ChatGPT Prompts for Legal Documents: 10 First-Draft Prompts

ChatGPT prompts for legal documents help non-lawyers do the preparation: understand what a document is for, list the terms it should cover, turn agreed terms into a plain-English first draft with blanks, and write good questions for a lawyer. They do not replace legal advice, so every prompt below keeps judgments about validity and enforceability with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Use roles instead of names and leave out confidential details you do not need to share.

Not legal advice. For court filings, wills, or anything with a deadline, contact a lawyer or legal aid first.

Understand the document

1. Plain-English summary

Explain this document in plain English: [paste text]. Tell me what it makes each party do, what it lets each party do, and the three clauses I should ask a lawyer about. Do not tell me whether it is enforceable.

2. What this type of document usually covers

I need a [document type] for [purpose] in [state or country]. List the topics this kind of document usually covers, one line each on why it matters, and mark which ones I have covered from these notes: [notes].

3. Glossary of terms

List every legal or technical term in this document [paste] with a one-line plain-English meaning, and quote the sentence where it appears. Mark any term whose meaning seems to depend on local law.

Prepare a first draft

4. Bracketed first draft from agreed terms

We agreed on these terms: [terms, dates, amounts]. Write a plain-English first draft in numbered sections using only these terms. Put anything missing in [BRACKETS] instead of filling it in, and end with signature lines.

5. Conflict check against an existing document

Compare my draft [paste] with this existing lease, policy, or contract [paste]. Quote any places where they conflict, side by side, and say which document I should ask a lawyer about.

6. Plain-English rewrite for the other party

Rewrite this section [paste] in plain English for [the other party], keeping the meaning exactly the same. Show the original and the rewrite side by side and flag any sentence where the meaning might have shifted.

Before a lawyer looks at it

7. Lawyer questions

Based on this draft [paste] and my concerns [concerns], write the eight most useful questions for a lawyer licensed in [jurisdiction], ordered by how much money or risk is involved.

8. Facts sheet for the consultation

Turn these notes [notes] into a one-page facts sheet for a lawyer: parties by role, timeline with dates, amounts, documents I have, and what I want to happen. No opinions, just facts.

9. Missing documents list

For a [situation, for example a deposit dispute with a landlord], list the documents and records a lawyer will likely ask for, and mark which of these I have: [list].

10. Signing checklist

Write a short checklist for signing this [document type]: blanks filled, both parties read it, copies kept, any witness or notary question to ask a lawyer about in [jurisdiction]. Do not state the rule yourself.

Do the whole prep in one run

The flagship Legal Document Prompt: Plain-English Checklist and Draft turns your agreed terms into a plain-English purpose, a terms checklist marked have or missing, a conflicts check, a bracketed first draft, and questions for a lawyer. Its example prepares a roommate agreement for two co-tenants in Ohio and catches that the lease still makes both responsible for the full rent.

Related prompts

For business contracts, see the ChatGPT prompt for contract drafting and ChatGPT prompts for contract review. To spot risky clauses quickly, try the contract red flag scanner, and for memos and letters, ChatGPT prompts for legal writing.

Related: ChatGPT prompt for contract drafting and ChatGPT prompts for contract review.

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