G
Gavel
Gavel, formerly Documate, makes two legal products sold under its own name. Gavel Exec is AI contract review and drafting for transactional lawyers and in-house teams, working inside Microsoft Word and on the web: it redlines whole agreements against a firm's precedent and playbooks, drafts and rewrites clauses, benchmarks terms against market data, and answers questions about a document with explanations of its reasoning.
Gavel Workflows is no-code document automation that turns intake questionnaires and Word or PDF templates into finished documents, with client portals, a template and court form library, and tools for selling legal services online, used heavily in estate planning, family law, real estate and probate. The company says its AI features are optional, that it holds zero data retention agreements with its AI providers including OpenAI, and that Gavel Exec is SOC 2 Type I certified.
Gavel was founded by Dorna Moini, a former Sidley Austin lawyer, is based in Los Angeles, and contracts as Documate, Inc. d/b/a Gavel. Relativity, also in this index, acquired Gavel in June 2026 and plans to bring its Word drafting into RelativityOne.
Capability grades
All 15 axes, graded from public sources on the date shown. Hover a grade to see what the letter means on that axis.
AI Centrality
How much of the product is actually AI. Whether the machine learning is the mechanism the buyer is paying for or a feature layered onto conventional software, and whether the vendor is specific about which is which.
The models are the product for one of the two lines and optional for the other, which on a company record is the B band. Gavel Exec is AI-native: review, redlining against playbooks, drafting, market benchmarking and document chat are all model output. Gavel Workflows is rules-based document automation with conditional logic, and the vendor's security page says its AI features, including AI onboarding for Workflows, are entirely optional and that many customers use the automation without enabling AI. Homepage, Gavel Exec page and security page read 18 September 2026.
Citation Accuracy and Hallucination Disclosure
Whether the vendor publishes measured accuracy on citations and assertions, grounds output to primary sources, and says plainly what its system does when it does not know. Legal has a documented public record of fabricated citations reaching filed briefs, so an untested claim of accuracy is not evidence.
Grounding is described with a method, short of any measured accuracy, which is the B band. R15 shapes the row: Gavel Exec works on contracts rather than case law, so the risk is a wrong redline or a misstated market position rather than fabricated authority. The vendor's AI information page for Gavel Exec describes a hybrid of semantic and full-text search across internal precedent, uploaded matter files, EDGAR, government sources and the open web, and a three-layer analysis of exact match, conceptual similarity and source verification; the product page promises clear, traceable explanations so users can validate outputs.
The one figure published, that Gavel Exec flags five times more issues than manual review, has no stated method or sample and is not credited. Read 18 September 2026.
Autonomy and Oversight Model
What the system decides on its own, what a lawyer must approve, and whether the vendor documents where the review point sits. A tool that drafts under review and a tool that files without one are different products and different risks.
The product proposes and the lawyer disposes, through a real review surface, short of any stated threshold or constraint, which is the B band. Gavel Exec produces suggested redlines and negotiation comments inside Word that the user reviews and revises (product FAQ), answers carry explanations meant for validation, and playbooks are lawyer-editable. The Terms add that beta features may produce incorrect or incomplete output and that users remain solely responsible for reviewing and verifying all results.
Nothing states limits on what the product may do unreviewed. R124(2) applied: no categorical limit on a named mode. Read 18 September 2026.
Operational and Outcome Evidence
Named, dated evidence that the product works in production at real firms or legal departments. Case studies with figures and identified customers count. Unattributed testimonials and launch announcements do not.
Named customers with thin figures, short of dating and method, which is the B band. The homepage names Martin Algie of MIA Contract Lawyers on Gavel Exec (qualitative) and Jessica Streeter of Streeter Law Firm, whose case study reports an entire estate plan prepared in 30 minutes with Gavel Workflows (a rules-based product, and a single anecdote). Logos include Wilson Sonsini, Ogletree Deakins, Louisiana State Court and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles; the vendor states 2,000-plus law firms and legal teams. No dated before-and-after with a method is published for the AI product. Read 18 September 2026.
Privilege and Confidentiality Posture
How client confidences are handled: attorney client privilege and work product treatment, segregation of one client matter from another, whether client data trains any model, and what the vendor commits to in writing rather than in marketing.
Substantive written commitments on confidentiality, training and providers, short of privilege and matter-level segregation, which is the B band. The security page states that Gavel does not use customer data, prompts or document content to train any AI models, that AI features store no documents, and that Gavel holds zero data retention agreements with its AI providers, including OpenAI, so provider-side retention is addressed.
Each customer runs on its own subdomain with a separate database and file storage, which documents tenant separation. The Privacy Policy says Gavel does not access information entered into workflows or generated documents except on the customer's request. Held off A: privilege and work product are not addressed (the Terms say only that communications with Gavel itself are not privileged), and segregation between matters inside a firm is described only as granular access controls on Projects. Read 18 September 2026.
UPL and Professional Responsibility Posture
Whether the vendor is clear that it supplies a tool rather than legal advice, who its audience is, and how it addresses unauthorized practice of law, competence and supervision duties, and jurisdiction limits. ABA Formal Opinion 512 is the reference point.
A real position on advice versus tooling, short of the supervision and competence dimension, which is the B band. The Terms of Service (19 August 2025) state that Gavel is not a law firm, gives no legal advice, creates no attorney-client relationship and takes no share of fees, and put users solely in charge of complying with professional conduct rules on unauthorized practice, communications and confidentiality. That matters because Gavel Workflows lets firms sell online legal services and build client-facing tools, so consumers meet the product; the Terms leave the consumer-facing disclosure to the firm. Nothing addresses supervision of AI output, competence or jurisdiction limits. Read 18 September 2026.
AI Governance and Bias Disclosure
Published governance over model behaviour: who owns it inside the vendor, what is tested before release, and what is disclosed about disparate output across matter types, parties, or populations.
Principles without a mechanism, which is the C band. The security page says the AI is built with legal professionals in mind, prioritising security, privacy and control, and that AI is optional; the Gavel Exec information page says the product is trained by practising deal lawyers. No owner, pre-release testing, evaluation or finding about uneven output is published. Read 18 September 2026.
AI Safety and Data Stewardship
Retention, deletion, access control, and what happens to prompts and documents after they are processed. Whether the vendor states its subprocessors and its incident practice, or leaves the buyer to assume.
Most of the ground is covered with specifics, short of a subprocessor list and an incident practice, which is the B band. Retention and deletion: AI features store no documents; zero data retention agreements with AI providers; customers choose whether Workflows data is stored and can delete it immediately; account data is deleted seven days after cancellation (Terms and Privacy Policy). Access control: two-factor authentication, SSO, background checks, minimum-necessary access, and no access to workflow content except on request.
Encryption: AES-256 at rest in AWS, TLS in transit. Testing: annual third-party penetration testing and vulnerability assessments. Subprocessors: OpenAI is named among AI providers, with no list. Incident notification to customers is not stated. Read 18 September 2026.
AI Liability and Recourse
What the vendor stands behind contractually when its output is wrong. Indemnities, caps, carve outs, insurance, and whether any of it is published or only reachable through a negotiated agreement.
A standard limitation clause that disclaims the exposure the product creates, which is the C band. The Terms of Service (19 August 2025) provide the platform as is, disclaim any warranty that output is free of inaccuracies or current or complete, disclaim liability for reliance on information on the platform, add a specific disclaimer for beta and preview features that may generate incorrect output, cap aggregate liability at the greater of $100 or the fees paid for the product in the prior twelve months, and require the customer to indemnify Gavel. No vendor indemnity or warranty on output is offered. Read 18 September 2026.
Practice Systems Integration Depth
How deeply the product reaches into the systems legal work already lives in: document management such as iManage and NetDocuments, Word and Outlook, contract lifecycle management, matter management, e-billing, and court filing systems.
Real integrations named in first-party material, short of documented depth, which is the B band. Gavel Exec is a native Microsoft Word add-in listed on Microsoft AppSource, where suggested redlines and comments land as tracked changes. Gavel Workflows connects to Clio (from the Lite plan), DocuSign and Stripe (Pro), and Zapier, with API access and integration support on the enterprise tier (pricing page read through the search index). What moves in each direction and what a firm configures is not described on the pages read. Read 18 September 2026.
Deployment Model and Data Residency
Where the software runs and where the data sits. Multi tenant cloud, single tenant, private deployment, on premises, and whether region of residence is a published option or an enterprise conversation.
Tenancy and storage residency are published, short of the processing location for the AI, which is the B band. The security page states that each customer has its own subdomain, isolated database and file storage, that data is stored by default in AWS data centres in the United States, and that hosting is offered in the European Union, Canada, Australia or any other AWS region. Where the AI providers process prompts is not stated, and the Terms say the customer consents to processing in the United States, which sits uneasily with the regional hosting offer. Read 18 September 2026.
Security Certifications and Trust Center
Independent attestation a buyer can pull without a sales call: SOC 2, ISO 27001, penetration test summaries, a trust center with current reports and named scope rather than a badge image.
A real, named attestation short of accessible evidence, which is the B band. The security page states that Gavel Exec is SOC 2 Type I certified by a third-party auditor against the security, availability and confidentiality criteria, and that a cybersecurity firm tests the platform annually; hosting sits in AWS data centres with their own certifications. Type I attests design at a point in time, not operation over a period; no date or report route is published beyond scheduling a demo, and the attestation is scoped to Gavel Exec, not Gavel Workflows. Read 18 September 2026.
Model Supply Chain Disclosure
Which models sit underneath, whose they are, where they run, and whether the vendor commits to telling customers when that changes. A legal buyer inherits every dependency it cannot see.
A provider is named without the full set, the models or change notice, which is the B band. The security page and Privacy Policy say Gavel holds zero data retention agreements with the AI models it uses, including OpenAI, so one provider is named and the retention position with it is stated; other providers, the models and versions, and where they run are not. The Gavel Exec information page describes the architecture (hybrid semantic and full-text retrieval, precedent-trained). No commitment to notify customers of changes. Read 18 September 2026.
Commercial Transparency
Whether a buyer can learn what this costs without entering a sales process: published rates, the unit being charged, what sits behind an enterprise tier, and what implementation adds.
Real pricing for most of the range, with the top tiers withheld, which is the B band. Gavel Exec is $160 per user per month or $1,740 per user a year, with 1,000 completions a month and 25 free queries per user to start; team pricing for 10 or more seats goes to sales. Gavel Workflows publishes Lite at $83 a month, Standard at $165 and Pro at $290 (annual plans include two months free), with Enterprise on contact (pricing page read through the search index). The vendor offers free onboarding and training. Read 18 September 2026.
Firm and Practice Coverage
Who the product is actually built for. AmLaw, midlaw, small firm and solo, in house departments, government and courts, and which practice areas are supported rather than merely claimed.
Segments and practice areas described with substance, boundaries open, which is the B band. Gavel Exec is aimed at transactional attorneys, in-house counsel and legal teams on commercial contracts, corporate and real estate work; Gavel Workflows lists estate planning, probate, real estate, corporate, family, bankruptcy and employment practice, for solo practices through large firms and legal startups, with jurisdiction-specific court forms.
The vendor says it serves legal teams in 23 countries. What the AI does not handle well is not stated. Read 18 September 2026.
5 public documents
The public pages on file for Gavel, with the recorded signals each one supports and the date it was last read. Open any of them and check the reading against the record.
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gavel.io/exec2 signals
Ethical Walls and Matter Segregation, Outside Counsel Guideline Readiness
Read Sep 18, 2026
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gavel.io/security2 signals
Client Data in Training, Prompt and Output Retention
Read Sep 18, 2026
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gavel.io/terms2 signals
Third Party Request and Subpoena Notice, Bar Guidance Alignment
Read Sep 18, 2026
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gavel.io1 signal
Billing and Fee Posture
Read Sep 18, 2026
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gavel.io/llm-info/exec1 signal
Primary Law Corpus Provenance
Read Sep 18, 2026
$160 per user per month (Gavel Exec); Gavel Workflows from $83 a monthUSD, as published, never converted
- Gavel Exec, the AI contract tool, costs $160 per user a month or $1,740 per user a year.
- That includes 1,000 AI completions a month, and every user gets 25 free queries to try it.
- Teams of 10 or more can ask for a discount.
- Gavel Workflows, the document automation product, starts at $83 a month, with Standard at $165 and Pro at $290.
- The biggest Workflows plan, Enterprise, is priced by the sales team.
Gavel Exec per user per month, $160 monthly or $1,740 a year, 1,000 completions a month on paid plans, 25 free queries per user to start, team pricing for 10 or more seats on request. Gavel Workflows per account per month: Lite $83, Standard $165, Pro $290, Enterprise on contact; annual plans billed upfront get two months free; 7-day free trial. Sources: Gavel Exec page and homepage (read 18 September 2026) and Gavel pricing page (read through the search index, 18 September 2026).
Implementation: None stated. Free onboarding and training for the whole team; white-glove workflow building and integration support on the Enterprise tier.
Legal Signals
What each signal meansA signal records what public sources say on the date shown. It is not a grade and it is not a recommendation. Where a signal reads Not addressed, it means the index did not locate the material in public sources on that date, which is a statement about disclosure rather than about the product.
Client Data in Training
Can material a lawyer puts into this product be used to train a model?
A public policy or trust page states no training on customer content, with no matching term located in the published agreement.
A public policy page states no training on customer content, with no matching term in the agreement. The security page says Gavel does not use customer data, prompts or document content to train any AI models, and that its zero data retention agreements with AI providers, including OpenAI, mean customer data is not used to train their models either. The Terms of Service (19 August 2025) limit Gavel's licence over customer content to rendering it for the customer's use and bar use of uploaded templates elsewhere without approval, but contain no express training term; because the security page names training, the value is policy-never rather than purpose-limited (the DocJuris reading).
Prompt and Output Retention
How long does the product keep what a lawyer typed, and can that be set to zero?
The customer sets the retention window and no retention is an available setting.
The customer controls storage and zero is available. The security page says that for AI features Gavel stores no documents, that its AI providers process data only for the request and then delete it under zero data retention agreements, and that customers decide whether Workflows data is stored and can delete it immediately. The Terms and Privacy Policy add that account data is deleted seven days after cancellation, save where law or backups require longer. Gavel Exec Projects keep instructions and referenced files together, which is storage the customer chooses.
Ethical Walls and Matter Segregation
Does retrieval respect the firm’s ethical walls, or can the model read across them?
Segregation is asserted in public materials with no published detail on how it is enforced.
Separation between customers is documented; walls inside a customer are asserted without detail. The security page states that each customer has its own subdomain, isolated database and separate file storage. Within a firm, the Gavel Exec FAQ describes matter-based Projects with granular access controls and Workspaces that share Projects and Playbooks, but no permission model, roles or enforcement are documented.
Third Party Request and Subpoena Notice
If someone subpoenas the vendor for a firm’s data, does the firm hear about it first?
Published terms or policy address disclosure to authorities or in response to legal process, and no commitment or reservation regarding customer notice is located anywhere. The vendor has told the customer that data can leave and has said nothing about whether the customer hears of it.
The Terms of Service (19 August 2025, section J) reserve Gavel's right to cooperate fully with law enforcement or a court order requiring disclosure of information about anyone posting materials on the platform, with the user waiving claims arising from it, and the Privacy Policy permits disclosure where required by law, legal process or government request. Neither document commits to, or reserves discretion over, notifying the customer.
Primary Law Corpus Provenance
Where does the law in this product come from, and does the vendor have the right to use it?
Sources are identified without stating the licence or rights basis.
Sources are named without a rights basis. The Gavel Exec information page names the material its search runs across: the customer's own precedent banks and matter files, EDGAR, government sources and the open web, the last used for fact-checking. The market data behind clause benchmarking is not identified, and no licence or update cadence is stated for any source.
Good Law Verification
Does the product tell you when the authority it just cited has been overruled?
No located public material addresses whether authority is checked for subsequent history.
Under R15 the question translates poorly to a contract tool: Gavel Exec reviews and drafts agreements rather than citing case law, and Gavel Workflows generates documents from templates. Nothing published says whether statutory or court-form content in the template library is checked for currency or subsequent change. Searched the homepage, Gavel Exec page, security page and AI information pages on 18 September 2026.
Refusal and Uncertainty Behaviour
What does the product do when the answer is not in the corpus?
No located public material addresses what the product does when it cannot ground an answer.
Answers come with explanations meant for validation, but nothing published describes what Gavel Exec does when a playbook, precedent or source does not support a redline or answer, or any confidence signal. Searched the Gavel Exec page, FAQ and AI information page on 18 September 2026.
Fabricated Citation Record
Does a public court record exist addressing fabricated or hallucinated legal citations in output from this product?
No court order, opinion or disciplinary record addressing fabricated or hallucinated legal citations produced by this product has been located as of the date shown. This is a statement about the public record on that one subject, not a finding about the product, and this signal is not a litigation history.
Searched web and trade press reporting on court sanctions for AI-fabricated citations on 18 September 2026 under Gavel, Gavel Exec and the former name Documate. None located. This signal does not record litigation history of any other kind.
Bar Guidance Alignment
Has the vendor engaged in public with the ethics opinions its buyers are bound by?
Public materials refer to professional responsibility in general terms without naming guidance.
Professional responsibility appears in general terms only. The Terms of Service make users solely responsible for complying with rules of professional conduct, including those on unauthorized practice, communications and confidentiality, and prohibit use that violates them. No ethics opinion or bar guidance is named.
Billing and Fee Posture
Does the vendor address what happens to the bill when the work takes an hour instead of six?
Public materials claim time savings without addressing billing or disclosure, and the product sits inside a fee relationship between a lawyer and a client where those savings would change the bill.
Time savings are claimed and billing is not addressed, on products used by law firms that bill clients. The homepage says Gavel Workflows turns intake into documents up to 90 per cent faster and invites firms to use ready-made templates for less than one billable hour a month; Gavel Exec is sold as getting from first pass to final faster. Workflows also offers tools to package and bill for online legal services, which support flat-fee productised work but say nothing about how AI-assisted work is billed or disclosed.
Outside Counsel Guideline Readiness
Can a firm get this vendor through a client’s AI clause without a bespoke negotiation?
The material exists behind a sales conversation or an executed agreement.
The material exists behind a sales conversation. OpenAI is the only AI provider named (as one of the providers Gavel uses, so the list is incomplete under R29 test 2), no subprocessor list is published, the Gavel Exec page directs buyers needing security, privacy or vendor details to schedule a demo, and the Terms route customers handling third-party data to a survey to decide whether a Data Processing Addendum is needed.
Court Disclosure Support
If a judge’s standing order requires an AI disclosure, can the product produce one?
No located public material addresses court disclosure or verification certification.
No located public material addresses disclosure of AI involvement in the work the products produce. Gavel Exec's suggestions arrive as tracked changes and comments in Word, which shows edits but not that a model proposed them, and Gavel Workflows produces court forms and filings from templates with no statement on disclosure or verification. Searched the homepage, Gavel Exec page, security page and Terms on 18 September 2026.