Law Society tells solicitors to inform clients about AI use in new practice note
The Law Society of England and Wales on October 21, 2026, published a 58-page practice note on using AI in line with solicitors' professional obligations. It advises solicitors to give clients appropriate information about how they use AI, says they may ask clients to disclose AI-generated material, and stresses that solicitors remain accountable for all work whether or not AI was used.
Opinion (Law Gazette) → · Artificial Lawyer
Key points
- The note reminds solicitors that AI is not a legal entity.Artificial Lawyer
- Paid-for AI tools need scrutiny too, not only free large language models, the note says.Law Gazette
- Firms should weigh terms of service, how data is stored and shared, and where the AI provider operates.Law Gazette
- "Relying on AI to verify AI outputs will not satisfy your professional obligations," the note warns.Law Gazette
- President Brett Dixon said overreliance on AI could cause a "catastrophic gap" in future legal skills and knowledge.Law Gazette