Can AI Give Legal Advice?
Artificial intelligence is changing the way people search for legal information. It’s now common for someone to ask an AI chatbot questions about a No Win, No Fee agreement, legal fees or whether they have a personal injury claim before ever speaking to a solicitor. But can AI give legal advice that you can rely on? It’s a question we found ourselves asking after several of our clients contacted us with the same concern. Instead of asking us to explain their No Win, No Fee agreement, they’d asked Google’s AI, Gemini. The answers they received sounded confident, quoted legislation and appeared convincing. Unfortunately, they were also wrong. As the Senior Lawyer at Stonehewer Moss Solicitors, I’m used to arguing with insurance companies, challenging low settlement offers and fighting for my clients every day. What I didn’t expect was to find myself in a lengthy debate with an AI chatbot over the finer details of personal injury legal fees. What started as a simple question about our transparent 18% overall costs liability cap quickly turned into an unexpected discussion about the difference between a success fee and an overall costs liability cap. It also highlighted why even sophisticated AI can sometimes misunderstand the practical application of the law. In this article, I’ll explain what happened, what Google Gemini got wrong and why it’s always worth speaking to a qualified solicitor if you’re unsure about your legal fees or your No Win, No Fee agreement. Quick Links:- Why Did We Challenge Google Gemini?
- What Did AI Get Wrong About Legal Fees?
- Can AI Give Legal Advice Safely?
- When Should You Speak to a Solicitor?
- Speak to Stonehewer Moss
Why Did We Challenge Google Gemini?
As the Senior Lawyer at Stonehewer Moss Solicitors, I’m used to challenging insurance companies, negotiating settlements and explaining complex legal issues in plain English. What I didn’t expect was to find myself debating personal injury law with an AI chatbot.
It started after several of our clients contacted us with the same concern. Before asking us about their No Win, No Fee agreement, they’d asked Google’s AI, Gemini, to explain it instead. The responses they received were confident, detailed and, unfortunately, wrong.
Gemini had focused on our transparent overall costs cap and immediately concluded that anything above a 25% deduction in a personal injury claim must be unlawful. Naturally, that caused concern for our clients, who wanted to know whether there was a problem with the agreement they’d signed.
Rather than simply reassuring them, I decided to ask Gemini the same questions myself. I wanted to understand why it had reached that conclusion and whether it genuinely understood the difference between a statutory success fee and an overall costs liability cap.
What followed was an interesting discussion. Despite confidently quoting legislation, the AI had misunderstood how personal injury legal fees are structured. It was a good reminder that while AI can summarise information incredibly quickly, it doesn’t always understand the legal context behind what it’s reading.
What Did AI Get Wrong About Legal Fees?
At first glance, Gemini’s answer looked convincing. It quoted legislation, referred to the legal cap on success fees and confidently concluded that our clients’ agreement couldn’t be correct. The problem wasn’t the legislation itself. It was the way AI had interpreted it.
AI Confused Two Different Types of Legal Costs
Gemini repeatedly confused the success fee, which is capped at 25% of certain elements of a client’s compensation in most personal injury claims under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, with the overall costs cap.
Our clients’ agreement refers to an overall costs liability cap, not a success fee. Those are two different things, but AI treated them as though they meant exactly the same.
Why the Difference Matters
The overall costs liability cap combines the success fee with any unrecovered base legal costs that cannot be recovered from the defendant’s insurer. Rather than increasing a client’s costs, it provides certainty by placing a clear ceiling on the maximum contribution they could ever be asked to make.
Without understanding that distinction, AI misinterpreted our agreement. It had correctly identified the legislation but applied it to the wrong part of the agreement.
It’s an easy mistake to make if you’re relying solely on information found online. For solicitors who deal with personal injury funding every day, however, the distinction is an important one because it affects how legal fees are explained to clients and how funding agreements are interpreted in practice.
Stonehewer Moss offers a costs cap of 18% in many straightforward cases.
Can AI Give Legal Advice Safely?
Once we’d explained the difference between a success fee and an overall costs liability cap, Gemini’s response began to change. Rather than continuing to insist our agreement was unlawful, it accepted that it had confused two separate legal concepts and acknowledged that its earlier advice had been incorrect.
I’ll admit, there was a certain satisfaction in seeing an AI chatbot effectively say, “You were right.” It’s not every day you find yourself debating personal injury law with a computer, let alone watching it change its mind.
The Bigger Lesson
As enjoyable as the exchange was, it highlighted a much more important point. AI is incredibly good at finding information quickly, summarising legislation and explaining legal terminology. What it can’t always do is understand how those rules apply in practice or appreciate the context behind a particular legal agreement.
That’s why the answer to the question, “Can AI give legal advice?“, isn’t a simple yes or no. AI can be a useful tool for researching legal topics or helping you understand unfamiliar terms, but it shouldn’t replace advice from a qualified solicitor who can consider your individual circumstances.
When Accuracy Really Matters
Our clients didn’t do anything wrong by asking AI to explain their agreement. In fact, asking questions is always encouraged. The problem arose because the answer sounded authoritative while missing an important legal distinction. Had they relied on that advice without speaking to us, they could easily have been left with the impression that their perfectly lawful agreement was somehow invalid.
If you’re ever unsure about a No Win, No Fee agreement, legal fees or any aspect of a personal injury claim, use AI as a starting point, not the final answer. A conversation with an experienced solicitor can provide the context, reassurance and practical advice that no algorithm can replicate.
When Should You Speak to a Solicitor?
There’s nothing wrong with using AI to help you understand legal terminology or prepare questions before speaking to a solicitor. In fact, if it encourages people to take an interest in their legal rights, that’s a positive thing. The difficulty comes when AI provides an answer that sounds completely convincing but doesn’t accurately reflect the law or the facts of your situation.
Every Personal Injury Claim Is Different
No two personal injury claims are exactly the same. The circumstances of an accident, the evidence available and even the wording of a funding agreement can all affect the advice that’s given. That’s why experienced solicitors don’t rely on a single rule or a short extract from legislation. We look at the whole picture before advising our clients.
Ask Questions, But Verify the Answers
If an AI chatbot tells you something that doesn’t sound right, or leaves you feeling concerned about your No Win, No Fee agreement, don’t panic. Ask your solicitor to explain it. A reputable law firm should always be happy to answer your questions and explain how your agreement works in plain English.
Our conversation with Gemini is a good example of why that matters. The AI wasn’t deliberately misleading anyone, but it reached the wrong conclusion because it misunderstood an important legal distinction. A quick conversation with us gave our clients the reassurance they needed and cleared up the confusion straight away.
So, if you’re wondering, “Can AI give legal advice?“, our view is simple. AI can be a useful research tool, but it should never replace advice that’s tailored to your individual circumstances. When your legal rights, your compensation or your funding agreement are involved, speaking to a qualified solicitor remains the safest way to get clear and accurate advice.
Speak to Stonehewer Moss
If there’s one thing this experience taught us, it’s that even the most advanced AI can misunderstand important areas of the law. That’s not because AI is useless. Far from it. It can be an excellent starting point for research, but it shouldn’t be the final word when you’re making decisions about your legal rights.
At Stonehewer Moss, we believe legal advice should be clear, transparent and easy to understand. If you have questions about a No Win, No Fee agreement, legal fees or any aspect of a personal injury claim, we’d much rather you ask us than rely on information that may not apply to your individual circumstances.
We’ll explain everything in plain English, answer your questions honestly and make sure you understand exactly where you stand before making any decisions.
To speak directly with one of our solicitors, call 01606 872200 or arrange your free 30-minute consultation. We’re here to help whenever you need us.
Frequently Asked Questions
AI can provide general legal information and explain legal concepts, but it should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from a qualified solicitor. It cannot fully consider the specific facts of your case or apply the law to your individual circumstances in the same way an experienced legal professional can.
AI may be able to explain the basics of a No Win, No Fee agreement, but it can misunderstand how legal funding arrangements work in practice. If you’re unsure about any part of your agreement, it’s always best to ask your solicitor to explain it in plain English.
In our experience, Gemini confused two different parts of a personal injury funding agreement. It treated a statutory cap on a success fee as though it applied to an overall costs liability cap, leading to an incorrect conclusion about our agreement.
Yes. AI can be a useful starting point for researching legal topics, understanding legal terminology or preparing questions before speaking to a solicitor. However, any information it provides should be checked with a qualified legal professional before you rely on it.
If you have questions about your legal rights, a No Win, No Fee agreement, legal fees or whether you have a personal injury claim, it’s sensible to speak to a solicitor. Personalised legal advice takes into account your individual circumstances, something AI cannot always do accurately.
