Decode the fine print before you sign
Every document you sign comes with a plain-language summary, a red-flag list, and questions to ask first.
The problem
Leases, insurance policies, and terms-of-service get signed unread because they are unreadable.
What you get
A working system with the steps, tools, checkpoints, and expected return made explicit.
- Setup
- 15 minutes
- Back each week
- 1 hours
- Difficulty
- starter
Expected return
The working case
A planning estimate, not a guaranteed result. Measure the first four weeks against your own baseline.
48
hours returned per year
At 1 hours/week across 48 working weeks.
1
week to earn back setup
Compare the setup estimate with the weekly time returned.
Operating contract
Input
The source material, constraints, and examples a human would need to do this work well.
Checkpoint
A person reviews judgment calls, sensitive content, unfamiliar tools, and irreversible actions.
Success signal
Track time returned, corrections required, and exceptions. Keep it only if the measured result compounds.
The steps
- 01
Paste or upload the document and interrogate it.
Copy this prompt
Read this [lease/policy/contract]. Give me: 1) plain-language summary of what I am agreeing to, 2) clauses that are unusual or lean against me, 3) fees and auto-renewals with amounts and dates, 4) three questions to ask before signing. Document: [paste or attach]
- 02
Ask follow-ups on anything flagged: "is clause 7 normal for this kind of lease?"
- 03
For high-stakes documents, bring the flagged clauses to a professional; you now pay for answers, not for reading time.
What it runs on
- Claude
Long documents fit; upload PDFs directly.
Where this goes wrong
- This is preparation, not legal advice; for anything with real downside, the flagged version goes to a lawyer.
- Check the document is complete before trusting the summary; missing pages produce confident nonsense.
Definition of done
Run it for four weeks. Then make it earn its place.
- □ Baseline the manual time before launch.
- □ Keep a human approval step for consequential output.
- □ Record corrections and exceptions, not just successes.
- □ Expand, revise, or retire it after the first review.
Build the system around it
Related workflows
If this one stops working, tell us. Three reports in a month and it leaves the library until a person has looked at it again.