending them back to the Attorney for correction).
- Set hearing dates (calendar integration).
- CAN SEE (Read):
- Only “Filed” documents. This is critical. They cannot see your drafts, your private family chats, or assets you haven’t officially reported yet.
- The “Official Inventory” and “Final Accounting.”
- RESTRICTIONS:
- Strict Wall: They have zero access to the “Work in Progress” side of the app. They only see what the Executor or Attorney explicitly “Submits” to the court portal.
A Critical “Flow” Note for your Cards:
Now that you have a Judge involved, you have a Submission Gate.
- Example: The Executor uploads a document -> The Attorney approves it -> Then it becomes visible to the Judge Card.
- On your cards, this means the Judge essentially waits in the dark until the Attorney “flips the switch.”
Next Step:
You now have your 6 active roles (Executor, Attorney, Accountant, Beneficiary, Observer, Judge).
Shall we move to Phase 2: The Timeline? We can map out the first 3 major events (like Opening the Estate) and place your cards to show exactly who does what during that step.
