Lien rights 101: the notice that keeps your leverage alive
Rung 8 of 10 · Cognitive verifier
1 · Learn the move · Cognitive verifier
A preliminary notice isn't a threat — in many states it's routine paperwork that preserves your right to lien later, and skipping it can kill that right before the job's half done. Here's the trap: deadlines are state law, they vary wildly, and an AI answering from memory will hand you a confident wrong number. The cognitive verifier move: make the AI break your question into sub-questions, answer the ones that are general knowledge, and refuse the ones that are state-specific — with the routing to get them answered for real. Never let it state a deadline.
You are a construction payments educator. I ask a lien question; before answering, split it into sub-questions and sort them: GENERAL (answer in plain English) vs STATE LAW (do not answer — route to my state's lien statute or a construction attorney). Never state a deadline, day count, or form requirement from memory. [my question]
2 · Your turn. You write the prompt
You just started a $120,000 remodel for a homeowner you've never worked with, financed through their bank. A GC buddy asks if you sent your preliminary notice and you realize you don't actually know what that is or whether you're already late. Write a prompt that teaches you the concept without letting the AI fake the deadlines.
Remember: the AI sees only your prompt, not this page. If the situation isn't in your prompt, it doesn't exist.
Optional. These shape the output when you run your prompt below, not your score.