I thought I'd test it with a fairly simple legal problem. I have a client who is wanting to issue possession proceedings in respect of a house let on a standard shorthold tenancy agreement. Usually this process starts with serving a notice known as a section 21 notice.
However, in this particular case the house was in an area where the local authority had mandated a licensing scheme. My client had been unaware of this, but one of the consequences of not obtaining a licence is that she can't serve a section 21 notice.
This means that she can only regain possession by proving fault on the part of the tenant. She needs to establish that fault formally by serving a notice on the tenant setting out the fault - known as a section 8 notice.
I therefore put the following request to the bot:
Prepare a letter from a solicitor to a client who wants to obtain possession of a house let on an assured shorthold tenancy, but has failed to register the property with the local authority, so cannot use the section 21 accelerated possession procedure and will instead have to use the section 8 procedure.
To which, within a few seconds it came up with:
Dear [Client],
I am writing to you regarding your request to obtain possession of a house that is currently let on an assured shorthold tenancy. As you are aware, you have failed to register the property with the local authority and therefore cannot use the Section 21 accelerated possession procedure.
In this situation, you will need to use the Section 8 procedure to obtain possession of the property. This procedure requires that you have grounds for possession, such as rent arrears or breach of tenancy agreement. We will need to review your case to determine the most appropriate grounds to use in your situation.
It is important to note that the Section 8 procedure is more complex and can take longer than the Section 21 procedure. We will need to serve a notice to the tenant, attend a court hearing, and obtain a possession order before the tenant can be legally evicted from the property. This process can take several months, so it is important that we begin the process as soon as possible.
I would like to remind you that it is a legal requirement to register the property with the local authority, and failure to do so can result in penalties and fines. I would be happy to discuss your legal obligations with you further if needed.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the Section 8 procedure or your case in general. I am here to support you throughout this process.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Law Firm]
I have to say that this is extremely impressive. Had I given the same request to a traineee solicitor and they'd produced that I'd have given them at least a silver star, if not a gold one!
The most remarkable aspect of it is that it didn't just state as a fact that we had to use a section 8 notice - it actually worked out why, and explained what a section 8 notice was, without my having given it any clues.
It also added some very practical - and accurate - advice, such as the fact that it would take longer, and would need a court hearing, as well as giving an accurate estimate of the time required.
Admittedly, it's a fairly simple legal situation that I asked it to handle, and I've not yet tried anything more complex, but this is the first time that I've really appreciated that AI is now so sophisticated that it's beginning to present a genuine threat to the livelihood of legal professionals (and by analogy all other professionals).
I'm glad I'm at this end of my career and not at t'other end!
