These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Sidebar Code platform, skill add-ons, onboarding services, and any related products or services offered by Banfield Consulting, LLC (DBA Sidebar Code) ("Sidebar Code," "we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account, subscribing to a plan, or purchasing any product or service, you agree to these Terms.
Important. Sidebar Code is a legal practice intelligence platform. It is not a law firm. Banfield Consulting, LLC does not provide legal services or legal advice. All outputs generated by the platform, including AI-assisted drafts, knowledge extractions, and document analyses, must be reviewed and approved by a licensed attorney before use. You are solely responsible for the accuracy, applicability, and ethical compliance of any output.
To access the Platform, you must create an account with accurate and complete information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account. You must notify Sidebar Code immediately if you believe your account has been compromised.
The Platform is offered in tiered Subscription plans (Solo, Firm, and Practice), each with specified user limits and feature sets. Current plan details and features are described on the Sidebar Code website. Sidebar Code reserves the right to modify plan features and pricing with 30 days' notice to existing Subscribers.
Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually, as selected by the Subscriber, through Stripe. Payment is due at the beginning of each billing period. Annual Subscriptions are billed in advance for the full year. All prices are in US dollars. Taxes, if applicable, are the Subscriber's responsibility.
New Subscribers receive a 30-day money-back guarantee. If the Subscriber is not satisfied with the Platform for any reason within the first 30 days of their initial Subscription, they may request a full refund by emailing kyle@sidebarcode.com. The money-back guarantee applies to the Subscription fee only and does not apply to Skill purchases or Onboarding Services.
Subscribers may cancel their Subscription at any time through the Platform's settings or by contacting kyle@sidebarcode.com. Upon cancellation:
Sidebar Code may suspend access to the Platform if the Subscriber's payment is overdue by more than 7 days, if the Subscriber breaches these Terms, or if continued access poses a security risk. Sidebar Code will provide reasonable notice before suspension except in cases of security risk or material breach.
Each Subscription tier includes a set of Skills at no additional cost. Included Skills are accessible as long as the Subscription is active.
Additional Skills may be purchased through the Platform's marketplace at the prices displayed at the time of purchase. Skill purchases are one-time and non-refundable. Purchased Skills remain accessible to the Subscriber regardless of Subscription tier, as long as the Subscription is active.
Subscribers may create custom Skills within the Platform for their Firm's internal use. Firm-created Skills are private to the creating Firm and are not published to the marketplace. Sidebar Code does not claim any ownership over Firm-created Skills.
The Platform includes AI-powered features including chat, knowledge extraction (commit-to-memory), writing style analysis, and document drafting. These features require an API key from the AI Provider (currently Anthropic).
The Subscriber provides their own API key from the AI Provider. AI usage costs are billed directly by the AI Provider to the Subscriber. Sidebar Code does not charge for, subsidize, or control AI usage costs. The Subscriber is responsible for understanding the AI Provider's pricing, terms of service, and data handling policies.
When AI features are used, relevant content (such as document text for extraction or conversation context for chat) is transmitted to the AI Provider's API for processing. The AI Provider's API operates on a zero-retention basis — inputs are processed and discarded, not stored or used for model training. Sidebar Code does not control the AI Provider's data handling practices; Subscribers should review the AI Provider's terms directly.
AI-generated outputs are probabilistic and may contain errors, including hallucinated citations, misstatements of law, incorrect factual assertions, or outputs inapplicable to the Subscriber's jurisdiction or case. All AI-generated content is presented as a draft requiring attorney review. Sidebar Code does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or legal sufficiency of any AI-generated output.
The Subscriber retains all right, title, and interest in Subscriber Content. Sidebar Code does not claim any ownership over Subscriber Content. Sidebar Code accesses Subscriber Content solely to provide the Platform's services (storage, search, retrieval, AI processing) and does not use Subscriber Content for any other purpose.
Each Subscriber's data is logically isolated from every other Subscriber's data at the database level. No Subscriber can access, view, query, or retrieve another Subscriber's data through the Platform.
Subscribers may export all Subscriber Content at any time through the Platform's export functionality. Exported data includes matter records, filing extractions, documents, chat histories, skills, and all other Subscriber Content in standard formats (JSON, CSV, and original uploaded files).
Subscribers may request permanent deletion of all Subscriber Content by contacting kyle@sidebarcode.com. Upon confirmed deletion, all Subscriber Content is permanently removed from the Platform's database and file storage within 30 days. Deletion is irreversible.
Sidebar Code implements the following security measures:
Sidebar Code will execute a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) upon request by any Subscriber. DPA requests should be directed to kyle@sidebarcode.com.
Onboarding Services (Setup Session, Full Practice Buildout, or custom engagements) are optional consulting services to assist with Platform configuration, document upload, skill development, and team training. Onboarding Services require a signed engagement letter or order form before work begins.
Onboarding Services are billed at flat rates as displayed on the Sidebar Code website or as agreed in the engagement letter. Payment is due in full before work begins.
Onboarding Services are non-refundable once the session has been scheduled or work has commenced. If the Subscriber cancels more than 48 hours before a scheduled session, Sidebar Code will reschedule at no additional cost.
Sidebar Code is a technology platform. Nothing provided by the Platform or Onboarding Services constitutes legal advice. Sidebar Code is not a law firm, does not represent clients, and does not establish an attorney-client relationship with any Subscriber or Authorized User.
All outputs generated by the Platform — including AI-drafted documents, knowledge extractions, filing repository search results, chat responses, and generated Word documents — must be reviewed and approved by a licensed attorney before being filed, served, presented, or otherwise used in any legal matter. The Subscriber's attorneys remain fully responsible for the accuracy, legal sufficiency, and ethical compliance of all work product.
Sidebar Code does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of any Platform output. The knowledge extraction system, filing repository search, and AI chat are tools to assist attorney work — they do not replace attorney judgment. The Subscriber acknowledges that AI-generated content may contain errors and assumes full responsibility for verification.
Subscribers and Authorized Users agree not to:
The Subscriber is solely responsible for complying with all rules of professional conduct, bar regulations, court standing orders, and any other ethical or regulatory obligations applicable to the use of AI in legal practice in the Subscriber's jurisdiction. This includes any disclosure obligations, supervision requirements, and client consent requirements.
The Platform includes an optional AI disclosure feature that adds a notice to generated documents indicating AI assistance. The Subscriber is responsible for determining whether AI disclosure is required in their jurisdiction and configuring the Platform accordingly.
Sidebar Code retains all right, title, and interest in the Platform, including its source code, design, features, algorithms, documentation, and all related intellectual property. The Subscription grants a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and use the Platform — it does not transfer ownership of any intellectual property.
Platform Skills (included and marketplace) are owned by Sidebar Code. Firm-created Skills are owned by the Subscriber. Sidebar Code does not claim ownership over Firm-created Skills or Subscriber Content.
If the Subscriber provides feedback, suggestions, or feature requests, the Subscriber grants Sidebar Code a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, modify, and incorporate that feedback into the Platform without obligation or attribution.
THE PLATFORM, SKILLS, AND ONBOARDING SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE. SIDEBAR CODE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
SIDEBAR CODE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL MEET THE SUBSCRIBER'S REQUIREMENTS, OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, OR BE ERROR-FREE. SIDEBAR CODE DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY SPECIFIC LEVEL OF UPTIME OR AVAILABILITY.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SIDEBAR CODE'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO THE SUBSCRIBER FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS, THE PLATFORM, OR ANY ONBOARDING SERVICES IS LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THE SUBSCRIBER PAID TO SIDEBAR CODE IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.
IN NO EVENT WILL SIDEBAR CODE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOST DATA, LOST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, SANCTIONS, MALPRACTICE CLAIMS, OR ADVERSE LEGAL OUTCOMES, EVEN IF SIDEBAR CODE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
The Subscriber agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Sidebar Code, Banfield Consulting, LLC, Kyle Banfield individually, and their affiliates, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:
The Subscriber may terminate their Subscription at any time as described in Section 2.5.
Sidebar Code may terminate or suspend the Subscriber's access immediately if the Subscriber materially breaches these Terms, engages in prohibited conduct under Section 8, or fails to cure a payment default within 14 days of notice.
Upon termination, the Subscriber's access to the Platform ceases. Subscriber Content remains available for export for 30 days following termination. After 30 days, Subscriber Content may be permanently deleted. Sections 5.1 (data ownership), 7 (disclaimers), 11 (warranties), 12 (liability), 13 (indemnification), and 15 (governing law) survive termination.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from or related to these Terms will be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Maricopa County, Arizona, and the parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
Sidebar Code may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to active Subscribers by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of updated Terms constitutes acceptance. If the Subscriber does not agree to updated Terms, the Subscriber may cancel their Subscription before the updated Terms take effect.
These Terms, together with any applicable engagement letter for Onboarding Services, constitute the entire agreement between Sidebar Code and the Subscriber regarding the subject matter and supersede all prior or contemporaneous agreements, whether written or oral.
Questions about these Terms or any Sidebar Code product or service should be directed to:
Banfield Consulting, LLC (DBA Sidebar Code)
Email: kyle@sidebarcode.com
By Using the Platform. By creating an account, subscribing to a plan, or purchasing any Skill or Onboarding Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms of Service, including the attorney review requirement in Section 7, the AI output limitations in Section 4.4, the data handling practices in Section 5, the limitation of liability in Section 12, and the indemnification obligation in Section 13.