sboghossian Messaging — Outcome Claims Banned
When this applies
An outcome claim is any marketing statement that asserts a specific result achieved by using the product. Some outcome claims are permitted — with proper sourcing and disclaimers — per [[messaging-outcome-claims-allowed]]. The claims in this skill are categorically banned regardless of any evidence, disclaimer, or context. They are banned because:
- They guarantee results that no legal AI product can guarantee (violating consumer protection law)
- They imply the product performs the role of a licensed lawyer (triggering UPL and bar advertising rules)
- They make comparative superiority claims without the methodology required to substantiate them legally
Banned Outcome Claims — Verbatim and Category
Legal Outcome Guarantees
| Banned claim | Why it is banned |
|---|---|
| "Will win your case" | Guarantees a judicial or arbitral outcome — impossible for any legal AI to guarantee; violates bar advertising rules in every jurisdiction (KSA, UAE, Lebanon, UK, US) and consumer protection law |
| "Guaranteed outcome" | Any variant of a guaranteed legal result; the uncertainty of law makes this inherently false |
| "Get the result you deserve" | Implied outcome guarantee with subjective framing — equally prohibited |
| "We got them their money back" (used as a general marketing claim rather than a factual case study) | Implies guaranteed replication of a specific outcome |
| "Never lose a case" | Obvious guarantee; also defamatory risk if applied to lawyers using the product |
Financial Guarantee Claims
| Banned claim | Why it is banned |
|---|---|
| "Guaranteed to save money" | Financial outcome guarantee; false advertising under FTC (US), ASA (UK), and UAE/KSA consumer protection frameworks |
| "Save thousands on legal fees" (as a primary undifferentiated claim) | See [[messaging-banned-claims-consumer]]; also a false financial guarantee if unsupported |
| "Zero legal costs" | False; no product eliminates legal costs for all users in all situations |
Lawyer Replacement Claims
| Banned claim | Why it is banned |
|---|---|
| "Replaces your lawyer" | UPL implication; also a false capability claim — no AI product can replicate a licensed lawyer's judgment and fiduciary obligations |
| "Does the legal work for you" | Implies the product performs licensed legal services |
| "No need for a lawyer ever again" | Absolute claim + UPL implication; false for any realistic use case |
Unsupported Comparative Claims
| Banned claim | Why it is banned |
|---|---|
| "The most accurate legal AI" | Comparative superlative without defined, independently verified methodology is false advertising |
| "Better than [named competitor]" | Comparative claim without substantiated side-by-side benchmark; defamation and false advertising risk |
| "More accurate than a human lawyer" | Same; also professionally inflammatory with the buyer audience |
Legal Authority
These prohibitions are grounded in:
| Framework | Jurisdictions | Relevant rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bar advertising rules (outcome claims) | KSA (Saudi Bar), Dubai Bar, Lebanon Bar Association, UK (SRA Code of Conduct), NY/CA Bar (US) | Prohibit outcome guarantees and comparative performance claims in legal services marketing |
| UK ASA / CAP Code | UK | Outcome claims must be substantiated; guarantees must be real and unconditional |
| FTC Act (Section 5) | US | Prohibits unfair or deceptive trade practices; outcome guarantees without substantiation are per se deceptive |
| UAE Consumer Protection Law (Federal Law 15/2020) | UAE | Prohibits misleading statements about product capabilities or results |
| KSA Consumer Protection Regulation | KSA | Prohibits misleading marketing claims and guarantees |
Replace With
| Banned | Allowed replacement |
|---|---|
| "Will win your case" | "Helps you understand your options and prepare for your legal situation" |
| "Guaranteed to save money" | "Most users report saving time on routine legal tasks" (with source) |
| "Replaces your lawyer" | "Helps you understand the law — and get more from your lawyer meeting" |
| "Most accurate legal AI" | "Accuracy benchmark methodology available on request" (plus specific, sourced metric) |
Enforcement
All customer-facing copy passes through [[messaging-compliance-checker]], which scans for these banned outcomes as Pass 2 of the four-pass review. Any flagged instance is a blocking issue: the asset cannot ship until the banned claim is removed and replaced with a compliant alternative.
Related skills
- [[messaging-outcome-claims-allowed]]
- [[messaging-compliance-checker]]
- [[messaging-banned-claims-consumer]]
- [[messaging-banned-claims-lawyer]]
- [[messaging-hard-rule-bible-signoff-required]]