In one sentence
If the law changes as of a fixed date, the AI uses the version that matches the date of your case, and the result states which playbook version it used.
The problem
Playbooks are our guidance aids per area of law and country: what to check in a loan agreement, or which deadlines an administrative decision typically triggers. If a rule changes as of a certain date, the old version is often still decisive for a contract concluded before that date. Anyone who only knows the current version reviews old cases under new law.
What applies now
- History: Every change to a playbook is recorded as a new version, with the type of change and the source. Old versions are not overwritten.
- Cutoff date: Where the law changes on a known date, the playbook carries that date. The new version applies from that date; the old one remains available for earlier cases.
- Date of the case file: Under “Relevant date (legal position)” you enter the date that matters and choose what it depends on: conclusion of the contract, service of documents, date of the administrative decision or of the court decision, or another event. On request, the AI makes a suggestion based on the documents; check it.
- No guessing: If there is no documented date, the AI receives both versions and the instruction to determine the date from the documents instead of guessing it.
- Traceable: The analysis result shows “Playbook version of … (no. …)” and, if one exists by now, a note about a revised version.
An example: for consumer credit in Germany and Austria, the legal situation changes as of November 20, 2026. If you later review a loan agreement from summer 2026 and the contract date has been entered, the AI uses the version that applied before this cutoff date.
What it does not do
- So far, only selected areas of law carry cutoff dates, for example consumer credit, the AI Act and air passenger rights.
- The complete history begins on October 12, 2026; earlier states have been partly reconstructed.
- The date of the case file is not yet used in deadline calculation.
- A playbook is a pointer, not an instruction, and does not replace your review of the applicable law. AI can make mistakes.
- Entering the date costs nothing; the analysis itself is billed as usual.
More in the manual: Legal position and cutoff dates and Firm playbooks; for individuals and businesses: Legal position as of the cutoff date.
