Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of AskLawson and all related services. Please read them carefully as they contain important information about your rights and obligations when using our platform.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the AskLawson website and services ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our Service.

These Terms incorporate our Privacy Policy by reference. Together, they constitute the entire agreement between you and AskLawson regarding your use of the Service.

2. Description of Service

AskLawson is an AI-powered Legal Information Retrieval System designed to help you navigate official statutes and procedural requirements. Our Service includes:

• State-specific legal information anchored to your jurisdiction
• Identification of statutes, procedures, and statutory timeframes that relate to your topic
• Formal Legal Information Reports summarizing the information you provide
• Links to official court forms and legal aid resources
• Educational content about legal topics and processes

AskLawson acts as a legal librarian—helping you find, organize, and understand publicly available legal information.

3. AskLawson Is Not a Law Firm

AskLawson is a Legal Information Retrieval System. The distinction between legal information and legal advice is critical:

• Legal information consists of publicly available facts about laws, statutes, procedures, and requirements. This is what AskLawson provides.
• Legal advice involves a licensed attorney applying legal knowledge to your specific circumstances and recommending a course of action. This is what attorneys provide.

AskLawson helps you understand the legal landscape. Only a licensed attorney can advise you on what actions to take within that landscape.

4. No Attorney-Client Relationship or Privilege

Your use of AskLawson:

• Does not create an attorney-client relationship
• Does not invoke attorney-client privilege
• Does not constitute legal advice or legal representation
• Does not substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney

Communications through AskLawson are not privileged or confidential in the legal sense. Any attorney-client relationship or privilege arises only after you establish a direct relationship with a licensed attorney outside our platform.

5. Limitations of Legal Information

The information provided through our Service:

• Is general in nature and may not address every aspect of your specific situation
• Should not be relied upon as legal advice or as a basis for legal action without consulting a licensed attorney
• May not reflect the most current legal developments, as laws and procedures change frequently
• Is intended to help you understand the legal landscape—not to tell you what to do

We strongly recommend that you consult with a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction for advice regarding your specific legal matter. If you choose to represent yourself (proceed "pro se"), AskLawson can help you prepare by organizing relevant information, but the responsibility for legal decisions remains yours.

6. Document Upload and Processing

6.1: How Your Documents Are Processed

When you upload documents to AskLawson, they are processed through the following services:

• PDF.co extracts text and data from your documents. Files are automatically deleted within one hour of processing.
• Google Gemini API (paid tier) analyzes your inquiries and document data to provide relevant legal information. On the paid tier, Google does not use your data to train or improve AI models. Prompts and responses are retained temporarily for automated abuse monitoring. When live legal research (Google Search grounding) is used, related query data is retained by Google for up to 30 days and cannot be disabled while grounding is active.

6.2: Document Storage

Storage of documents is at your discretion:

• If you choose to save documents, they are stored securely in your dashboard using Google Firebase with AES-256 encryption
• If you delete documents, they are permanently removed and cannot be retrieved
• If you delete your account, all associated documents are permanently deleted

6.3: Your Responsibility for Document Content

You represent and warrant that:

• You have the legal right to upload and share any documents you submit
• Your documents do not contain malicious code or content
• You will not upload documents belonging to third parties without authorization

AskLawson performs neutral analysis of your documents against publicly available legal requirements. We do not make judgments about the validity or legal sufficiency of your documents—only a licensed attorney can provide such assessments.

7. User Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Use the Service only for lawful purposes
• Understand that AskLawson provides legal information, not legal advice
• Verify all information independently before taking action
• Consult with qualified legal counsel for advice on your specific situation
• Maintain the confidentiality of your account credentials
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations

You acknowledge that:

• Legal outcomes depend on many factors specific to your situation
• Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time
• AskLawson cannot guarantee any particular legal outcome
• You are solely responsible for decisions you make based on information obtained through the Service

8. Prohibited Uses

You may not use our Service to:

• Seek or provide legal advice or legal representation to others
• Practice law or hold yourself out as an attorney (unless you are licensed)
• Engage in any illegal activities
• Upload documents containing illegal content
• Violate any third-party rights, including intellectual property or privacy rights
• Distribute malicious software or content
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Use the Service for commercial purposes without written permission
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of our software
• Use automated systems or bots to access the Service without permission

9. Account Terms

9.1: Account Creation

To access certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information
• Maintain and update your information as needed
• Keep your password secure and confidential
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access

9.2: Account Termination by You

You may delete your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting support@asklawson.com. Upon deletion, all your documents and data will be permanently removed.

9.3: Account Termination by AskLawson

We may terminate or suspend your access to the Service at any time if you violate these Terms or for any other reason at our discretion. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you before termination unless immediate action is required to protect the Service or other users.

9.4: Inactive Accounts

Accounts inactive for 24 months will be deleted along with all associated documents. You will receive reminder emails at 12, 18, and 23 months of inactivity. Logging into your account resets the inactivity period. Paid subscription accounts with active billing are exempt from inactivity deletion.

10. Payment Terms

10.1: Fees and Billing

Certain features of the Service require payment. By subscribing or purchasing:

• You agree to pay all applicable fees
• You authorize us to charge your payment method
• You are responsible for any taxes associated with your purchase

10.2: Refunds

Refund policies are described at the time of purchase. Generally, fees for completed services (such as generated reports) are non-refundable.

10.3: Payment Processing

Payments are processed securely through third-party payment processors. We do not store your complete payment card information on our servers.

11. Intellectual Property Rights

11.1: AskLawson Content

All content on AskLawson, including text, graphics, logos, software, and the structure of Legal Information Reports, is protected by intellectual property laws and is owned by AskLawson or its licensors. You may not reproduce, modify, or distribute our content without permission.

11.2: Your Content

You retain ownership of documents and content you upload. By uploading content, you grant AskLawson a limited, non-exclusive license to process, analyze, and store your content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

11.3: Legal Information Reports

Legal Information Reports generated for you are provided for your personal use. You may share them with attorneys or other advisors, but you may not resell or commercially distribute them.

12. Privacy and Data Security

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and protection of your information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Key points:

• Documents are encrypted in transit and at rest
• Third-party processors (PDF.co, Google Gemini API) process your data on a limited-retention basis; PDF.co deletes uploaded files within one hour, and Gemini API retention is described in our Privacy Policy, including a 30-day retention window when Google Search grounding is used
• You control whether documents are saved to your account
• We do not sell your personal information

13. Disclaimers

Disclaimer of Warranties

The service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Warranties of merchantability
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement
• Accuracy or completeness of information
• Availability or uninterrupted access

AskLawson does not warrant that:

• The service will meet your specific requirements
• The service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• The information provided will be accurate, complete, or current
• Any errors in the service will be corrected

Legal Information Disclaimer

The legal information provided through the service is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Laws change frequently, and information may become outdated. You are responsible for verifying all information and consulting with a licensed attorney before taking legal action.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall AskLawson, its officers, directors, employees, agents, or licensors be liable for any:

• Direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• Damages resulting from your use of or inability to use the service
• Damages resulting from any decisions or actions you take based on information obtained through the service
• Damages resulting from unauthorized access to or alteration of your data
• Damages resulting from statements or conduct of any third party on the service

This limitation applies whether the alleged liability is based on contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other basis, even if AskLawson has been advised of the possibility of such damage. In jurisdictions that do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law. In no event shall our total liability to you for all claims exceed the amount you paid to AskLawson in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or one hundred dollars ($100), whichever is greater.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless AskLawson, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of a third party
• Any content you upload or submit to the Service
• Any legal actions or decisions you take based on information obtained through the Service

16. Dispute Resolution

16.1: Informal Resolution

Before filing any formal legal action, you agree to contact us at support@asklawson.com and attempt to resolve any dispute informally for at least thirty (30) days.

16.2: Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia without regard to conflict of law principles.

16.3: Jurisdiction

Any disputes arising under these Terms that cannot be resolved informally shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. You consent to personal jurisdiction in these courts.

16.4: Class Action Waiver

You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action.

17. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes:

• We will post the updated Terms with a revised "Last Updated" date
• We will notify registered users by email
• We may provide in-app notification

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.

18. General Provisions

18.1: Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

18.2: Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

18.3: Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction.

18.4: Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and AskLawson regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

19. Age Restrictions

Our Service is intended for users who are at least 18 years old. By using the Service, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age. Minors may not use the Service, even with parental consent, due to the nature of legal information services.

20. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

AskLawson
Email: support@asklawson.com