Question 1

Where can AI appropriately assist in family and succession practice?

Accepted Answer

AI is useful for low-risk, lawyer-supervised work: first-pass chronologies, summarising disclosed material, organising asset or estate inventories, extracting issues from correspondence, preparing interview question lists, and producing first drafts of routine client communications or non-contentious documents. It can improve efficiency, but the responsible lawyer must verify the result and apply independent forensic judgment.

Question 2

What should AI not be used for?

Accepted Answer

AI can't be treated as legal research, evidence, or a decision-maker. In particular, we do not rely on it to formulate unverified advice, determine a child’s best interests, assess testamentary capacity or family-provision merits, calculate entitlements without checking source data, or generate evidence in a client’s or witness’s voice. Courts have identified the serious risk of fabricated authorities and all too often AI SUCKS at arithmetic; AI-generated fictional authorities filed in family-law proceedings have now repeatedly led to professional-disciplinary referrals, and that's not a good outcome for the clients of those lawyers.

Question 3

What is the main family-law risk?

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality. Family-law files commonly contain highly sensitive material about children, health, family violence, finances and subpoenaed records. Uploading that material to an unapproved or public AI system may breach confidentiality, statutory restrictions, the Harman undertaking, privilege, or non-publication obligations. While we recognise the benefits of AI to increasing efficiency and reducing costs, we use only a specifically designed, appropriately controlled AI environment, minimise/de-identify data wherever possible and comply strictly with Court guidance on the use of AI.

Question 4

What role does AI fill in our practice?

Accepted Answer

We us AI the same way we would utilise a supervised junior assistant: give it administrative and analytical first-pass work. We can't and don't delegate professional judgment. We check every factual assertion, calculation, citation and quotation against primary sources like case reports, and ensure all court material complies with the applicable court rules and practice directions.

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Frequently asked questions

Where can AI appropriately assist in family and succession practice?

What should AI not be used for?

What is the main family-law risk?

What role does AI fill in our practice?