List the reasons a federal invoice may have to be returned
Key facts
- Human involvement
- RedLawyer-led
- How AI is used
- Set the invoice beside any return already in the file and list the reasons the return gives, with the date of receipt if printed. Write no sentence of a return notice.
- What the lawyer must review
- Section 3903(a)(7)(B) requires an invoice that is determined not to be a proper invoice to be returned as soon as practicable, and not later than 7 days after receipt, specifying the reasons. The 7 days are the agency's time. They are not a contractor's time to serve a payment schedule, and there is no adjudication in this section. Section 3901(a)(3), which defines a proper invoice, was not opened. You decide whether to return the invoice and you write the reasons. Formal Opinion 512: do not send generated text you have not checked.
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Supporting preparation only. Consider narrowly defined preparation support after confirming 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.