If you've signed something recently, there is a decent chance you did not read all of it. A vendor agreement, a lease renewal, a client contract, the terms on a new software subscription. Not because you're careless, but because dense legal language is exhausting and you trust it's probably fine.
Sometimes it is fine. The problem is you don't actually know that until something goes wrong, like an auto-renewal you forgot about, a cancellation fee buried in section 12, or a clause that only protects the other side.
You don't need to become a lawyer to fix this. You need a fast first read that tells you what you're actually agreeing to, in language you'd use with a friend, so you know what to slow down on before you sign.
This week: a simple way to get a plain-English read on any contract before you commit to it.
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🗞️ THIS WEEK IN AI
1. OpenAI put more ChatGPT work features on a meter
OpenAI's current ChatGPT rate card lists credit costs for Agent mode and Deep Research, and says Workspace Agent plus ChatGPT for Excel/Sheets pricing is now in effect for Business and Enterprise plans. Those workspace runs do not have one fixed price per task. The credit use depends on how much text the task reads, reuses, and writes.
Why this matters: If your team uses ChatGPT's agent features for research, spreadsheets, or drafting, check your plan's usage this month. The practical question is not just "Do we have access?" It is "Which tasks are included, and which ones start drawing from credits?"
2. Microsoft's Copilot discount is a promotion, not a forever price
Microsoft's pricing page lists Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot at $23.50 per user per month when paid yearly, and says the discount offer runs from July 1 through September 30, 2026. It also says promotional pricing applies to the first year only.
Why this matters: If you already pay for Microsoft 365 for email and Office apps, the bundle may be worth checking before you sign up for another AI subscription. Just compare the renewal price, not only the first-year discount.
3. Claude Fable 5 came back after a sudden access pause
Anthropic says Claude Fable 5 access was restored on July 1 after a June 12 U.S. export-control directive caused Anthropic to suspend access for all users. Anthropic also says it added a new safety classifier in response to the incident.
Why this matters: This is the update to a story we covered a few weeks ago, about how fast access to a tool can change for reasons that have nothing to do with you. It's back now, but the lesson still holds: don't build your whole workflow on a single tool with no backup.
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🛠️ THIS WEEK'S TRICK
Get a Plain-English First Read on Any Contract Before You Sign
You don't need to read every clause carefully if you can quickly find out which ones actually matter. This turns a dense document into a short, honest summary you can actually use.
Step 1: Get the text in front of you
Copy the contract text, or the sections you're unsure about, from the PDF or document you were sent. Even a partial copy of the confusing parts works.
Step 2: Run the plain-English review prompt
Paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:
I'm about to sign a [type of agreement, e.g. vendor contract, lease, client agreement, software terms]. Here's the text:
[paste the contract or the sections you're unsure about]
Read it like you're explaining it to a smart friend who has no legal background. Give me:
1. A plain-English summary of what I'm actually agreeing to, in 3-5 sentences
2. Key dates, deadlines, or renewal terms, especially anything that auto-renews
3. What it would cost or take for me to cancel or exit this agreement
4. Anything unusual, one-sided, or unclear compared to a standard version of this kind of agreement
5. 3 questions I should ask before I sign
Be direct. If something seems risky, say so plainly instead of hedging.
Step 3: Decide what actually needs a second look
The useful part is not the whole output. Focus your attention on what the AI flagged as unusual or unclear. That's what's worth reading closely, asking about, or running past a real lawyer.
What this works best for:
Freelance or consulting contracts and statements of work
Software or vendor agreement terms
Lease renewals and service agreements
Limitation: this is a first-pass filter, not legal advice. Rocket Lawyer's own terms make the same distinction: legal information is not a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney. For anything with real money or real risk attached, like a lease, a partnership, or an employment offer, have an actual lawyer look at what got flagged before you sign.
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🔧 TOOL OF THE WEEK
Rocket Lawyer's free Contract Review uses Rocket Copilot to highlight key terms, flag potential risks, and point out what may need a second look before you sign. It is similar to the trick above, but packaged with document storage and a path to one-on-one support from Legal Pros during the trial.
For this issue, it's a useful middle step between "run it through ChatGPT myself" and "pay a lawyer by the hour," especially if you want a paper trail and a human to escalate to.
Price: The contract review upload is free. Paid memberships currently start at $12.41 per month when billed yearly at $149, with higher annual tiers at $249 and $349 that add more Legal Pro access.
Best for: Freelancers and small business owners who sign contracts often enough to want a standing tool, not just a one-off prompt.
Worth trying? Yes. The free contract review alone is worth uploading your next agreement to, even if you never pay for the membership.
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💡 PROMPT OF THE WEEK
Use this when you're the one drafting the agreement, like a proposal or a simple service contract, and want to make sure it's fair to you too.
I'm drafting a [type of agreement] for [who it's with].
Here's my rough draft:
[paste your draft]
Review it and tell me:
1. Anything a simple agreement like this should usually cover that I'm missing
2. Any language that's vague or could be read two different ways
3. One or two protections I'm probably missing that would go in my favor
Keep it in plain English. I'm not trying to write a 20-page contract, just something clear and fair to both sides.
Tip: if it flags a sentence you don't fully understand, that's exactly the one worth asking a lawyer about instead of leaving it as is.
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👋 THAT'S A WRAP
You don't have to read every contract word for word, and you don't have to sign things blind either. A plain-English AI pass helps you get oriented in a few minutes, so you can see which parts deserve your full attention.
This week, take the next agreement that lands in your inbox and run it through the prompt above before you sign. It costs you five minutes and might save you a bad surprise six months from now.
If you know someone who signs a lot of contracts and reads none of them closely, forward this to them. It's a small habit that's worth building before it costs them something.
See you next Friday.