> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.jurisphere.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.jurisphere.ai/ask-juris/drafting-with-ask-juris.md). # Drafting with Ask Juris Using the Drafting Mode feature on Jurisphere If your day looks like *"draft a reply to this legal notice by this evening", "turn these facts into a plaint", "redline this NDA against our standard position"* or *"I need a Section 138 notice out the door in the next hour"* this is the page for you. **Drafting Mode generates a complete, properly formatted Word document (`.docx`)**, not just a block of text in a chat window. The draft is previewed in a dedicated **Drafting pane** towards the right of the screen, accompanied by a written response summarising the output. The response can be downloaded as a real `.docx` file at any point. As a Word file, it carries the intended formatting and can now carry redlined/tracked changes too. At a glance, the Drafting Mode lets you: * **Describe what you need** in plain language. * **Attach files** for Jurisphere to pull facts, terms and context from. * **Add research instructions** where the draft needs to be informed by case law or statutory research. * **Add formatting instructions**, down to font, numbering, indentation and spacing, so the output matches your house style. * **Iterate through follow-up questions** until the draft is where you want it, specifying it to be in redline/tracked changes to see exactly what changed between versions. Drafting Mode is the part of Ask Juris built specifically for **creating and revising written legal work product,** as opposed to answering a research question or reviewing a document (those live in [Research](/ask-juris/research-with-ask-juris.md) and [Reviewing Documents](/ask-juris/reviewing-documents-with-ask-juris.md) respectively). {% hint style="info" %} If you haven't yet, start with [Overview of Ask Juris](/ask-juris/overview-of-ask-juris.md) as it covers the prompt box, the other three modes ([Research](/ask-juris/research-with-ask-juris.md), [Deep](/ask-juris/overview-of-ask-juris.md#capabilities-of-ask-juris), [Knowledge](/ask-juris/overview-of-ask-juris.md#capabilities-of-ask-juris)) [skills](/ask-juris/skills.md) and the [shortcuts](/ask-juris/overview-of-ask-juris.md#quick-access-to-other-jurisphere-tools) underneath it. {% endhint %} *** ### Who this page is for | Litigation & Disputes | Corporate & Transactional | Real Estate, Regulatory & E | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Notices, replies, plaints, written statements, bail applications, writ petitions, arbitration pleadings. You care most about **tone, precision on facts, and not missing a limitation point.** | NDAs, share purchase agreements, board resolutions, vendor contracts, term sheets. You care most about **clause consistency, defined terms, and matching your firm's or client's house style.** | RERA complaints, GST/SEBI show cause replies, POSH matters, employment letters. You care most about **citing the right provision and getting the procedural framing right.** | {% hint style="success" %} **Your download is now a Word document with tracked changes.** When Jurisphere revises a draft. Say, redlining an NDA against your instructions, or incorporating edits from an email thread. The changes it makes can now be tracked the same way they would be if a colleague had marked them up in Word directly: insertions, deletions and reformatting all show up as trackable edits rather than a plainly rewritten document. {% endhint %} *** ## How Drafting Mode works {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Navigate to Ask Juris Open **Ask Juris** from the Jurisphere sidebar. Drafting is one of four modes available from the same prompt box, so you're never locked into a single task type for the whole conversation. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Select Drafting Choose **Drafting** from the Ask Juris prompt options.
{% endstep %} {% step %} ### Provide your drafting instructions Type in the details directly, attach files for Jurisphere to extract context from or both. See the [starting point tabs](#choose-your-starting-point) below for exactly how much detail to provide. A simple query may look something like this: > "Draft a mutual non-disclosure agreement between Company A and Candidate B for discussions relating to a potential employment opportunity. Term: 3 years from the Effective Date or coterminous with the employment term, whichever is longer. Confidentiality obligations to survive 5 years from expiry or termination and indefinitely for trade secrets. Governing law: laws of India. Courts at Bengaluru to have exclusive jurisdiction." Instead of typing out every transaction, fact, commercial term or right and obligation yourself, you can simply **attach the relevant files as context** and instruct Jurisphere to extract what it needs. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Attach documents, if relevant Drag, drop, paste or use the paperclip/**Attach** menu to bring in agreements, notices, pleadings, correspondence, previous drafts, evidence or research material for Jurisphere to use as context. For example, once an employee's employment agreement is attached, you no longer need to type out their details or the terms already agreed with them. You simply tell Jurisphere to draft from that file: > "Draft a non-disclosure agreement for the employee in the attached employment agreement. Take the employee's details and the agreed confidentiality and IP terms from that document. Where the employment agreement is silent on something the NDA needs, insert a placeholder in square brackets." That last instruction is worth calling out on its own: whenever an attached document doesn't cover something your draft needs, explicitly ask Jurisphere to flag the gap with a placeholder in square brackets (e.g. `[INSERT NOTICE PERIOD]`). {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Add Research instructions, where relevant If you want your draft informed by legal research, toggle **Research** alongside **Drafting**. You can make granular [selections of which legal research databases](/ask-juris/research-with-ask-juris.md#our-database-and-trusted-sources) to draw on, based on your query.
For instance, if you're drafting a written statement to a plaint, you can instruct Jurisphere to research case law that distinguishes the judgments cited in the plaint. Here's an example: > "Draft a simple lease deed for the premises described in the attached documents. Take the parties, property description, rent, deposit, term and escalation from those files. Confirm the stamp duty position for this instrument in Karnataka and note the stamping requirement at the top of the draft." > {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Add formatting instructions Most lawyers follow specific formatting conventions when preparing drafts and because Drafting Mode's output is a Word document, those conventions carry through properly rather than getting flattened into plain text. You can specify, in as much granular detail as you like: * **Font size and style.** * **Clause numbering** (decimal, alphanumeric or a mix and how nested sub-clauses should be numbered). * **Indentation and alignment** (justified alignment). * **Spacing** (line spacing, paragraph spacing). * **Margins.** * **Headers and footers** (e.g. a running matter reference, page numbers, "Privileged and Confidential" header markings). **Try asking:** > "Use Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 line spacing, 1-inch margins on all sides. Number clauses using a decimal scheme (1, 1.1, 1.1.1). Add a footer with the page number centred and 'Privileged and Confidential' in the header." {% hint style="success" %} If you find yourself typing the same formatting instructions into every drafting query, you can save them as a **Memory** so they apply automatically without retyping them each time. {% endhint %} {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Review the response Ask Juris generates a Word document, previewed in the **Drafting pane**. The draft is accompanied by a response summarising its contents and addressing any other parts of your instruction (for example, confirming the stamp duty position you asked about above). Download the draft as a `.docx` file using the download button above the pane. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Refine through follow-ups A first draft is rarely the final draft. Iterate on it repeatedly through follow-up instructions rather than starting a new conversation each time. **Try asking:** > "Revise the dispute resolution clause to provide for arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Specify a sole arbitrator appointed by mutual consent, seat and venue at Bengaluru, proceedings in English and the award to be final and binding." > "Convert the numbering to a decimal scheme, so 1, 1.1, 1.1.1 and remove the mixed roman-numeral and alphabetical levels." > {% endstep %} > {% endstepper %} *** ### Choose your starting point Drafting Mode adapts to whatever you're starting with. Pick the card that matches your situation, then look at the worked example underneath it. {% tabs %} {% tab title="From a Plain Instruction" %} For straightforward drafting tasks, a single clear sentence is often enough. **Try asking:** > "Draft a legal notice under Section 8 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 invoking arbitration against the Respondent for non-payment of dues under the Master Service Agreement dated 12 March 2024." For more specific or complex work, it helps to spell out: * **The type of document** you need (notice, plaint, reply, opinion, agreement, submission). * **The parties involved**, including how they should be referred to (Applicant/Respondent, Plaintiff/Defendant, First Party/Second Party). * **The factual background** - dates, amounts, what happened and in what order. * **The legal position** you're taking and any specific statutory provisions you want relied on. * **The forum or jurisdiction**, where relevant, a notice meant for a District Consumer Commission reads very differently from one meant for the NCLT or a High Court. * **The purpose** of the document (to negotiate, to preserve rights before limitation runs out, to put the other side on formal notice, to file). * **The intended recipient** (opposing counsel, a government authority, an employee, a client). * **The structure** you want it to follow, including any numbering convention. **Try asking (more detailed):** > "Draft a reply to the attached legal notice on behalf of the Respondent. The Respondent denies liability in full, disputes the claim of Rs. 12,50,000 as time barred under Article 55 of the Limitation Act, 1963, and reserves the right to initiate proceedings for malicious prosecution if the notice is not withdrawn within 15 days. Address each paragraph of the notice separately, using the same numbering. Maintain a firm, professional tone suitable for a lawyer's reply on letterhead." > {% endtab %} {% tab title="From Attached Documents" %} Drafting Mode becomes especially detailed once you give it real documents to work from. You can attach documents like: * Agreements (MSAs, SPAs, NDAs, leave and licence deeds, employment contracts). * Notices (legal notices, demand notices, show-cause notices, cheque return memos). * Pleadings (plaints, written statements, petitions, affidavits). * Previous drafts you or opposing counsel have circulated. * Evidence (invoices, bank statements, delivery challans, photographs). Then instruct Jurisphere to use the relevant information from what you've attached. **Try asking:** > "Based on the attached Master Service Agreement, the three overdue invoices, and the cheque return memo, draft a legal notice under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 on behalf of the payee, calling upon the drawer to pay the cheque amount within 15 days of receipt of this notice, failing which criminal proceedings will follow." > "Use the attached plaint, written statement, and the three exhibits to prepare a first draft of written submissions for the final arguments stage." This lets you combine document review and drafting in a single Ask Juris workflow. You don't need to review the documents separately first, and you don't need to manually copy facts out of a PDF into your prompt. {% endtab %} {% tab title="A New Document, from Scratch" %} Use Drafting Mode to create a document with nothing attached at all. This is the most common starting point for routine correspondence and first cut agreements. Common examples for an Indian legal practice include: * Agreements and contracts (service agreements, NDAs, employment contracts, leave and licence deeds). * Legal notices (recovery, breach of contract, cheque bounce, trademark infringement). * Applications (bail applications, interim relief applications, RTI applications). * Affidavits (in support of a petition, an undertaking, a verification affidavit). * Written submissions and case notes. * Individual clause drafts (an indemnity clause, a limitation of liability clause, an arbitration clause). The more specific your instructions, the more closely the output will match what you actually need. **Try asking:** > "Draft a leave and licence agreement for a 3BHK residential apartment in Bengaluru, licence period of 11 months, licence fee of Rs. 45,000 per month payable in advance, refundable security deposit of Rs. 3,00,000, with a lock in period of 6 months and standard maintenance and utility clauses." > {% endtab %} {% tab title="Revising an Existing Draft" %} Attach the draft you already have and ask Jurisphere to work on it directly, rather than starting fresh. **You can ask Jurisphere to:** * Rewrite a clause. * Improve clarity. * Change the tone (for instance, from "for internal review" to "for filing before the court"). * Make the language more formal, or simplify complex language for a client who is not a lawyer. * Strengthen legal arguments, or add authorities in support. * Add missing provisions (a governing law clause, a force majeure clause, a dispute resolution clause specifying arbitration seat and venue). * Restructure the document entirely. **Try asking:** > "Rewrite the indemnity clause in the attached agreement to make the obligation mutual rather than one sided in favour of the Licensor." > "Revise this draft reply to make the tone more formal and suitable for filing as a written statement before the Commercial Court." > "Identify gaps in this draft agreement and suggest additional provisions, keeping in mind this is governed by Indian law and disputes will be resolved by arbitration seated in Mumbai." > {% endtab %} {% tab title="Draft and Research Together" %} Some drafting tasks need legal research first. Jurisphere lets you do both in the same workspace instead of switching tools or opening a separate research thread. A typical flow looks like: 1. Research the current legal position. 2. Analyse the relevant documents. 3. Draft the final document, supported by the judgments and provisions found. **Try asking:** > "Research the current position on grant of anticipatory bail under Section 482 of the BNSS (formerly Section 438 CrPC) in cases involving allegations under Section 420 IPC/Section 318 BNS, and then draft an application for anticipatory bail setting out the strongest arguments based on the facts in the attached FIR and complaint." > "Research recent NCLAT and Supreme Court decisions on the treatment of related party transactions under Section 188 of the Companies Act, 2013 and draft a compliance note advising the client on the risk profile of the attached transaction structure." When your drafting task needs legal authorities, turn on **Research** alongside Drafting (or switch into Research mode first, then continue into Drafting within the same thread) and be explicit about what supporting material you want cited, including whether you want Supreme Court authority specifically, a particular High Court's view, or the position under a specific tribunal (NCLT, NCLAT, SAT, CESTAT). {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} *** ### Build a Custom Skill for repeat drafting If you repeatedly prepare a certain type of draft, consider [creating a **Skill**](/workflows/creating-custom-skills.md). A Skill lets you specify instructions, formatting and style once, such as the house font, numbering scheme, standard clause language, defined-terms conventions, etc. Every time you run it afterwards, the draft is generated to that same standard without you re-explaining it. A Skill is the better choice over a general query whenever you want the draft to **retain specific language for clauses or defined terms** and to consistently follow a set format or structure. *** ### Getting a Word document with real tracked changes A Drafting Mode output is a real `.docx` file rather than plain text. Hence, revisions can now be generated as **Word tracked changes**. The same insertions, deletions and formatting marks you'd see if a colleague had marked up the document by scratch, rather than a document that's been plainly rewritten. {% hint style="info" %} This matters most when: * You're asking Jurisphere to incorporate changes from an email thread, a rejoinder or opposing counsel's comments into an existing draft and you need to see precisely what moved. * You need to circulate a redline internally or to a client, where "here's what changed" is the whole point of the document. * You want a clean audit trail of how a clause evolved across several rounds of instructions. {% endhint %} **Try asking:** > "Incorporate the changes requested in the attached email thread into the agreement and track all changes." **What to check once tracked changes are generated:** * Newly inserted headings and section titles are actually marked as tracked insertions, not silently added. * Pure grammar, punctuation or typographical corrections are tracked too, not slipped in unmarked. * Confirm that no content has been removed other than what was explicitly instructed.
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