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AI Informed Consent Form (Client)

A standalone, signable, revocable client-consent form. Use it when AI tools assist on a specific matter. Mapped to ABA Formal Opinion 512 and to Section 6 of our Policy Template.

ABA Formal Opinion 512 provides that informed client consent is required before inputting client information into a self-learning AI tool whose output could lead, directly or indirectly, to the disclosure of that information. Opinion 512 further states that boilerplate engagement-letter language authorizing AI use is not sufficient for this purpose. Use this form for the matter-specific, tool-specific consent that satisfies that requirement. State bar rules may impose additional obligations; have a licensed attorney in your state confirm the form before use.
On this page
  1. When consent is required
  2. What makes consent informed
  3. The consent form
  4. How to file the consent

Consent under this form is required before client information is input into any AI tool that:

  • Retains submitted content beyond the immediate session, or
  • Uses submitted content to train the model or improve the service, or
  • Provides the firm with no contractual confidentiality assurance equivalent to the protection required under RPC 1.6.

Consent is also required when the firm's policy classifies the information as Highly Sensitive: privileged communications, settlement strategy, third-party PHI or PII, sealed material. Engagement terms or outside-counsel guidelines that require AI-specific consent likewise trigger this form.

Engagement-letter language describing the firm's AI practices generally is not a substitute for this form. Engagement language gives the client notice; this form documents matter-specific informed consent for a specific tool and use case.

Under ABA Formal Opinion 512, informed consent for AI use requires that the client understand, in plain language:

  1. Why the tool is being used and what it will do.
  2. Which specific categories of client information will be input.
  3. What disclosure risks attend the use, including how disclosed information could be turned against the client's interests.
  4. Which benefits the proposed use produces.

The form below tracks each of these. Adapt the bracketed sections ([like this]) to the specific matter and tool. Consent is most defensible when the client has the form in writing, has had time to ask questions, and has signed contemporaneously with the use.

The consent form

The form below is the consent itself. Adapt to the matter and tool, then have the client sign and date. File with the matter.

INFORMED CONSENT, USE OF AI ON CLIENT MATTER

Client: ____________________________________________

Matter: ____________________________________________

Matter number: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

[Firm name] is requesting your informed consent to use one or more artificial intelligence (AI) tools on your matter, as described below. You may decline this use without consequence to your representation. You may revoke this consent at any time and for any reason.

1. AI tool we propose to use

Tool name: _____________________________________

Tool version, if applicable: ___________________

Provider: ______________________________________

2. Why we want to use it on your matter

[Plain-language explanation of the task the tool will assist with. Examples: drafting an initial response to a complaint; summarizing 400 pages of medical records; reviewing a contract for non-standard clauses; researching a specific legal issue.]

_________________________________________________________________

3. Information that will be input into the tool

[List the specific categories of client information that will be input. Examples: facts of the matter; relevant correspondence; specific documents identified by file or Bates number; medical records; settlement-related communications.]

_________________________________________________________________

4. Risks of disclosure

  • The tool [does / does not] retain submitted content after the session.
  • The tool [does / does not] use submitted content to train future versions of the model.
  • Information you provide [could / will not] be accessible to the provider's employees, subcontractors, or other users of the same tool.
  • Despite contractual safeguards in our agreement with the provider, some residual risk remains that information processed by an AI tool could be disclosed to or accessed by third parties. That residual risk is comparable to, though not identical to, the risk that already applies to cloud-based document storage and email.
  • If the information is subject to a protective order, sealing order, or third-party confidentiality obligation, additional restrictions may apply.

5. Benefits of the proposed use

[Plain-language explanation. Examples: faster turnaround; lower cost to the client; broader review of large document sets; consistent first-pass drafting freeing attorney time for higher-value analysis.]

_________________________________________________________________

6. Your rights

  • Declining this use will not affect your representation.
  • Revocation is open to you at any time, for any reason, in writing to [contact name and email]. Once we receive notice, revocation applies prospectively.
  • Before consenting, you may ask questions and consult another advisor.

Client consent

I have read this form and understand the proposed use of AI on my matter. I had a chance to ask questions, and I could have consulted another advisor. I provide informed consent for the use described above.

Client signature: ____________________________________________

Print name: ____________________________________________

Date: ____________________________

Attorney verification

Attorney signature: ____________________________________________

Print name: ____________________________________________

Date: ____________________________

How to file the consent

  1. File with the matter. The signed consent is retained in the matter file. Cross-reference the consent in the verification log for any document the consented use produced.
  2. Document the discussion. If the client asked questions before signing, summarize the discussion in a contemporaneous file note. The note becomes part of the same consent record.
  3. Honor revocation immediately. A client's revocation applies prospectively from the date of receipt. Stop using the tool on the matter; document the revocation; and confirm to the client in writing.
  4. Re-consent on material change. If the tool changes, the use case expands, or the categories of information change in a material way, obtain a fresh consent. A consent for one tool and one use case is not a standing consent for that client.
  5. Pair with engagement-letter notice. The firm's general engagement letter language puts the client on notice that AI tools may be used; this form documents matter-specific consent for a specific use. Together they address the Opinion 512 framework, where engagement notice is necessary but not sufficient.

Related on this site

State bar guidance

  • California: The State Bar of California issued practical guidance covering competence, confidentiality, supervision, billing, and candor obligations whe…
  • Florida: Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 24-1 requires attorneys to disclose AI use when it affects billing, maintain AI governance policies, and protect …

Other resources

Form mapped to Policy Template Section 6 and ABA Formal Opinion 512 (July 2024). Last verified 2026-04-29.