When to Use a Law App (and Hire a Real Lawyer)

We are definitely living in the future. Advances in smartphones and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have given the average citizen access to resources once available only to those with money. Need a personal chef? Sign up to have a gourmet meal kit delivered to your door. Need a driver? There are more rideshare apps than you can shake a stick at. And now a lawyer.

Having a lawyer is definitely a rich man’s move in the sense that you have a law firm you can call anytime.most of us I can’t afford to have a lawyer present. waiting for our callTo be fair, most of us don’t need it. conduct If you need legal advice, finding a lawyer can be a stressful process (and finding the money it costs to hire one). But now the legal app category is expanding. don’t pay, a “robotic process automation (RPA)” app that helps people file lawsuits, fight parking tickets, and regain access to their social media accounts. With a relatively small monthly subscription, you can walk around with a lawyer in your pocket. But do these apps actually work?

Use of AI in the legal world

One thing to note is that AI is being used extensively in the legal community.law firms around the world Already incorporating AI and machine learning into their processes Because these technologies are custom-made to handle the incredible amount of text that legal processes such as discovery generate, we use AI tools to automatically review contracts. , to find related documentation. You can even simulate trials and predict outcomes based on judge records.

The reason AI works so well for lawyers is that AI and machine learning are so good at processing data quickly and accurately that much of the law deals with huge amounts of documents and data-filled hard drives. It’s because AI is effective when it comes to navigating legal codes and courts. Because law is, at its core, the most confusing and poorly structured algorithm in the world. Because every step in the legal process triggers a limited number of potential other steps, AI can speed up the process of understanding what the next steps in legal action are.

How useful and effective is a “pocket lawyer”?

AI’s phenomenal effectiveness in data processing is very useful for trained and experienced lawyers, but does that translate to the power of an app’s ‘lawyer in your pocket’? The answer is a mixed bag .

For example, DoNotPay works by breaking laws down into automated tasks. stitch together as neededThis makes the app more flexible. for example, trust and will, which (you guessed it) only creates trusts and wills. This is because we can add a little bit of legal work as the case or litigation progresses. DoNotPay claims to offer hundreds of services, including providing fake virtual credit cards to sign up for free trials and canceling subscriptions with companies that make it very difficult to do so. I’m here.

However, despite this flexibility, all of these legal apps are limited and success with them is a sliding scale depending on the complexity of your legal needs. Fighting with parking tickets? It’s a very simple legal algorithm with a very limited number of steps that can be complicated, so something like DoNotPay is pretty effective. While the national success rate for challenging parking tickets is only 40%, DoNotPay claims it has. 70% chance.

Similarly, using the app to create a will is fine as long as your needs are relatively simple. If you have a complex financial situation or unusual real estate plans, sooner or later you will face severe limitations of the app’s algorithms. This is reflected in DoNotPay’s reviews, which are not all great. Low F rating on the Better Business Bureau.

Another consideration is how far your legal needs extend. Because court proceedings still require a human appearance.Can you use legitimate apps to represent yourself? the judge will forbid you to do sobecause reliance on apps may be viewed as evidence of inability to defend oneself.

Conclusion? Smartphone legal apps can replace human lawyers for simple, direct legal actions that don’t require courts or other lengthy court appearances. But if your legal needs are even slightly more complicated, you’re far better off paying big bucks for a real lawyer, or at least using a legal app that offers a real lawyer as part of your service. I’m here. rocket lawyer.