Compare a draft invoice with the engagement letter and later fee communications
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- Set the draft invoice beside the engagement letter and any later writing that changes the rate, scope or expenses, and list every line that does not match.
- What the lawyer must review
- Rule 1.5(b) requires a change in the basis or rate of the fee or expenses to be communicated to the client. A line that uses a rate or expense the client was not told about is a Rule 1.5 problem, not a formatting problem. Formal Opinion 512: before charging for a generative-AI tool, explain the basis for the charge, preferably in writing. Do not treat general tool overhead as a disbursement unless that was disclosed in advance.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Potential support includes preparing preliminary structure or wording. Confirm the tool’s capability and permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.
Forms and precedents for this task
| Form or precedent | Kind | AI use | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement letter with a generative AI clause (United States) | Letter | AI use Yellow | Engagement letter stating the scope and the basis of the fee, and separating ordinary generative-AI use from any input of information relating to the representation, which needs a completed tool schedule rather than a boilerplate consent. |
| Timekeeper check before billing generative AI work (United States) | Checklist | AI use Yellow | A check a timekeeper completes before AI-assisted time or a per-use AI charge is put on a bill, so the bill reflects time actually spent and expenses the engagement allows. |
| Letter when a flat fee should change because a tool did the work (United States) | Letter | AI use Yellow | A letter telling the client that a flat fee may no longer be reasonable because a generative AI tool has reduced the work, and asking agreement to a revised amount before further work is billed that way. |
Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one. All precedents.