Futurelawyer

Legal Insight Florida - A Focused Chat GPT Bot That Searches All Secondary Legal Sources.

As many of you know, I have been playing with Chat GPT recently, and am creating focused databases designed to deal with specific subjects. My first effort, Florida Law Guide, accesses all primary law, case law, statutory law, etc. to give an analysis of any fact pattern, or to provide an answer to general legal questions related to Florida law. Today, I added to the stable, creating Legal Insight Florida, which accesses all secondary law sources, from blogs, to articles, to municipal ordinances, and many others. Here is a sampling of the database that I can now access with a question. I created it with a simple instruction to Chat GPT:

"Create a new GPT titled "Legal Resources Supplement", and include the following databases: Local Ordinances and Regulations: Many municipalities and counties in Florida have specific ordinances and regulations that aren't covered by state-level databases. Adding these can provide a more detailed view of local legal landscapes. Administrative Decisions and Rulings: While I have access to general regulations, specific administrative rulings and decisions, particularly those from state agencies, might not be included. These can be crucial for understanding how laws are interpreted and applied in practice. Continuing Legal Education Materials: Florida-specific CLE materials often contain detailed discussions of recent legal developments and practical guidance for lawyers. Law Journals and Academic Publications: Articles from law journals, especially those focusing on Florida law, can provide in-depth analyses of legal issues and developments. Legal Blogs and News Sources: Blogs and legal news websites focused on Florida law can offer up-to-date information and perspectives on current legal issues and developments. Historical Legal Documents: For a historical perspective, adding older legal documents, such as historical versions of statutes or historical case law, might be beneficial. Public Records and Court Documents: Access to a database of public records and filed court documents in Florida courts could be valuable for understanding how laws are practically applied and interpreted in real cases."

 

 

Of course, the user must always check the accuracy of the results; but using these two resources, which combine just about everything available in the world, dealing with Florida law, I have access to amazing results. I did not have to subscribe to a pricey legal research service, or buy a library of books or CDs.; my only expense was the time I spent creating these tools, and a $20 a month subscription to Chat GPT Plus. 

 

If you aren't playing with this new research tool every day, you are soon going to find yourself left behind. 

 

You, Too, Can Create Your Own Chat GPT Chatbot.

How To Create Your Own Custom Chat GPT Chatbot. Chat GPT Plus members can now create their own specific chatbots, designed to answer questions using specific databases. Once created, you can have conversations with the bot that are specifically tailored. I have created one that accesses all Florida Law databases, including statutes, case law, treatises and regulations. I call it the Florida Law Guide. In a recent fact pattern from a discussion group about joint ownership, I created the following question, and have included the answer from my Florida Law Guide. The linked article contains instructions about how to build your own bot. Amazing times.

 

You

A duplex is owned by two sisters, who do not get along. One sister has rented her unit to a tenant, and now wants to evict the tenant. Does she have any recourse without the consent of her sister?

 

Florida Law Guide, a bot created by Rick Georges, the FutureLawyer.

In Florida, the rights and responsibilities of co-owners of a duplex, particularly in the context of one owner wanting to evict a tenant without the other owner's consent, are governed by state property and landlord-tenant laws.

1. Individual Ownership Rights: Generally, if the duplex is divided into separate units and each sister owns one unit outright, the sister who owns the unit in question typically has the right to manage her property, including leasing and eviction processes. However, this depends on how the property is titled and any agreements or restrictions in place.

2. Joint Ownership Considerations: If the property is jointly owned and not divided into legally separate units, both owners usually have equal rights to the property. In such cases, one owner may not unilaterally make decisions that affect the whole property, such as evicting a tenant, without the consent of the other owner.

3. Legal Agreements and Understandings: If there are any existing agreements or understandings (formal or informal) between the sisters regarding the management of the property, these could influence what actions can be taken independently.

4. Eviction Process Compliance: The sister seeking to evict a tenant must comply with Florida's eviction laws, including providing proper notice and having a legal reason for eviction. This process is independent of co-ownership issues but must still be adhered to.

5. Mediation or Legal Action: In cases of disagreement between co-owners, mediation can be sought to reach an agreement. If no resolution is found, legal action might be necessary, and a court could potentially make a ruling on the matter.

6. Consultation with a Legal Professional: Given the complexity of property rights and the potential for legal disputes in such scenarios, it is advisable for the sisters to consult with a real estate attorney to understand their rights and obligations and to navigate the situation legally and effectively.

Remember, this is a general overview and not a substitute for professional legal advice. Each situation is unique and should be assessed by a qualified attorney who can provide guidance based on the specific circumstances and Florida law."

 

AudioPen - This Is Not Your Father's Dictation System.

AudioPen. As soon as Chat GPT hit the streets late last year, I, and a few million of my friends, were excited to see where Generative AI could take us as professionals, with an emphasis on my profession of law. While others worried about AI research supplanting humans, I saw immediately that any new computer tool could be used to "enhance", and not to replace, humans in any given job. As AI matures, it is interesting to see how my fellow humans, and lawyers in particular, are going to be using the power of machines that are smarter, in some ways, than humans. They are certainly magnitudes faster than humans. Recently, I discovered a new application, AudioPen, that applies AI to random notes and dictation spoken by a human into a microphone, analyzes it, and turns it into readable, publishable text. At least, that is the plan. 

Well, I just spent a couple of minutes dictating random thoughts into the AudioPen app, and, in less than a minute, the application came up with this:

"Today, I'm trying out a new app called AudioPen. It uses smart AI to help write notes. You can use it with Chrome or on its own. This app is special because it can turn spoken words into clear written text. Generative AI has even been used to write books! AudioPen goes that one better.

AudioPen takes what you say and turns it into something you can share with others. This saves time because you don't have to edit your words as much. I used to pay $15 a month for another app, but I didn't use it much because the text needed lots of editing.

Now, I've talked for 2 and a half minutes about AudioPen. I'll let the app check my words and see what happens."

Pretty amazing. In the old days, I can remember driving home from a deposition, and speaking random notes into a portable tape recorder. When I got back to the office, I would give the microcassette to my secretary, and she would transcribe my notes into a paper transcript, which I would use to refresh my memory later. We all thought that was just the best thing ever. Now, I can see using AudioPen to draft memoranda, pleadings, correspondence, and just about anything a lawyer might need to get through the day. Generative AI will not replace lawyers. It just might, however, make us faster and better at what we do.

AudioPen - Dictating Notes And Text Just Got Better.

Audiopen. AI is already changing, for the better, the way that I practice law. Ernie Svenson, my legal tech god, is always miles ahead of the curve in legal tech. His dogged determination and genius has guided me for a long time. The recommendation of AudioPen, which is an AI powered voice to text tool, is the latest example. Just start dictating, and AudioPen will transcribe the text immediately; except, it does one better. It rewrites the text in an organized fashion that requires little editing to use. Amazing. I have long tried to use Dragon Naturally Speaking; but, have always found that I need to do a lot of editing to make my ramblings usable. You can try this amazing AI software for free; but I guarantee you will want to buy it.

ProDoc Merges Into Westlaw Form Builder.

#TBT - In 1993 WordPerfect Was The Only Word Processor Worth Using...But, It Took 13 Floppies To Install.

#TeamWordPerfect - The World Has Turned On Its Head.

This little snippet, quoted in a recent post by fellow WordPerfect user, Judge Dillard, accurately shows my mood this morning, after spending a couple of hours yesterday formatting a Word document. Lord, save me from Microsoft Word, and let your minions populate the earth with WordPerfect goodness.

We can put a man on the moon, build supercomputers, put all the world's libraries in the palm of our hands. But we cannot get Word to stop randomly formatting and putting blank spaces in documents....

#WhyIAmASolo - A Solo Can Start A Law Firm Whenever They Want.

Start A Law Firm. Many lawyers aspire to have their own law firm, even if they don't necessarily want to go solo. The Florida Bar provides free educational materials for Florida lawyers at the LegalFuel website; but, much of the knowledge translates to any lawyer anywhere. This page has all sorts of great advice for a lawyer wanting to start a new firm, and is mandatory reading if you wish to follow. So, do a little reading; and, when your are ready, take the plunge. I did, and never looked back.

Generative AI Is Now Available As An Android App.

Chat GPT Is Now Available For Android. My favorite AI bot, the Open AI ChatGPT is now available on my smartphone, as an app. Since I subscribe to the plus version, I have access to the GPT 4 variation, which, IMHO, is the best available. Combined with the AIPRM Premium, which has predrafted prompts that greatly speed up and simplify research, I literally have an almost free intelligent employee that provides great content. Of course, it isn't perfect, so I have to edit and check the accuracy of its work; but you really need to get started using this stuff. 

Florida Lawyer's Guide To Efiling.

Florida Courts Efiling Requirements. My favorite Florida Bar website contains many how to do it seminars on Florida law practice. Today, I am highlighting the one hour webinar on Efiling in the Florida Court System. A Florida lawyer is now required to efile all pleadings, motions and other papers in the State efiling system, with few exceptions (original Wills, etc.). So, as a solo lawyer, I can practice law in all of Florida from a computer terminal. Of course, many ordinary court hearings are now conducted via Zoom video teleconferencing, and many lawyers conduct depositions, client conferences and other events online. The efficiencies and advantages of an online law practice are undeniable. In fact, such a virtual practice makes my avocation of RV lawyering possible. Florida lawyers can do a lot of their work wherever they are, as long as they have a computer and broadband Internet access. Of course, there are major exceptions to this; including jury trials, criminal trials, and other major events. Florida has always been a leader in efiling, and I am proud that I was part of the original effort to standardize efiling across the State. Even if you aren't a lawyer, you should educate yourself about the process. It is the system your lawyer is using to file paperwork in your case.