Divorce is a deeply personal journey that many women may navigate at some point in their lives. The road is riddled with emotional highs and lows, legal complexities, and financial changes. As if divorce isn’t complicated enough, the introduction of AI technology into mainstream society has the potential to change how you approach divorce, too. This blog post dives into how to use AI in reshaping your divorce process, offering women everywhere newfound tools to empower and support them through the life challenge of separation and divorce.
What Is AI?
AI, or artificial intelligence, feels like it’s a space-age invention. However, AI is now a consistent part of everyday life. At its core, Artificial intelligence (AI) is the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that generally require human intelligence. It has changed how we work, eat, consume entertainment, and process relationships. The recent Hollywood writer’s strike was largely due to AI’s growing prominence in our everyday lives. Whether we are ready or not, AI technology will become a staple of our future lives.
How Can AI Impact Divorce?
With the fast-changing technological landscape, we are starting to see AI used in the legal world. This includes using AI to navigate the divorce process. It is starting to be used in a limited capacity, like with tedious paperwork and scheduling, but the future is vast for artificial intelligence. AI can help you get a leg up on your divorce! It can offer you resources and information that are otherwise difficult to access. However, like all new technological advances, there are positives and negatives to relying too heavily on non-human information.
Pros for AI in Divorce: Efficiency
Whether you consult a lawyer or go about the divorce on your own, AI technology can help make the process more efficient. It can help you fill in primary forms and paperwork, freeing up your time to focus on what matters most: your emotional well-being. Even lawyers can use AI technology to get the basic forms completed. This can save you time and money in the long run. It can also direct you straight to the needed forms and give you directions on how to file for divorce in your state. Having the proper forms you need at your fingertips can help set your divorce on the right path.
For example, if you are a woman in California contemplating a divorce and have no idea where to start. You may start by consulting Chatgpt to learn the steps in a California divorce. You can ask the AI to walk you through the basic steps and where to begin. Then, you might ask Chatgpt for the specific forms that you will need to file for a divorce. It then gives you a list of important forms and where to access them, including a petition for dissolution of marriage (FL-100), Summons (FL-110), Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage (FL-115), and so on.
You can ask Chatgpt for resources on how to access affordable divorce help. It then lists and links a variety of self-help resources, like the CA court self-help centers, links to legal aid organizations, and a list of nonprofit organizations. Finally, as you print the needed forms, you realize that you have no idea what any of this legal jargon means. Chatgpt can give you a step-by-step breakdown of what every section on the FL-100 is asking for, helping to make the form much more manageable. With the help of Chatgpt, you can do a lot of the preliminary research and paperwork needed to ensure an efficient process.
Pro: Simplifies the Legal Research Process
AI software can be a great tool when you first start considering divorce. Programs like Chatgpt as discussed above can help explain the legal process in a simple way. It can break down the different aspects of a divorce, and it might be able to tell you more about the legal process in your state. While it cannot give you any legal advice or recommendations, AI mechanisms can use algorithms to explain the process. It can answer questions including:
- What are the steps to filing a divorce petition in X state?
- How much child support can I ask for based on X factors?
- In what cases will the court grant spousal support?
However, you should be mindful that not all of Chatgpt’s information is entirely accurate. It cannot keep up with all current laws and legal trends. Therefore, it is not ideal to rely solely on the information presented by AI.
However, it can be a very helpful jumping-off point when brainstorming the different options and information regarding your divorce.
Read “Getting Help with Your Mind-Numbing Divorce Forms”
Con: Security Concerns
As AI services are online platforms, there is increased concern about keeping your information safe. As with all technology, it’s important to be aware and cautious about data privacy and security. These AI systems are designed to collect legal information to use in the future. This differs from a lawyer’s duty to keep your information confidential. As you search for answers online, it’s always best to be mindful of the personal information you share.
Check out “Public Divorce Records: How to Protect Your Privacy.”
Con: Lack of Information
Consulting AI about your divorce is not right for every person. If your divorce is full of complex legal issues or is very contentious, then there might be better options than consulting AI. AI sites generally have access to limited information. This means that these search engines can give you basic legal resources. However, they cannot construct legal arguments. So, if you and your Ex cannot agree on issues like custody, dividing property, or spousal support, you might not have a lot of luck using AI.
Consulting AI technology is best if yours is a cooperative and amicable divorce.
Additionally, AI technology is not always accurate. The law changes so quickly that it can be difficult for the technology to stay current. Therefore, even if you use sources like Chatgpt to look up things about divorce, it’s helpful to double-check the information with different sites and professionals.
Read more about the future of AI and Divorce here.
AI Is not Human!
With all the technical help that seems to be possible at the hands of AI, at the end of the day, artificial intelligence is not human! A computer cannot replicate the hands-on, empathetic approach that comes with the process. Many lawyers use AI in their practice but are also wary of an extreme reliance on the technology. Lawyers might rely on AI to perform simple, mindless tasks, like filling in basic paperwork. It can allow them to focus on the issues that actually matter. Their time is freed up to focus on the heart of their work: you! But you must understand, AI technology is not capable of giving legal recommendations. A lawyer is needed to provide constructive and practical legal advice. This is something that AI can never replace.
Conclusion
When it comes to divorce, there is no winning. It will always involve some form of compromise. But the goal is to create compromises that you can live with. Using AI technology is a great way to get educated before you make big decisions. And while there is no replacement (at least now) for personal feedback and expert advice on your particular story, AI could help you get started in securing a healthy and happy outcome for you and your family.
NOTES
Elizabeth is a newly minted attorney passionate about children and families and plans to work in a family-centered nonprofit.
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*We support same-sex marriages. For the sake of simplicity in this article, however, we refer to your spouse as your “husband” or a “he.”
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