New research shows that around one in six people with a legal problem have used an AI chatbot for help, advice, or information.

The study, conducted by JUSTICE and the Administrative Fairness Lab, surveyed 3,287 people across the UK, and is the first large-scale look at the public use of AI chatbots for legal help.  

It found almost half (1,428) had experienced a legal dispute in the last two years and, among them, 233 people used an AI chatbot to discuss the issue.  

Many sought AI help on common legal problems that largely fall outside the scope of legal aid, such as housing, employment, debt, consumer issues, and family law.  

A rare window into unmet legal needs

The research gives an unusually direct window into unmet needs within the justice system, as 77 participants shared the transcripts of their AI legal query.

As well as seeking legal advice, users commonly asked chatbots to explain legal jargon, check advice from lawyers, draft complaints and emails, and provide emotional reassurance.  

Participants described feeling frightened about court proceedings, worried about losing their job, and overwhelmed by the uncertainty of ongoing disputes, for example.  

However, in seeking emotional as well as legal support from these chatbots, users may unwittingly be setting themselves up to receive less reliable advice. Evidence suggests designing chatbots to be friendly and warm makes them more likely to reinforce false beliefs, with the most vulnerable-sounding people eliciting the least accurate responses.  

Ellen Lefley, Deputy Legal Director at JUSTICE, said: "The question is not whether AI becomes part of people’s legal journeys - it already is. This research provides a unique insight into who is using it and how. The challenge now is ensuring people receive reliable support, while addressing the unmet legal needs that drive some towards AI in the first place."

An AI content surge: a new challenge for the legal advice sector and courts

Many of those using AI also sought help from other avenues, such as search engines, Government websites, legal advice centres or family members. Only 6% relied solely on AI.  

Those using AI were less likely than non-AI users to have obtained help from a solicitor or barrister as well, but somewhat more likely to have gone to Citizens Advice or a legal advice helpline.

This would explain anecdotal reports suggesting the legal advice sector is struggling to process increasingly large amounts of AI-generated documentation brought to them by people seeking advice.  

Meanwhile, county courts and many tribunals have been seeing rising numbers of claims. [see Notes to editors below, para 4]. While it is difficult to isolate AI from other factors driving demand, there is concern from the sector that increasing volumes of AI-drafted claims are challenging an already overstretched system.  

Dr Jed Meers, Administrative Fairness Lab co-director, said: "Rising demand across the courts and tribunals system has a complex set of drivers. What our research shows is that people are using these tools when they run into all kinds of legal problems and are already doing so in significant numbers. As the use of these tools grows, they’ll become an even more important part of the picture."  

Reshaping the justice gap: who is accessing AI legal advice?  

The research suggests AI legal advice is not being used equally, since people using chatbots were more likely to be younger, male and employed. This raises concerns that people who are digitally excluded, including older people and women, will benefit less from these emerging tools.  

Researchers therefore warn that AI could reduce barriers for some, while increasing them for others.  

"There is a risk that the digital gap reshapes and deepens the justice gap”, said Lefley. “AI is clearly meeting some unmet legal need, but not helping the most excluded or marginalised. For them, AI is not the solution; but in fact could cause even more confusion and inequality.

“This poses a question: how to leverage AI to meet the needs of some with reliable advice, whilst targeting in-person resources to those with the most need?"

Examples of anonymised AI chatbot queries:

• “I’ve just received a text from a bailiff […] write a script for me to say on the phone”

• “What do I do if they sack me? I don’t know to be honest I just feel a little lost and powerless…”  

• “Can you explain this in normal person language” [regarding an email from their own solicitor]

• “Can you talk me through what happens in court I'm scared about the process”  

• “Act as a senior UK family law solicitor and strategic divorce advisor. I need tactical, procedural, and practical advice”  

• “My landlord is claiming for all of my deposit […] What do i do?”  

• “I purchased an electric car in March of this year. In early august it suffered a failure […] What are my rights?”  

• “[Neighbour boundary dispute] They have started to get nasty, we are pretty sure they are parking their care deliberately across our driveway […] Talk to me about law”  

• “Where do I stand under the Equality Act with these adjustments? I’m worried they will take back the job offer — can they do that?”

To see chat excerpts in further detail, read the research in full here.

-- ENDS --

Notes to editors:

For interview requests and queries please email press@justice.org.uk or call 07956 641 829.

1. JUSTICE is a legal charity working to build a fairer UK justice system within everyone’s reach. Over its 68-year history it has transformed the legal landscape for the better, led by evidence, expertise, and a focus on practical solutions. For example, key legal bodies we now take for granted such as the Ombudsman, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board were all proposed and supported into being by JUSTICE.

2. The Administrative Fairness Lab is a research group dedicated to advancing understanding of administrative justice. Led by Professor Joe Tomlinson and Dr Jed Meers, the Lab brings together multidisciplinary project teams to meet research challenges, and collaborate with the public, government bodies, and charities.

3. Click here to read a longer summary of this research, including further anonymised queries.  

4. There has been a 30% increase in County Court claims since the end of 2022, from a relative low of 319,242 in Q4 of 2022 to 415,807 in Q4 of 2025. This is notable given Chat GPT was released in November 2022. Civil Justice Statistics Quarterly: January to March 2026 - GOV.UK see Figure 1: Quarterly County Court claims by type, Q1 (January to March) 2021 to Q1 (January to March) 2026 (Source: table 1.2). However, we do not have the evidence to say this is causation, only correlation, as these  statistics do not control for other variables, including the recovery from Covid 19.

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