Need Legal Help? Find a Human, Not a Chatbot
Over the weekend, a potential client reached out to me for help asking her employer for severance. By the time I got back to her first thing Monday morning, she had already sent her own request.
When she forwarded it to me, I knew immediately what had happened.
The message had all the hallmarks of an AI-generated letter: long, emotional paragraphs, no specific severance amount, and sent to a dozen people at once. It was heartfelt but lacked the strategy and nuance that make legal communication effective.
It made me sad.
I had to tell her that once you’ve sent something like that, it’s much harder for me to help. I’ve seen it before, employees who turn to ChatGPT or other AI tools out of desperation, just trying to be heard.
And I get it. When you’re in pain, AI can feel like a lifeline: I’m here. I can help. I can do anything.
But here’s the truth: ChatGPT is not your lawyer.
What AI Can Do
I’m not anti-AI. I use it myself sometimes: to organize thoughts, draft outlines, or summarize large documents. In fact, many employment lawyers use AI responsibly to save time. But we understand its limits and follow strict legal ethics rules.
If you want to use ChatGPT to prepare for a legal consultation, that’s perfectly fine. Ask it to help you:
• Create a clear timeline of workplace events
• Summarize emails or performance reviews
• Organize your notes before talking to an employment attorney.
That kind of support can save time and make your first meeting more productive. Just remember to fact-check everything.)
What AI Cannot Do
AI can’t replace the judgment, strategy, or empathy that come from years of listening to real people—and understanding real law.
When I work with clients, I don’t just gather facts. I look for what matters: the hidden patterns, red flags, and subtle dynamics that make or break a case. Often, clients mention something they think is minor but it turns out to be a key legal fact.
AI doesn’t catch that. It only organizes what you feed it. Garbage in, garbage out.
And when it comes to legal writing, AI is a blunt instrument. It can sound polished while missing the legal point entirely. It tells you what you want to hear, while a good lawyer tells you what you need to know.
Employers can tell the difference. HR departments are now flooded with AI-generated severance letters and workplace complaints. Most of them get ignored or hurt the employee’s credibility.
Get a Lawyer, Not a Program
A severance request isn’t just another email. It’s often one step away from a formal legal demand. Once you send it, you’ve shown your cards. You can’t un-ring that bell.
That’s why you need a real lawyer, not a chatbot.
AI can be powerful a tool but it can’t replace strategy, discernment, or human understanding.
That’s what I do every day: help employees turn confusion and chaos into a strategic plan of action, with compassion and clarity. Sometimes that means listening while a client cries. Then, together, we make a plan.
Need Human Legal Assistance?
If you’re considering severance negotiation, facing a toxic workplace, or unsure how to communicate with your employer, get real guidance from a California employment lawyer who understands both the law and the human side of work.