Set up an AI assistant that knows its limits
You are probably using AI for legal questions already. Plenty of people are. Rather than pretend otherwise, I would rather help you do it well.
Check everything AI tells you
AI tools can be wrong. They can state something incorrect in a confident, well-written way, and nothing in the answer will signal it. That applies to legal information as much as anything else.
Treat what an AI tool gives you as a starting point, not a conclusion. Check names, dates, figures and any reference to legislation against the original source before you rely on them.
Loading legislation into a tool, or asking it to say when it is unsure, does not remove the need to check. If an answer affects a decision, a document you will sign or money, check it with me first.
What I can set up for you
A project in the AI app you already prefer
A custom set of instructions I write, so the assistant stays on topic and says so when it is unsure
The app will be prompted to advise you when you need to check back in with me about a proposed course of action
The relevant New Zealand legislation loaded in, so it works from the real text
A walkthrough of how to use it, if you are new to this (no jargon, no judgement)
What stays with me
AI is handy for understanding, organising and drafting. The significant decisions, and checking that what you are doing is legally sound, are for me, within my areas of practice. If something falls outside those, I will tell you plainly. Conveyancing is handled by a trusted colleague, and I will arrange that for you.
Why it can keep costs down
You do the groundwork yourself, and I step in where a lawyer is needed. You pay for my time where it counts, not for sorting paperwork.
One important caution
If a matter could end up in court, think carefully before putting it into any AI tool. What you type in could be requested by the other side and used in the dispute. Things written casually, in the middle of a stressful time, can read very differently in a courtroom.
Come and talk to me first. I will tell you what is safe to explore with AI and what should stay between you and me.
Let’s work together.
Please contact me, Lenny, if you would like to make an appointment or to discuss any of the information on this page.