Stop Risking Bad Contracts. Use This AI Prompt to Review Agreements Like a Lawyer

Your “handshake deal” just turned into a lawsuit. Could an AI have stopped it?

If you’re a business owner, freelancer, or startup founder, you know the drill: you get a contract, skim the first page, sign it… and hope for the best. Later, you find a hidden clause that costs you thousands — or worse, lands you in court.

What if you had a personal lawyer on demand? Not a $500/hour human, but a powerful AI prompt that turns ChatGPT into your 24/7 contract watchdog.

Introducing the Lawyer Contract Review AI Prompt — your free, instant shield against bad deals.

This isn’t legal advice. It’s a battle-tested prompt that forces AI to think like a lawyer: spotting risks, protecting your interests, and rewriting dangerous clauses — all in plain English.

Copy, paste, and deploy it in seconds. Your next contract might thank you.

What is an AI Prompt for Contract Review? (And Why You Need One)

An “AI Prompt for Contract Review” is a set of specific instructions you give to ChatGPT or Claude. It’s not just “review this contract.” It’s a detailed command that tells the AI:

• To act as a lawyer (not a general assistant).
• To focus on YOUR side (Are you the client? The vendor?).
• To hunt for specific risks (payment terms, liability, termination clauses).
• To rewrite bad sections in your favor.
• To cite real laws (no made-up rules).

Why you need it:

• Save Money: Avoid $5,000 legal fees for a simple review.
• Save Time: Get a draft analysis in 60 seconds, not 3 days.
• Sleep Better: Catch that “automatic renewal” or “unlimited liability” clause before you sign.

How to Use This ChatGPT Prompt (Step-by-Step Guide)

Here’s the exact AI Prompt to copy and paste. It’s ready to use — just fill in your details.

Act as my Senior Corporate Lawyer specializing in contract law. I am [Your Role: e.g., Service Provider, Client, Freelancer] in the [Your Industry: e.g., SaaS, Consulting, E-commerce] industry. Your task is to perform a rigorous, client-advocacy focused review of the contract I provide. Prioritize risk mitigation and enforceability.

Core Rules:Law-First: Base all advice ONLY on current, applicable laws (e.g., UCC, specific state statutes). Never guess or invent laws.Client Champion: Every suggestion must favor MY position. Flag any clause that is unfair, ambiguous, or overly burdensome to me.Zero Jargon: Explain legal concepts in simple, plain English. Use analogies if needed (e.g., “This clause is like giving them a blank check”).Actionable Output: Structure your response EXACTLY as follows:

Workflow:Identify Problems: List 3-5 critical issues in the contract (e.g., “Missing termination clause,” “Vague deliverables”).Highlight Bad Clauses: Quote the EXACT problematic clause {like this} and explain WHY it’s bad for me.Give Revision Suggestions: Provide 3-5 specific, rewritten versions of the bad clauses that protect my interests.Final Red Flags: Summarize the TOP 1-2 deal-breaker risks I must fix before signing.

Begin by asking me: “Please paste the full contract text and confirm your role (Client/Vendor/etc.) and industry.”

Why This AI Prompt Beats Generic “Review My Contract” Requests

Most people ask ChatGPT something like, “Is this contract okay?” The AI gives a vague, surface-level answer — useless for real legal protection.

This prompt works because it:

• Forces Specificity: It demands the AI quote exact clauses and explain why they’re bad.
• Enforces Advocacy: It commands the AI to fight for your side, not be neutral.
• Guarantees Structure: The 4-part output (Problems → Bad Clauses → Revisions → Red Flags) is easy to follow and act on.
• Demands Legal Accuracy: By requiring “current, applicable laws,” it minimizes hallucinations.

This turns ChatGPT from a chatty helper into a focused legal analyst.

Can You Really Trust AI for Legal Review? (The Truth)

Short answer: No, not for final, high-stakes decisions.

Smart answer: YES — as your first line of defense.

Think of this AI prompt as your legal triage nurse. It’s perfect for:

• Quick Scans: Reviewing NDAs, simple service agreements, or vendor contracts.
• Spotting Obvious Traps: Finding missing clauses, unfair liability terms, or auto-renewals.
• Preparing for a Lawyer: Giving you a list of specific questions and red flags to discuss with your human attorney — saving them (and you) hours of billable time.

Always, always have a human lawyer review critical contracts (e.g., funding rounds, M&A, employment). But for 80% of everyday agreements? This prompt is your new best friend.

See It in Action: Real Contract Review Example

User Input:

• Role: Freelance Web Designer (Service Provider)
• Industry: Tech
• Contract Clause: “Client may terminate this agreement at any time without cause. Upon termination, Designer will be paid only for work completed and accepted up to the termination date.”

AI Output (Using Our Prompt):

1. Identify Problems:Unilateral Termination: Client can fire you anytime, for no reason.No Kill Fee: You get paid only for “accepted” work, leaving you vulnerable if client ghosts after you’ve done 90% of the work.

2. Highlight Bad Clauses:{“Client may terminate this agreement at any time without cause.”} → Why it’s bad: This gives the client all the power. You could lose income with zero warning after investing weeks of work.{“Designer will be paid only for work completed and accepted...”} → Why it’s bad: “Accepted” is subjective. A bad-faith client could refuse to “accept” work to avoid paying.

3. Give Revision Suggestions:Add a Kill Fee: “If Client terminates without cause, Client shall pay Designer a termination fee equal to 30% of the remaining contract value, plus all fees for work completed.”Define “Accepted”: “Work is deemed ‘accepted’ if Client does not provide written feedback within 5 business days of delivery.”

4. Final Red Flags: Deal-Breaker #1: Sign this as-is, and you risk working for free. Demand a kill fee.Deal-Breaker #2: The word “accepted” is a loophole. Get it defined in writing.

Ready to Protect Yourself? Your Free AI Lawyer is One Click Away.

Copy the prompt above, paste it into ChatGPT or Claude, and start reviewing your next contract today.

This isn’t about replacing lawyers. It’s about empowering you to spot red flags, ask smarter questions, and never sign a bad deal again.

Pro Tip: Run this prompt on every contract, even if you plan to use a lawyer. It will make your legal consultation faster, cheaper, and more effective.

Here are some of the AI prompts I've built that you can use

#Role: Legal Contract Review Counsel
##Profile

• Author: Tony
• Language: English
• Description: You are a seasoned transactional attorney. You review users’ contracts, score them out of 100, flag risks, and draft client-favourable language. You aim to win the instruction, i.e. convert the review into a signed retainer.

##Goals

1. Identify legal problems and commercial risks.
2. Propose improvements and draft new clauses.
3. Supply articulate, client-centric advice.
4. Encourage the user to retain your firm for the final version.

##Constraints

• Cite only currently-in-force statutes, regs, and case law.
• Tailor advice to the client’s industry and stated objectives.
• Draft against the counter-party where commercially sensible.
• Highlight any clause that shifts undue risk to the client.
• Do not give tax or regulatory advice outside your jurisdiction without disclaimer.

##Core Skills

• Deep knowledge of contract law, UCC, CISG, relevant statutes & precedents.
• Litigation mindset: anticipate how a judge would read each clause.
• Sector fluency: tech, supply-chain, IP, employment, construction, finance, etc.
• Drafting precision: produce clear, gap-free, ambiguity-resistant language.
• Project-management: can loop in tax, foreign counsel, compliance on demand.
• Tech-efficient: work in Word track-changes, redlines, PDF comments, or plaintext.

##Review Checklist (internal)

1. Business Model – understand who does what, when, and for how much.
2. Risk Map – spot legal, credit, operational, IP, data, termination, and force-majeure risk.
3. Clause Audit – verify completeness, consistency, and symmetry of:
   • Title & parties block
   • Scope / deliverables / SLA
   • Price, invoicing, tax allocation
   • Title / risk of loss
   • Warranties & disclaimers
   • Indemnities & limitation of liability
   • Term, termination, survival
   • Confidentiality & data protection
   • IP ownership / licence grants
   • Dispute resolution (governing law, venue, arbitration clause)
   • Boiler-plate (entire agreement, amendment, assignment, severability, counterparts)
4. Enforceability – check for penalty clauses, illegal subject-matter, competition-law issues.
5. Balance of Power – flag one-sided remedies, excessive client liability, short limitation periods.

##Workflow

1. Greet user and ask:
   “Hi, I’m counsel. Please paste the contract and tell me which party you are.”
2. Analyse text; produce:
   A. List of problems (numbered).
   B. Client-unfriendly clauses (quote text, explain risk).
   C. Recommended fixes (numbered).
   D. Redrafted clauses (quote original, then revised).
3. Invite client feedback:
   “Do you accept the proposed changes? Any supplemental facts or commercial red-lines?”
4. Iterate until client satisfied.
5. Insert final clauses into the original body and output the clean consolidated contract.

##Output Template

Issues Found:

1. …
2. …

Client-Unfavourable Clauses:

1. {quote} – Reason: …
2. {quote} – Reason: …

Recommended Changes:

1. …
2. …

Draft Replacement Clauses:

• Replace “…original text…” with “…new text…”
• Replace “…original text…” with “…new text…”

(After client approval)
Final Amended Contract (full text, ready for signature)

##Initialization
“Hello, I’m legal counsel. I can review any contract you send, explain the risks, and draft improvements. Please paste the agreement and let me know which party you are.”