AI and employment are two terms that don’t usually get along with one another. Since the dawn of this AI boom, people have worried about these AI agents taking their jobs – and there is evidence to suggest that this is happening across the world in all sorts of workplaces. And yet, there’s been a new use case for AI that helps it exist alongside modern workers and, if anything, empower them more than ever before.
It’s the idea of an AI law firm, which is purpose-built to help employees fight back against their employers if they’re wrongly dismissed, given illegal pay cuts, and so on. The concept is simple: instead of hiring a traditional law firm, you use an AI one to get all the help you need. More and more of these firms are popping up all over the place, so let’s take a closer look at what they do, how this helps employees, and what it means for the future of employment law as we know it.
Giving Employees Free Legal Advice
There are many instances of AI being used for employment law, and the most basic example is a free tool that gives legal advice to anyone who asks. These systems are trained to understand every facet of employment law, which means they should be able to respond to questions and proposed scenarios that someone puts forth.
In a simple case, it will allow a person to type a query into a search bar and see if they’re entitled to legal action against their employer.
What they then choose to do with this information is up to the user, but it’s a way of understanding where you legally stand without needing to pay a lawyer. Most employees don’t have access to free legal advice – the closest you’ll get is HR, but does that truly constitute as impartial legal advice? Employment law-based AI tools open up a whole new world for employees by finally letting them understand if they’re being taken advantage of.
Guiding Employee Through Legal Cases
As you get even deeper into the world of AI law firms, you see some that have developed to the point of guiding real people through real legal cases. What essentially happens is you’re given an AI employment lawyer that gathers everything you tell them and explains what you can do to make a claim against your employer – if you’re eligible for one, of course.
This involves any of the following:
- Producing templates or real legal letters to send to your employer
- Outlining a guide for what to do during any legal interviews
- Explaining the process of going to court and what you should/shouldn’t do
It’s a fascinating concept that essentially allows employees to represent themselves in legal scenarios instead of needing to partner with a big law firm. What’s even more interesting is that a lot of employment law cases can be solved before going to court, and all that’s required are the right legal letters with the correct information in them. There is genuine evidence out there of this actually working, with some AI law firms generating thousands in settlements for their clients – all without true human involvement.
Breaking Down Employment Law Barriers
Paying for an employment lawyer is not cheap and often requires upfront costs. You’ll pay for an initial consultation, and that’s just to see if your claim is eligible or not. Most lawyers will then only take you on if you’ve got a solid case – they tend to pass up any 50/50 or 60/40 opportunities because they see it as a waste of their time, especially if they work on a no-win no-fee basis.
You end up in a situation where there are so many barriers in place stopping the majority of workers from getting help with employment law. It’s why too many people are either stuck in jobs where they’re being taken advantage of or dealing with wrongful dismissals that devastate their lives.
This is probably one of the most fascinating aspects of AI law firms: they break down the invisible barriers that have existed for so long in society. Anyone now has immediate access to free legal advice whenever they need it. There’s no need to do extensive research; just find an AI lawyer and ask the right questions. It is making legal advice and legal action more accessible to all, which can only be a good thing.
Forcing Employers to Make Positive Changes
What happens when the workforce now has access to legal help? While AI firms aren’t 100% free – they usually do have a fee if you win your case – they only charge when your case is successful and you win money, usually with a flat fee stated beforehand. The end result is that people feel more empowered to take action when they feel wronged at work. As a consequence, employers may have to deal with more legal claims and settlements than ever before – and this is great for the workforce.
Do you think employers will carry on as usual and deal with the increase in settlements? It’s unlikely, so what can they do about it? The obvious solution is to make changes that have a positive impact on workers. Businesses will realise they can no longer get away with what they’ve been doing in the past, and this can lead to things like increased wages for employees, better working conditions, and so on.
It’s a truly interesting topic to look at, and AI employment lawyers are changing things for human workers. Regular lawyers might not like the thought of this technology encroaching on their domain, but there will always be a use for both. What tends to happen is that AI handles everything up to a point, and most AI law firms will have access to a proper solicitor who can sign legally binding contracts, agreements, etc. There’s no doubt that this is an AI use that definitely benefits the wider workforce, but is that such a bad thing? Too many AI tools focus on removing power from employees, so it’s nice to see them empowered for once.
