🇨🇦 Canada · Spellbook — AI Contract Drafting in Microsoft Word
Status: 🟩 COMPLETE 🟦 LIVING Section: 10 — AI and LLMs
| Vendor | Scale AI (formerly Rally Legal) |
| Country/origin | 🇨🇦 Canada (Toronto) |
| Recommended for AUS? | ✅ Yes — Canadian company; PIPEDA; enterprise data handling |
| Privacy summary | SOC 2 Type II; GDPR; PIPEDA; data not used for training; Canadian privacy law applies |
| Free tier | Free trial available; not a permanent free tier |
| Paid tiers | From ~$179 USD/month per user (check current pricing) |
| First released | 2021 |
| Last reviewed | June 2026 |
| Official site | https://spellbook.legal |
What it is
Spellbook is an AI contract drafting tool that works as a plugin directly inside Microsoft Word — the word processor where most lawyers already write contracts. You don’t need to copy contracts into a new interface or change your workflow.
Spellbook reads the contract you’re working on and can:
- Draft new clauses: “Add an intellectual property assignment clause that assigns all work product to the company”
- Suggest missing clauses: Flag standard provisions that are absent (like a governing law clause, limitation of liability, or confidentiality provision)
- Review and flag unusual terms: Identify clauses that are unusual, aggressive, or potentially problematic
- Explain clauses in plain English: Translate legalese into language your client can understand
- Compare against your playbook: Check contract terms against your firm’s standard positions
Who it’s for
- Lawyers: Solo practitioners, small firms, and corporate in-house counsel who want AI assistance without needing a Harvey-scale enterprise subscription
- Business owners: Reviewing contracts they receive (with the caveat that legal advice from a qualified lawyer is still advisable)
- Legal operations teams: Standardising and accelerating contract review processes
How to access + first 5 minutes from Australia
- Go to https://spellbook.legal → Try for free
- Sign up and install the Microsoft Word add-in
- Open any contract in Microsoft Word
- Click the Spellbook panel (appears in the right sidebar)
- Highlight any clause → click “Explain this clause” → plain English explanation appears
- Highlight a blank area → type what clause you need → Spellbook drafts it
Available on Windows and Mac (requires Microsoft Word; not Google Docs).
How it compares to Harvey and others
| Tool | Entry point | Works in Word? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spellbook | Mid-market | ✅ Yes | Smaller firms; in-house teams; accessible pricing |
| Harvey | Enterprise | Standalone platform | Large law firms |
| CoCounsel | Enterprise | Some integration | Westlaw users |
| Microsoft Copilot (Word) | M365 subscription | ✅ Yes | General documents; not legal-specific |
Spellbook’s core advantage over Harvey: accessible pricing + works inside Word + no enterprise sales process required.
Australian context
Spellbook is used by Australian lawyers and in-house legal teams. The AI is trained on English-language common law contracts which includes Australian law. However:
- Australian-specific legislative references and standards may be less comprehensive than US/Canadian content
- Always review output with Australian law in mind; key concepts differ (e.g., Australian consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law)
- Professional responsibility rules in Australian states still require lawyer review of all AI-generated content
Gotchas
- Requires Microsoft Word. Google Docs users cannot use Spellbook.
- AI output requires review. Like all legal AI, Spellbook can make mistakes, use incorrect jurisdiction-specific standards, or miss context-specific requirements. A qualified lawyer must review output.
- Pricing may feel steep for individual use. The per-user monthly cost makes most sense for regular professional use, not occasional contract review.
- Australian case law integration is less comprehensive than for US/Canadian law. Check the coverage for your specific legal area.
See also
- harvey-ai — enterprise-grade legal AI
- ai-document-generation — general document AI
- m365-copilot — Microsoft’s own Word AI (less legal-specific)
Sources
- Spellbook product documentation: spellbook.legal
- TechCrunch coverage (2022–2024)
- Law Society of NSW AI guidance (2024) — mentions AI contract tools