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Jose Ancer is a working startup lawyer, and this is his clear line between what a filing tool handles and what needs actual counsel. He endorses Clerky and Stripe Atlas for standard formation, then draws the hard boundary: do not use a tool (or AI) to negotiate your term sheet, key-employee, or investor relationships, and run a lawyer in the loop so no contextual nuance quietly busts the standardized terms.
Startup Founders Using ChatGPT and Gemini for Legal (and where a real lawyer is non-negotiable)
From Silicon Hills Lawyer by Jose Ancer 15 min read
- The hybrid model most funded startups actually use: incorporate on Clerky or Atlas, keep a lawyer in the loop to catch context the templates miss
- Tools and AI are safe for low-stakes standardized docs but dangerous for permanent high-stakes relationships with employees, partners, and investors
- A platform sets up the entity; it does not negotiate your SHA or equity round, which is exactly where a real startup lawyer earns their fee
