What AI can and cannot do here
AI can explain a legal concept in plain language, outline the issues in a situation, summarise a document you paste in and suggest questions to ask a lawyer. It cannot know the law that applies to your facts with certainty, and it is not accountable for being wrong. Treat it as a way to get oriented and prepared.
The playbook
1. Fix the jurisdiction and the date first
Law depends on where and when. State the country, region and, if relevant, the date of the facts. An answer without a jurisdiction is a guess. If models answer for different countries, you have found an ambiguity, not a disagreement.
2. Ask several models, same wording
Compare what each treats as the governing rule. Mark any point where they cite different rules, deadlines or outcomes.
3. Find the primary source
The reliable reference is the text itself: the statute, regulation, court decision or official guidance. Open it. Check that the provision exists, that it says what the model claims and that it is still in force (see knowledge cutoff).
4. Verify citations
Case names, article numbers and quotes are a common place for invention. Search the exact reference on an official or reputable legal database (see fabricated citations).
5. Check deadlines and thresholds yourself
Time limits, notice periods and monetary thresholds are the details models state confidently and sometimes get wrong, and the ones that cost the most when wrong.
6. Hand the decision to a professional
Bring your facts, the sources you found and the points where answers differed. Ask the lawyer to confirm or correct, not to start from zero.
What to hand to a human
Anything with a deadline you could miss, signing or sending a contract, court or regulator filings, disputes, immigration, tax positions, employment termination and anything involving significant money or liability.
Try it on your own question
Run the question you care about through six independent models and read where they agree and where they split. Ask 6 AIs on Satcove, free, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI replace a lawyer? No. It can help you prepare, but it does not know all the facts, is not accountable and can be wrong with confidence.
What is the most common AI legal mistake? Answering for the wrong jurisdiction or an outdated rule, and citing cases or articles that do not exist or do not say what is claimed.
Is agreement between models enough? No. Models can share the same outdated information. Check the primary text.