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SynthCounsel is legal-information software. We are not a law firm, our employees are not your lawyers, and using SynthCounsel does not create an attorney-client relationship. This page draws the line in plain English so you can decide whether we’re the right tool for what you need.
The unauthorized practice of law (UPL) doctrine bars non-lawyers from giving legal advice or representing others in court. UPL exists primarily for client protection: lawyers carry malpractice insurance, are subject to bar discipline, and owe fiduciary duties that software vendors don’t. If you choose to use SynthCounsel, you are representing yourself pro se — you are the lawyer of record for your case. We provide the tools; the legal judgments are yours.
Pro se rights are real but limited. Federal courts recognize pro-se appearance under 28 U.S.C. § 1654; most states have parallel provisions. Pro-se filings are sometimes construed liberally (Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519 (1972)), but the underlying substantive and procedural law applies the same way. Missing a deadline, filing the wrong form, or pleading the wrong cause of action will lose your case whether you have a lawyer or not.
Our document templates are written to follow the North Carolina compliance model — Session Law 2016-60, the most rigorous safe harbor for legal-document automation in the United States. The standard requires that templates be reviewed at least annually by a licensed attorney whose name and bar number are on file.
Currently in attorney-recruitment phase. We are actively retaining a licensed attorney to perform the annual template review under the NC Session Law 2016-60 framework. Until that retention is finalized, every document template ships with the prominent disclaimer that no attorney has reviewed it for your specific use, and you remain solely responsible for the accuracy and legal sufficiency of any document you file.
When the reviewer of record is in place, the attorney’s name and bar number will appear in this box and on every generated document footer. We will never list a reviewer who has not actually reviewed the templates.