Table the fee category for an access request
Key facts
- Human involvement
- RedLawyer-led
- How AI is used
- Columns are the requester category in the file's words, which of search, duplication, and review that category is limited to, whether the file records a prior failure to pay, and whether the file states a fee above $250. Write no sentence of a consultation notice. Do not compute a dollar figure.
- What the lawyer must review
- 5 U.S.C. § 552 requires each agency to promulgate a fee schedule conforming to Office of Management and Budget guidelines. Commercial-use fees are limited to reasonable standard charges for search, duplication, and review. An educational or noncommercial scientific institution, or a representative of the news media, when the request is not for commercial use, is limited to duplication. Any other request is limited to search and duplication. A waiver or reduction applies when disclosure is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. Fees recover only direct costs. Review cost is the initial examination to decide disclosure and withholding, not resolving issues of law or policy. No fee is charged when routine collection and processing are likely to equal or exceed it. Requests under clause (ii)(II) or (III) are not charged for the first two hours of search or the first one hundred pages of duplication. Advance payment is required only if the requester previously failed to pay fees in a timely fashion, or the agency has determined that the fee will exceed $250. You write any notice. Model Rule 1.6 keeps the request file out of a public tool.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Supporting preparation only. Potential support includes identifying points for review. Confirm the tool’s capability and permitted scope. The tool writes nothing into the document. Substantive advice, judgement and any restricted content remain with the responsible human. |
| Lawyer | Perform the substantive analysis and decisions. Independently check any permitted supporting work and approve the exact output for its intended use. |
Checklist
- Trace every relied-on figure to its source, confirm dates and assumptions, and independently recalculate totals or derived amounts.
- Review operative clauses in the complete document, including definitions, cross-references, schedules and inconsistencies with the instructions.
- 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.