Contract review for solo lawyers: a repeatable workflow in Word

A solo lawyer reviews contracts without a junior to do the first pass and without a knowledge team to keep playbooks up to date. The answer is not to read faster. It is to use the same short process on every contract, so nothing important depends on memory. This guide sets out that process in Microsoft Word and shows where LexDraft saves time.

1. Intake: five questions before you read

• Which side is the client on, and how much leverage do they have?
• What is the deal worth, and what is the worst realistic outcome?
• Which state's law applies, and where would a dispute be heard?
• Which three issues does the client care about most?
• When is the reply due, and how much review time does the fee support?

Write the answers at the top of your file. They decide how deep the review goes.

2. First pass in Word with LexDraft

Open the contract in Word and open LexDraft in the side panel. It works in Word 365 (Windows and Mac), Word 2021 and Word on the web. For an NDA, SaaS MSA, DPA or services agreement, run the review with the matching built-in playbook. For other contracts, such as leases or employment agreements, select the state and run the review. Findings come back graded Critical, High, Medium or Low, and LexDraft flags standard terms that are missing.

3. Quick checks that do not need AI

Run the defined-term and cross-reference checks. They are rule-based, run without AI and finish almost instantly. They find terms used without a definition, terms defined but never used, and references to sections, exhibits or schedules that do not exist. These are the errors that embarrass a solo practice when the other side points them out.

4. Triage by severity

Deal with every Critical and High finding. Then match Medium and Low findings against the client's three priorities from intake and drop the rest. A short, focused markup gets a faster answer than one that fights every clause.

5. Redline with tracked changes

LexDraft proposes word-level edits that change only the words that need to change. Accept the ones you agree with and they appear as native Word tracked changes. Reject the others. Add your own edits as normal. The result is one clean Word file the other side can work with.

6. Explain it to the client

Clients want to know what matters, not every change. Use the LexDraft chat in Word to get a plain-English explanation of a clause, then write a short note: the top risks, what you changed, and what you left alone and why. Check every AI explanation before you rely on it.

7. Final read and version control

Read the marked-up contract once more yourself. AI review can miss issues or be wrong. Keep one source of truth for each version. Our guide on comparing two contract versions in Word shows how to check the other side's next turn.

Guides for common contract types

• How to review an NDA
• How to review a master services agreement
• How to review a data processing agreement
• How to review a lease agreement
• How to review an employment agreement

Choosing a plan

Start on the Free plan: 5,000 generated words a month, no time limit and no credit card. Words are counted on what LexDraft writes, not on the text already in your document. Professional is $99 a month or $990 a year for 100,000 words a month. Business is $199 a month or $1,990 a year with unlimited words. You can upgrade from the Word sidebar. LexDraft works under US law, and it does not use customer documents to train models.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. LexDraft does not give legal advice; qualified counsel must review every draft. Spotted something out of date? Email support@lexdraft.ai and we will fix it.