Approving an estimate
Every review round begins with an estimate. You see the price and turnaround before any billable work starts.
Why estimates exist
Arceus pricing is fixed per review cycle, but scope varies by contract type, length, and complexity. Your reviewer assesses the specific document and quotes a price that matches the actual work. You approve that price before the review begins.
This keeps pricing predictable and gives your deal team a clear cost input for planning.
Where you approve
| Submit path | Where the estimate appears | How to approve |
|---|---|---|
| Slack | Estimate carousel in the Slack thread | Approve or Decline in the thread |
| Portal or email | Email notification + the contract page on the portal | Approve or Deny on the contract page, or from the link in the email |
Slack submissions do not receive a separate estimate email. Portal and email submissions do not receive Slack estimate notifications.
What you see before approving
When your reviewer submits an estimate, the contract moves to Require attention on your Dashboard.
Open the contract. The progress bar shows Estimate Approval as the active step. The main card shows:
- Price for this review cycle
- Document type (NDA, order form, and similar)
- Estimated response in business hours
- Approve and Deny buttons
While your reviewer prepares the quote, the card may show Awaiting lawyer estimate.
You can also open View estimate from the … menu.
After you approve
The main card changes to Your contract is in review. The contract moves to the Waiting bucket. The progress bar advances to Reviewing.
The turnaround clock has started.
Approve or decline
Approve — Work begins. The turnaround clock starts when Waiting on shows your reviewer (or Arceus on your Dashboard). You are committing to the quoted price for this cycle if the review is delivered within the SLA window.
Decline — The round is cancelled. No charge applies. Contact your reviewer or account team if the scope or price needs adjustment.
What approval commits you to
| Commitment | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | The quoted amount for this review cycle |
| Turnaround | Business-hours window shown on the estimate |
| Scope | The document version submitted for this round |
If your reviewer misses the agreed turnaround, the cycle is free. See Turnaround guarantee.
Follow-up rounds
When you return a revised document for another review, a new estimate is required for each round. The process repeats: reviewer quotes, you approve, work begins.
Questions about an estimate
If the price seems high or the scope is unclear, reply to your Arceus email, tag @Arceus in Slack, or contact your account team before approving.
Payment timing
Approving an estimate does not charge your card immediately. Charges accumulate per completed review cycle and bill monthly. See Pricing and billing.