People are already using AI tools to help them with legal problems, from housing disputes and employment rights to debt and family issues. For many who cannot afford a lawyer, these tools offer a real route to understanding their situation and knowing what to do next.
But new research from the Legal Services Board (LSB) shows that people using these tools may not have the protections they expect, or any clear route to complain if something goes wrong.
What we found
We commissioned two reports to understand how AI-powered legal tools are working for consumers, and what safeguards currently exist.
The first, Existing Standards for AI-Powered Business-to-Consumer Lawtech, sets out that AI-powered legal tools could make a real difference for the millions of small people who currently lack access to legal help. Around 32% of adults in England and Wales who experience a legal problem receive no professional support, often because of cost, complexity, or simply not knowing where to turn. AI tools offer a genuine route to more affordable, accessible legal help for people who would otherwise have none.
The review found that standards written specifically for consumer-facing AI legal tools are almost entirely absent. Most existing standards were designed for other purposes, such as general AI governance, data protection, or the professional conduct of regulated lawyers. Of the standards that do exist, 58% are non-binding guidance with no enforcement mechanisms.
Protection is weakest in the areas that matter most:
- identifying people who may be vulnerable
- signposting users to regulated or specialist support
- providing clear routes to complain and seek redress when things go wrong
Consumers recognise the benefits of AI but want clear safeguards
The second report, AI in Legal Services, based on a survey of 1,000 adults representative of England and Wales, found that consumers are broadly positive about AI’s potential.
- 70% expect it to make legal services easier to use
- 66% expect better accessibility
- 64% expect greater affordability
But that support comes with clear conditions. Consumers identified five protections they were not prepared to trade away:
- A minimum guarantee for accuracy
- No consequential action without informed prior consent
- A level of human oversight at all times
- Access to redress for any harm caused
- Protection of their user safety, including their personal information
The protection gap
Someone who gets legal help through a regulated solicitor or law firm benefits from professional oversight and an established complaints process. Someone using an AI legal tool directly may have none of that.
General consumer and data protection law may apply in theory, but these rules were not designed for the specific risks that come with AI-generated legal information or advice.
Richard Orpin, Chief Executive of the Legal Services Board, said:
“More and more people are turning to AI for help with legal problems, whether that’s a housing dispute, a problem at work, or a debt they cannot manage. For many people who cannot afford legal advice, these tools could be genuinely transformative.
“We commissioned this research because very little existed on how these tools are working for consumers. What we found is a gap between what people reasonably expect and the protections currently in place. Consumers are open to AI’s potential, but they expect basic safeguards, and right now those safeguards are largely absent.
“We are sharing these findings because they matter for the whole sector as we innovate and embrace technology. As we develop our priorities for the coming three years, we will focus our efforts where regulation can have the sharpest impact, working with government, regulators, innovators, and consumer organisations to consider what targeted and proportionate action could look like, to protect consumers and support economic growth in the sector.”
What happens next
Alongside these reports, we have published our AI plan for 2026/27, which sets out how we will support responsible innovation while strengthening consumer protection.
We have also joined the government’s AI Growth Lab, announced this week, which will allow lawtech companies to test AI products in real-world conditions under regulatory supervision before they go to market. The LSB will work with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, and the Information Commissioner’s Office to help innovators navigate existing frameworks and identify any unintended barriers to innovation.
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