TL;DR

Asked about a legal problem, 39% of UK adults say they would consider going to a chatbot rather than a solicitor, according to Uswitch polling reported by Law News on 19 October. The price comparison site’s survey, run online by Opinium with 2,000 adults from 17 to 21 July 2026, also found that 18% had already based a personal decision on chatbot advice alone, with no second opinion.

Trust running ahead of checking

Younger people are far more willing to act on an answer without checking it: among Gen Z respondents the figure was 40%. And 48% of people using AI for personal advice rate it at least as trustworthy as advice from friends or family.

Max Beckett of Uswitch said chatbots have put legal information within easier reach, but that “there’s an important difference between finding information and getting legal advice that is tailored to your circumstances”. A chatbot can only work with the facts it is given, he said, while a solicitor knows to probe for the details that change the answer, and chatbots can sound sure of themselves even when the material behind a reply is wrong.

What other research shows

Law News places the poll alongside earlier work. In August, research from JUSTICE, a law reform charity, with the Administrative Fairness Lab found about one in six people who had recently faced a legal problem had sought help from a generative AI chatbot, though only 6% of those relied on AI and nothing else.

In June the Legal Services Board, the oversight body for legal regulators in England and Wales, found dedicated standards for AI legal tools aimed at the public barely exist, and that 58% of the standards it did find were guidance with no enforcement behind it. Safeguards were weakest at identifying vulnerable users, steering people towards regulated help and offering a way to complain. Legal IT Insider has reported that the Solicitors Regulation Authority warned lawyers about misusing AI in a notice dated 17 August 2026.

Looking forward

The underlying issue is who answers for a bad answer. A lawyer using AI stays regulated and responsible for the advice. Someone relying on a general chatbot, going by the Legal Services Board’s research, may have nowhere obvious to take a complaint. In our view, the figures suggest regulators have limited time, because a large minority already sees chatbots as a first stop for legal questions. For law firms, the opening is quick, affordable first advice offered before clients settle for a chatbot reply.