New Project: How People Expect AI to Support Them with Legal Issues in the Future
M·E·L Research has been commissioned by the Legal Services Board (LSB) to deliver a significant new study exploring how people expect artificial intelligence (AI) to support them when they face a legal issue in the future, and what this means for regulation across England and Wales.
This study is being delivered with support from the LSB Public Panel, which provides informed consumer perspectives to shape regulatory policy. The Public Panel is also available for legal services stakeholders to commission for their own engagement needs.
AI is already transforming how people interact with the law, from chatbots that draft complaint letters to generative tools that explain complex procedures in plain English. These innovations promise faster, more accessible advice. But they also raise vital questions: when do people trust AI with legal problems? What happens when things go wrong? How can technology stay fair, transparent and accountable?
“This study is about more than attitudes to technology; it’s about understanding the values people bring to decisions about fairness, accountability and trust. AI has the potential to transform how people access legal help, but it also raises important questions about transparency and responsibility.
By connecting people’s lived perspectives to the regulatory landscape, we can help ensure that innovation in legal services develops in a way that supports access, confidence and fairness for everyone.”
The study will combine expert interviews, deliberative workshops across England and Wales (drawing on the LSB Public Panel), and a nationally representative online survey of 1,000 legal service users. Together, these stages will build a detailed picture of how people understand and experience AI in legal contexts, and how their expectation evolve when considering real-world scenarios where law, technology and everyday life intersect. It will explore:
How consumers understand, experience and expect AI-enabled legal tools to behave across common legal problems;
What people consider the ‘red lines’ for fairness, accountability and human oversight;
Where public expectations may diverge from current regulatory protections or market practice
How to ensure AI supports access to justice without compromising consumer protection.
“Our approach brings consumers directly into the conversation about the future of legal services, recognising that when people use AI for legal help, it’s often during deeply personal moments like a housing dispute or a family issue. By combining deliberative workshops with national survey data, we can show not just what people think about AI, but how their expectations evolve as they reflect on real-life situations where rights, responsibilities and digital tools intersect.”
Insights will inform the LSB’s work as the oversight regulator for regulated legal services in England and Wales, supporting its strategic objectives to improve access to justice and protect and promote the interests of the public and consumers. The study complements the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) ongoing research into current technology and AI adoption, providing future-focused insights that help ensure evidence streams are aligned and actionable across the sector.
For M·E·L Research, this project draws together our expertise in public deliberation, digital inclusion and regulatory insight. It builds on our recent work with the Ada Lovelace Institute to explore public attitudes towards AI regulation in the UK; with the MACH Alliance to understand how organisations are adopting AI and emerging digital architectures; and with the Bar Standards Board on digital exclusion in legal services. These studies demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that technological innovation is grounded in evidence, equity and public trust.
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Get in touch with the M·E·L Research team today via our ‘Get in touch’ form below to see how our expert researchers can support your goals. Alternatively, you can email the team at info@melresearch.co.uk.
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