Lawyer in Chat: Where Does Advice End and Responsibility Begin?
2025-08-11 13:38
AI agents are increasingly replacing initial legal consultations: answering questions, pointing out regulations, and providing document templates.
It’s convenient, fast, and resource-efficient. But here’s the main question:
Who is responsible for such advice?
Could an AI agent make a mistake so serious that a clinic, law firm, or government service ends up in trouble?
Let’s break down where the ethical and legal boundaries lie.
Risks: What Could Go Wrong
1. Hallucinations AI might confidently cite a non-existent regulation: “Under Article 242.3 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, you can claim moral compensation.” (This article doesn’t exist.) 2. Overly precise advice A patient or client might think they’ve received a full legal consultation and act on it — with potential consequences. 3. Replacing professional assistance When AI says, “File a lawsuit” without considering nuances, it’s operating outside its competence. 4. Breach of confidentiality Without proper data-storage settings, there’s a risk of leaking personal or attorney-client privileged information.
How It Can — and Should — Be Done
Platforms like EvaHelp make it possible to create ethical and controlled behavior for AI agents:
1. Clearly define roles
The agent always states: “This is not legal advice. This is an informational response to a typical situation.”
For complex cases — redirect to a lawyer.
2. Set “no-go zones”
Topics where the agent cannot give advice (criminal law, immigration, family disputes) are scenario-blocked.
Any “sensitive” request → human handling only.
3. Control tone and wording
Instead of “You can file a lawsuit” →
“In such cases, people often file a lawsuit. To know for sure if this applies to you, consult a lawyer.”
4. Monitor and refine responses
All dialogues are logged.
Dislikes and feedback → update the scenario.
Where These Agents Are Already Used
Online consultations for legal clinics
AI bots on law firm websites
Automated assistants for businesses and sole proprietors
Internal assistants in HR and compliance departments
Conclusion: AI Is Not a Lawyer, but an Assistant with Boundaries
Artificial intelligence should not think for you.
It should reduce routine work, respond quickly to clear requests, and never create a false sense of legal protection.
This is possible with proper configuration, testing, and safeguards. That’s exactly what EvaHelp does — AI agents with an ethical framework.