Screen whether Rule 1.5 still applies to this client
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- List whether the file shows a regularly represented client who will be charged on the same basis or rate. Do not treat a commercial or government client as outside the rule.
- What the lawyer must review
- You decide whether the Rule 1.5(b) exception applies. Rule 1.5(a) forbids an unreasonable fee or an unreasonable amount for expenses, and Rule 1.5(b) requires the scope and the basis or rate of the fee and expenses to be communicated, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after the representation starts. The only exception stated in paragraph (b) is when the lawyer will charge a regularly represented client on the same basis or rate. Any change in the basis or rate of the fee or expenses must still be communicated. Comment [2] describes that exception as an understanding that has ordinarily evolved with a regularly represented client. These pages do not take a commercial client or a government client outside Rule 1.5. The tool does not decide that the client is regularly represented or that the basis or rate is the same.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Consider narrowly defined preparation support after confirming 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.