Understanding the opportunities and risks of AI-driven legal services for everyday people
The Justice Gap Crisis
85%
100%
More than 85% of middle- and low-income Americans go without the legal help they need for significant civil legal problems. Many turn to free online communities, friends or family members, internet searches, and now AI for legal guidance to fill this gap.
But should you?
🌟 Opportunities
24/7 Accessibility: Get legal help anytime, anywhere
Cost-Effective: Reduce expensive attorney fees for basic tasks
User-Friendly: Simple interfaces for complex legal processes
Instant Assistance: No waiting for appointments or callbacks
No Attorney-Client Privilege: Your information may not be protected
Accuracy Concerns: AI can make mistakes or provide outdated information
Lack of Personalization: May not account for your specific situation
No Legal Representation: Cannot appear in court on your behalf
Unregulated Services: Limited oversight and accountability
AI Legal Services Are Marketed In Multiple Ways:
Click on each service type to learn more about what they offer:
📄 Document Generation
AI creates legal documents based on your input
📝 Form Completion
AI helps you fill out court forms and legal paperwork
🔍 Legal Issue Identification
AI identifies your legal problems and provides relevant resources
🗣️ Legal Jargon Translation
AI translates complex legal language into plain English
📊 Document Analysis & Summary
AI extracts and summarizes key information from legal documents
Document Generation Services
What it involves: AI-powered assistants provide 24/7 help to create or update legal documents. Users create accounts, save resources in personal portals, and generate first drafts using provided information.
Common practice areas: Small business contracts, employee policies, small claims, housing court, foreclosures, debt collection, divorce, child custody, probate, and civil procedure matters.
What it involves: Using conversational interfaces, AI assistants provide 24/7 help with unprogrammed follow-up questions to complete court forms for civil litigation.
Common practice areas: Housing, family law, public benefits, estates and wills, guardianships, appeals, court hearings, criminal law, torts, personal injury, and more.
Example Services:
Roxanne AI Assistant
Various court-specific form completion tools
Legal Issue Identification Services
What it involves: AI-powered legal assistants (conversation style chatbots) conduct initial interviews to understand the nature and context of legal problems. They then categorize the legal problem and share information about how that legal issue could be addressed in your state/jurisdiction.
Common practice areas: Housing and tenancy, divorce and family law (domestic violence, child custody), small business law, wills and estates, vehicles/traffic tickets, discrimination, personal injury, and consumer law.
Example Services:
Beagle+
CaseYak
Contend
Court Forms Online
Hear Me Out
Legal Aid of North Carolina's LIA
Missouri Tenant Help's EDDE
RBot
Rentervention
Roxanne AI Assistant
SANDI
SixFifty AI
Thurgood
Legal Jargon Translation Services
What it involves: Users can upload or paste in content and the AI tool translates legal words into plain language and even provides basic analysis of a legal document or information.
Common practice areas: Any/all areas of law where complex legal language needs to be understood by non-lawyers.
Example Services:
Conversational AI Assistants
Various document translation tools
Document Analysis & Summary Services
What it involves: Users can upload documents (contracts, correspondence, arrest records, etc.). The AI tool extracts important information from the document (key dates/timelines, names, etc.) that users can then save and retain for future reference. The AI summarizes key points, identifies potential areas of contention, and highlights important clauses or agreements.
Common practice areas: Startup law, small business, especially focused on text-based contracts and other agreements (such as Employee Agreement, Independent Contractor Agreement, Mutual NDA, etc.).
Example Services:
LegalZoom's Doc Assist AI
Superlegal
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
AI legal services are rapidly evolving and largely unregulated. While they can be helpful tools, they should not replace professional legal advice for complex or high-stakes matters. Always consult with a qualified attorney when dealing with serious legal issues.
🧠 What Are Lawyers Thinking About?
What should lawyers and the public be most concerned about with AI legal services?
That AI will replace all lawyers completely
That AI might provide inaccurate or unverified legal information without proper oversight
That AI services will be too expensive for most people
That AI has a negative impact on the environment due to energy use
That AI legal help will be biased
That AI legal help is unauthorized practice of law
Learn More About AI in Direct-to-Consumer Legal Services
Recent articles and research on AI-driven legal services for the general public:
Published: International Journal of Clinical Legal Education, Volume 31, Issue 1, 2024
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