For the past few months, Oratto has been testing the UK’s first ever free 24/7 consumer-facing AI-powered legal advisor, developed by its technology partner, Simply.Law. It provides advice based on the laws of England & Wales by default but, if the user indicates a different location, e.g. Scotland, it can also advise on other legal jurisdictions.
So how has the UK’s first free solicitor performed?
In summary, we have been blown away, not only by the quality of the advice that is being provided, but also by the speed and the remarkably “human” way in which it is able to “listen” to the client and answer quite complex and specialised questions in a sensitive and comprehensive way yet without any unnecessary waffle. In summary, it gets right to the point and, 95% of the time, provides exactly what the client wants.
While Oratto is not suggesting that solicitors will be replaced by AI in the short run, we do think that the advent of Simply.Law’s offers, for the first time ever, a legal enquiry “Google” option for UK clients that they have never had before. Meaning that most people generally like to do as much of their own research as possible before spending hundreds of pounds on legal fees. Before the arrival of Simply.Law, searching for the answers to complex legal questions using Google or Bing was not straight forward unless one really knew what one was looking for, which is not the case for 95% of the population.
Simply.Law, part of the Simply Technology Group, develops AI-driven legal software. It has developed the legal advisor solution using AI tools such as ChatGPT4.0 from OpenAI, exclusively for Oratto to use in the UK market (Simply.Law is also in active discussions to launch similar partnerships in other legal jurisdictions).
We thought that, rather than try to explain how good the AI legal advisor is, we would simply publish verbatim transcripts of conversations with real clients so you can see for yourself (the only changes are to hide any personal identifiable data). We are sharing a sample of conversations in different practice areas to give a flavour of different scenarios:
Transcript 1 (Probate Enquiry – below)
Transcript 2 (Motoring Offence Enquiry)
Transcript 3 (International Family/ Separation Enquiry)
Transcript 4 (Vet Negligence Enquiry)
Transcript 5 (Cross Border Family / Divorce / Immigration)
Transcript 6 (Family Law / Divorce Enquiry)
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | Happy to help. How can I address you, please? What name do you like to go by? |
| Client “M” | M |
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | Nice to meet you, M. In order for me to know what legal jurisdiction applies to your enquiry, can you please confirm what town or city you live in? |
| Client “M” | Rugby |
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | Noted with thanks. In case you would like us to contact you later, what email address should we use? |
| Client “M” | Mxxxx@gmail.com |
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | Thank you. Finally, in case you would like us to phone you, what phone number should we use, please? |
| Client “M” | +4477xxxxxxx |
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | Thank you, M. |
| Client “M” | How do I reverse power reserved? |
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | To reverse power reserved, you would need to apply to the probate registry for a grant of letters of administration. This allows the person who initially reserved their power to now step in and act as the administrator of the estate. The process involves completing an application form and swearing an oath. |
| You can find more information on how to apply for probate on the government’s official website https://www.gov.uk/applying-for-probate. | |
| Please note that it’s important to seek legal advice before proceeding with this, as there may be specific circumstances or complexities in your case that need to be considered. | |
| Would you like me to arrange for an Oratto solicitor to contact you about this? They can provide further advice based on your specific circumstances. | |
| Client “M” | No, thank you so much, I will have a look at the forms online. I thought I had to apply for probate for myself, thats such a relief! |
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | You’re welcome, M! I’m glad I could assist. Yes, the process can seem daunting, but there are clear guidelines to follow. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions or if anything is unclear when you’re going through the forms. Remember, legal advice can be very beneficial in these situations. Take care and all the best with your application! |
| Client “M” | Thank you. |
| Simply.Law Legal Advisor | You’re welcome, M! If you have any other questions in the future, don’t hesitate to ask. Good luck with everything. |
