It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies to help you become more efficient and grow your practice. One of the newest trends that you’ve likely heard about is ChatGPT.
Lately, I can’t even open my email inbox without something AI or ChatGPT-related in the subject line. And if you haven’t heard about ChatGPT… come on out from that cave you’ve been living in. The robots haven’t taken over the world. Yet.
Chat GPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) solution designed to automate customer service and other administrative tasks. It’s sort of like a real-life version of R2-D2 or C-3PO from Star Wars.
You’re already using AI, you just didn’t know it.
AI isn’t new. Siri, Alexa, and Google Home are all AI devices you likely own or have experience using.
Ever notice how Amazon recommends products that lo-and-behold you DO want to buy?! It’s like they are reading your mind. Amazon and other retailers use algorithms that analyze purchase history, browsing behavior, and other data to tailor your shopping experience.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others curate your feed and suggest content you might be interested in, all using AI.
Safe to say, AI technology is here to stay. During our lifetime, it’s only going to get smarter and better.
But there are some drawbacks to it that you should be aware of.
In this article, we’ll cover the pros and cons of using AI and ChatGPT for your law firm so you can decide if integrating this technology into your practice is right for you.
So, What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) platform. It uses natural language processing (NLP) technology to understand user queries, generate automated responses, and provide personalized advice.
It’s powered by massive amounts of data and computing techniques, which allow it to make predictions on stringing words together in a meaningful way. This gives it access to vast amounts of vocabulary and information while also understanding words in context. These features help ChatGPT mimic speech patterns while displaying WorldBook encyclopedia-level knowledge.
For example, you ask things like: “I’m an Elder Law Attorney. What type of information should I include in a brochure I am giving out to prospective clients?”
And it will respond with:
That’s pretty handy, right?!
The more information you give ChatGPT, the better it functions. I find it helpful to give some context at the beginning of the conversation about who you are and the intended audience. It remembers that context as long as you keep similar queries within the same chat.
Despite its impressive capabilities, many experts believe that ChatGPT will not be able to replace human intelligence anytime soon. This is due to its lack of ability to “think” like people do. While AI and chatbots have made great strides toward simulating natural conversation, they still cannot fully replicate human thought processes.
So don’t freak out; your job isn’t being replaced by a robot just yet!
Let’s dive into some real uses for ChatGPT and AI in your Elder Law and Estate Planning law firm, as well as things to be aware of.
3 Things You Should Use ChatGPT for in Your Elder Law or Estate Planning Law Firm
1. You Should Use ChatGPT for Copywriting and Content Creation
Do you have writer’s block and are staring at a blank page? We’ve all been there.
ChatGPT can be helpful in copywriting and content creation. You can use it for things like:
- Providing the wording for a brochure or handout
- Creating emails
- Writing team member bios
- Creating blog outlines or adding content to your website (caveat: this can affect your SEO, more on that below)
ChatGPT and AI give us new, faster ways to create content, but human oversight is still required. It cannot replace human judgment when interpreting laws or understanding how they may be applied in different situations.
This means that a qualified attorney should review any legal content created using ChatGPT or AI tools before being published or distributed.
2. You Should Use ChatGPT to Create YouTube Video Scripts
There is a huge opportunity for attorneys to stand out and reach new clients through video and YouTube.
Even if you already have SEO-researched video topics (like we offer to our clients), it can be difficult to know what to say in those videos.
By plugging some basic information into ChatGPT, you can quickly generate a script for your video.
For example, this month, we provided our clients with 4 YouTube topics. One of them was: “How much does a nursing home cost in [state]?“
I put this into ChatGPT: “I’m an Elder Law Attorney. Make me a YouTube video script for the topic “How much does a nursing home cost in Florida?”‘
This is what it generated:
I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed!
The script is good. However, I recommend tweaking and customizing it to your law firm’s style and your unique personality — something that ChatGPT can’t do.
3. You Should Use ChatGPT to Respond to Google Reviews
Whether you are rocking a 5.0 (good job!) or have a dreaded 1 star that came in, Google reviews are critical to ensure that you show up online.
Responding to reviews — positive or negative — improves your search engine rankings by providing fresh content for search engines to crawl. When you respond to a review, Google sees it as new content related to your business. That helps boost your online presence and visibility.
Beyond that, by responding to reviews, you show your clients that you value their feedback and are willing to listen to their concerns. It allows you to engage with your clients and build relationships with them.
The tricky part is, how many different times and ways can you say “thanks for the review!” Or, how can you politely and professionally respond to a bad review?
ChatGPT is an incredible tool in this situation. It ensures that your responses are professional, polite, and effective.
Here’s an example:
I put this into ChatGPT: “I’m Bambiz Law Firm and I got a 5 star review from Lisa Smith: “Jim and his team are extraordinary. They are experts in estate planning, allowing you to take care of your family for life. No matter what stage in life you are in, they can help. Attending a seminar is the best way to discover what you don’t know and what you think you do! Reach out to Bambiz Law Firm today to put your mind at rest – it’s a great feeling!”
Can you please draft a response to that review?”
And here’s what it generated:
Here’s how it works with a negative review.
I put this into ChatGPT: “I’m Bambiz law firm and I got a 1 star review from Lisa Smith: “Messed up my estate plan. Cost me thousands of dollars. Were rude to my family members. Didn’t do anything they said they would. Crooks.”
Here are some additional details:
-We completed her estate plan to her specifications at the price originally discussed
-She had other family members contact us to change her plan to which we declined as they were not clients of ours.
-We offered to make adjustments to her plan to ensure it met her needs and she declined.
Can you please draft a response to that review?”
Here’s what it generated:
Pretty cool, right?! The response usually needs a bit of finessing, but it’s a great starting point. If you’ve been putting off responding to your reviews, this is a tool that will help.
So are you sold on ChatGPT? Super excited to give it a test drive?
Well, hold on just a bit longer. There are some problems, limitations and concerns with ChatGPT and AI tools that you should be aware of. Let’s talk about those.
3 Things You Should NOT Use ChatGPT for in Your Elder Law or Estate Planning Practice
1. You Should Not Take the Information ChatGPT Provides as Fact
ChatGPT is 100% confident in the information it provides.
However, that information may not be correct or accurate. The scary part is, it doesn’t tell you that.
This is from ChatGPT’s own FAQ section:
Can I trust that the AI is telling me the truth?
- ChatGPT is not connected to the internet, and it can occasionally produce incorrect answers. It has limited knowledge of world and events after 2021 and may also occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content.
We’d recommend checking whether responses from the model are accurate or not. If you find an answer is incorrect, please provide that feedback by using the “Thumbs Down” button.
For example, I asked ChatGPT to summarize our own Elder Law Growth podcast. It’s hosted by our team member Amie Hurst.
I put this into ChatGPT: “Can you provide a summary of the Elder Law Growth Podcast: Boosting Your Sales Over the Phone (Episode 15)”
This is what it generated:
I don’t know Ben Neiburger — though he sounds lovely! — and he doesn’t appear on our podcast. And that isn’t an accurate summary of the episode.
Never once did ChatGPT say that this information may not be correct or that I should fact-check it. So that’s definitely scary. Thumbs down on that one.
As an attorney, you likely know this, but I’m going to reiterate it. Always, always, always fact-check ChatGPT’s output before sharing it with others.
2. You Should Beware of Using it for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
There has been a lot of chatter about ChatGPT and AI-written content, blogs, and articles being penalized by Google.
There is already so much content available online, are people going to use this tool to jam the web with even more stuff? And will that upset Google?
Google actually responded to this, and here’s what they had to say:
“Google’s ranking systems aim to reward original, high-quality content that demonstrates qualities of what we call E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Our focus on the quality of content, rather than how content is produced.”
So Google, will AI content rank highly on Search?
“Using AI doesn’t give content any special gains. It’s just content. If it is useful, helpful, original, and satisfies aspects of E-E-A-T, it might do well in Search. If it doesn’t, it might not.”
While Google might not penalize your blog, it likely also won’t rank if you don’t put a little effort into it.
There’s a lot more to SEO than typing a couple of sentences into ChatGPT and having it crank out a blog post.
To get your website or blog post to rank on Google, there are steps you must follow:
- Keyword research on specific long-tail keywords and phrases your target audience might be searching for, like “How a Durable Power of Attorney Works in Florida”
- Ensuring the article is high-quality and well-optimized for search engines which includes using relevant keywords in post titles, headings, and body text
- Including internal links to other content on your website
Unfortunately, ChatGPT’s SEO abilities are limited to non-existent. Human intervention is still required if you want your law firm to rank on Google.
3. Don’t Put Sensitive Client Information into ChatGPT
Security risks and data breaches should be considered when using AI technology in a professional setting. You don’t want sensitive client information to fall into the wrong hands.
Instead of speculating too much about this, I figured I’d get the info straight from the source.
I input into ChatGPT: “Tell me about the potential for security risks by using chatGPT for sensitive client information”
This is what it generated:
So it’s pretty obvious that you wouldn’t want to put sensitive information into ChatGPT or an AI. Assume that anything you enter into the system could be read by someone else, at any time.
Other Considerations When Using ChatGPT in Your Elder Law or Estate Planning Law Firm
Time & Training
There is a learning curve when implementing any type of new technology, software, or tool in your practice. ChatGPT is no exception.
The user needs to know what to ask to get the desired output. For yourself or your team, this can be a frustrating task. Time needs to be dedicated to learning how to use the tool and being aware of its limitations and risks.
You no Longer Sounding Like “You”
Use ChatGPT too long and you’ll start to sound like a robot. Just kidding, but really, make sure you’re not losing your style and tone of voice in your content.
Our Elder Law Attorney clients primarily work with seniors and their adult children. The content we create for them is sensitive, not aggressive. We want to show that we are competent but also caring, and ready to walk alongside to give them peace of mind and relief.
Your content should sound like you and show clients what they can expect when they meet you.
Loss of Human Connection
There is a risk of losing human interaction with clients as more tasks become automated through AI. Hiring an Elder Law or Estate Planning Attorney is based on feelings and emotions. Be careful not to automate so much that you lose that human connection with your clients during critical moments.
So, is ChatGPT Right for Your Law Firm?
AI technology is quickly becoming an integral part of the legal industry. For Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorneys, ChatGPT can be a great tool in your practice for content creation, video scripts, responding to reviews, and more.
However, it’s important to assess both the benefits and risks associated with ChatGPT and AI tools before jumping in headfirst.
And if you’re curious if ChatGPT helped write this article… it did! But with lots of human intervention and oversight. 🙂
We Can Help Your Elder Law or Estate Planning Practice
At Bambiz, we keep up with the latest technology so you don’t have to.
From workshops & webinars to SEO and social media, we get your law firm in front of quality clients online.
To learn more about how we can help with your Elder Law or Estate Planning firm’s marketing, schedule a free 15-minute call with us.
