When to hire a solicitor after an AI contract check
An AI check is a first pass: it quotes risky lines and suggests asks. A solicitor gives advice for your facts and can negotiate. Use this page to decide when software is enough and when you should instruct counsel — especially for UK commercial leases and supplier contracts.
Use an AI check first when
The document is a standard commercial lease, supplier MSA, or freelance agreement; you need a fast, quote-backed list of asks before you reply; and the deal is not material enough to justify counsel fees on every inbox contract.
Instruct a solicitor when
You are asked for a personal guarantee; the rent, fees, or liability are material to the business; the other side will only move counsel-to-counsel; the AI check (or your own reading) shows ambiguity you cannot resolve; or rules differ across England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland in ways that matter to the deal.
How to hand off cleanly
Send your solicitor the original file plus the quote-backed findings and the asks you want. That saves time and keeps negotiation grounded in the document rather than a vague summary.
What a solicitor review usually covers
A solicitor can confirm how a clause works under the law that governs your contract, advise on whether a term is worth fighting, negotiate directly with the other side's solicitor, and handle formal steps such as lease registration or a guarantor's independent advice. Ask for a fixed fee for a defined scope, for example reviewing the five highest-risk clauses rather than the whole document.
Bottom line
Screen with AxiomRisk. Escalate to a solicitor when the risk or pounds justify it. This page is general information, not legal advice, and AxiomRisk is not a law firm.
Check the contract free first. If what you see is high-stakes or unclear, take the quoted findings to a solicitor.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Every contract and every jurisdiction differs — review anything that matters with a qualified lawyer before you sign.
Also see: What is AI contract review · AxiomRisk vs lawyer vs ChatGPT · AxiomRisk vs ChatGPT · Draft your contract reply · Mutual NDA template · Lease red flags · Vendor contract red flags · Freelance contract red flags · FAQ