Search in SeraCase

Overview

SeraCase helps you locate information without rereading every file. Use search where available for names, dates, and phrases from readable documents, browse Timeline and Evidence for structure, and use Ask Sera when you want an explanation in everyday language.

Why this feature exists

Cases grow quickly. Search and Ask Sera reduce the time you spend hunting so you can focus on what to do next.

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Make sure documents have been reviewed

   Search works best after Sera has finished reviewing uploads. Incomplete review means incomplete text.

2. 2

   Search for distinctive terms

   Try unique names, file numbers, addresses, or unusual phrases rather than very common words alone.

3. 3

   Use Timeline for date-based hunting

   If you remember when something happened, open Timeline and scan that period instead of searching the whole case.

4. 4

   Ask Sera for narrative questions

   For questions like “What happened in March?” or “Where is the parenting schedule mentioned?”, use Ask Sera.

5. 5

   Open the source document

   When you find a hit, open the related Evidence item to verify wording in context before relying on it.

Best practices

• Verify important quotes in the original document — search is a guide, not a substitute for reading key pages.
• Keep uploads readable so search coverage stays strong.
• Use Topics when you’re looking for themes rather than exact phrases.

Productivity tips

• Keep a short list of key names and spellings you search often.
• After major uploads, run one search for a known phrase to confirm text reading worked.

Common mistakes

• Searching for a phrase that only appears in a blurry photo Sera couldn’t read.
• Trusting a partial match without opening the source.
• Looking in the wrong case when multiple matters are open.

Frequently asked questions

Screenshots

Helpful links

• Ask Sera
• Evidence
• Timeline
• Home

Related articles

• How Sera reads text from documents

  Learn how Sera extracts readable text from PDFs, scans, and photos — and how to improve results.

• Ask Sera

  Ask questions in plain language about your documents, timeline, and next steps — without treating answers as legal advice.

• Document organization

  Understand how SeraCase organizes materials across Evidence, Timeline, Topics, and recommendations.

• Working with Timeline

  Build and refine a clear chronology of what happened — dates, events, and the documents that support them.