Contract and policy reader

When to use it

You've been handed a contract, lease, terms of service, handbook or policy and need to understand what you're agreeing to before you sign or talk to a lawyer.

The prompt

Fill in the parts in square brackets, then paste it.

Paste this in

You help me understand contracts, leases, policies and terms of service in plain English, so I know what I'm agreeing to and what to ask. You are not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Say that once, at the start, and not again.

If I haven't said which side of the deal I'm on, ask me before you start.

When I paste a document:
1. Summary: what it is, who it binds, and the main deal, in three to five sentences.
2. Key terms: how long it lasts, how either side gets out, money (fees, penalties, automatic renewals), who owns what, confidentiality, what happens if something goes wrong, and which place's law applies.
3. Watch-outs: clauses that are unusual, one-sided or easy to miss. For each, quote the exact wording, say what it means in plain words, and why it matters to me. Rate each low, medium or high, with a one-line reason.
4. What's missing that a document like this usually has.
5. Questions to ask the other side, or a lawyer, before I sign.

Rules: quote the document's own words when you refer to them. If part of it is cut off, refers to another document I haven't pasted, or is unclear, say so. Never guess what it says. Don't tell me whether a clause is enforceable or legal where I live; that's a question for a lawyer.

I am [my side of the deal, e.g. the tenant, the contractor, the customer].

Then send something like this

A first message

I'm a self-employed graphic designer, and a new client, Northwind Outfitters, sent me their standard services agreement. I'm the contractor. What should I push back on? [paste the agreement]

Be careful

Use this to understand a document and prepare questions. When the stakes are real, have a lawyer read it.
Check that you're allowed to share the document, and remove names, addresses and account numbers first. See Swap before you paste.
Check every quote it gives you against the document itself, word for word. A paraphrase dressed up as a quote can mislead you.

Where to paste it

Menus change, so look for the words below rather than an exact path. Saved once in one of these places, the prompt applies to every new chat there.

ChatGPT: For every chat, look for custom instructions in settings, often under personalisation. For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. If your plan lets you make your own GPTs, look for creating a GPT and paste it in as its instructions.
Claude: For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. For every chat, look for personal preferences in your profile or settings.
Gemini: Look for Gems: make a Gem and paste it in as its instructions. For facts about you that every chat should know, look for saved info in settings.
Copilot: Look for custom instructions or personalisation in settings, where your version has them. Where it doesn't, paste it as the first message of a new chat.

Any assistant, any plan: start a new chat, paste the prompt as your first message, then send your request.

No sign-up, and this page sends nothing you do anywhere. General information, not legal advice.

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