1. It's all about the prompts, about the prompts...
ChatGPT is only as smart as you prompt it to be.
- If you ask a general question, you'll get a general answer.
- If you ask a specific question, you'll get a specific answer.
- But if you ask a specific question that it doesn't know, it may give you an answer anyway and it may well be wrong.
So it's important to ask questions that make sense and are in sufficient detail to get quality answers, and even then, you have to check them.
How you ask the question matters a lot. The more you phrase your question using legally precise terminology, the more likely you will get a good response.
2. Always ask for "citations," and be clear about whether you mean URLs or statutes, and then check to see if the citations are real
One tip is to ask for citations, which sometimes will give you just a URL to a website. If you want citations to Mississippi law or statutes, it's better to spell that out. If you want both, say so.
2.5. Always check the citations to see if they are accurate or current
Sometimes, ChatGPT will give you an answer that looks complete but may not be 100% up to date. Having a citation helps you check the information with a reliable source.
Here's an example.
We asked ChatGPT 4.0 for a citation for the exemption for motor vehicles in Arizona, and it gave us this answer:
As of my last training cut-off in September 2021, the motor vehicle exemption in Arizona allows you to protect up to $6,000 of equity in your car or other vehicle. If you're disabled, the exemption is $12,000.....
As an AI developed by OpenAI, I'm unable to browse the internet or access live data, so I can't provide direct links. However, as of my last training cut-off in September 2021, the exemption for a motor vehicle in Arizona was found in Arizona Revised Statutes § 33-1125. The specific subsection regarding motor vehicles is usually 33-1125(A)(4).
When you get a citation, ALWAYS check it by Googling it to see if it's current.
In this case, a simple search for 33-1125(A)(4) found the statue on the official Arizona site and revealed that some things had changed since 2021:
- The relevant subsection is now (8), and there is not an (A) part to this section of the Arizona code.
- The relevant limits were increased to $15,000 and $25,000 and are now indexed for inflation
33-1125. Personal items
The following property of a debtor used primarily for personal, family or household purposes is exempt from process:
1. All wearing apparel of not more than a fair market value of five hundred dollars.
2. All musical instruments provided for the debtor's individual or family use of not more than an aggregate fair market value of four hundred dollars.
3. Horses, milk cows and poultry of not more than an aggregate fair market value of one thousand dollars.
4. All engagement and wedding rings of not more than an aggregate fair market value of two thousand dollars.
5. The library of a debtor, including books, manuals, published materials and personal documents of not more than an aggregate fair market value of two hundred fifty dollars.
6. One watch of not more than a fair market value of two hundred fifty dollars.
7. One typewriter, one computer, one bicycle, one sewing machine, a family bible or a lot in any burial ground of not more than an aggregate fair market value of two thousand dollars.
8. Equity in one motor vehicle of not more than $15,000. If the debtor or debtor's dependent has a physical disability, the equity in the motor vehicle shall not exceed $25,000. The exemption prescribed in this paragraph shall be adjusted annually beginning on January 1, 2024 and thereafter on January 1 of each successive year by the increase in the cost of living. The increase in the cost of living shall be measured by the percentage increase as of August of the immediately preceding year over the level as of August of the previous year of the consumer price index (all urban consumers, United States city average for all items) or its successor index as published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, or its successor agency, with the amount of the exemption rounded up to the nearest $100.
9. Professionally prescribed prostheses for the debtor or a dependent of the debtor, including a wheelchair or motorized mobility device.
10. All firearms of not more than an aggregate fair market value of two thousand dollars.
11. All domestic animals or household pets.
SOURCE: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01125.htm accessed June 6, 2023
This example should underscore the importance of checking citations to statutes or cases to safely use ChatGPT.
3. You don't need to ask it to act as a lawyer
You may know that you can ask ChatGPT to have a particular voice, etc. Asking it to act as a lawyer may be more likely to give you a detailed answer, but as you can see from the example above it will give a detailed answer without it, if the question is obviously legal and you ask for citations.
4. If You're Using OpenAI, Use ChatGPT 4.0 or later, not 3.5
Spend the $20 bucks it takes to use version 4.0. It's worth it. You are much more likely to get a good answer using ChatGPT 4 rather than 3.5, especially when asking about local procedures.
Here's proof:
SAMPLE PROMPT:
"What is the procedure for handling an estate of someone who dies without a will in Apache County, Arizona? Please provide citations to relevant statutes and links to relevant local websites."
ChatGPT 3.5 Answer:
I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I don't have real-time access to specific local statutes or websites. My knowledge was last updated in September 2021, and I don't have the capability to browse the internet or provide real-time information. Estate laws and procedures can vary by jurisdiction and may have changed since my last update. Therefore, it's important to consult with a local attorney or the Apache County Probate Court for the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding handling an estate without a will in Apache County, Arizona. They will be able to provide you with the specific statutes and procedures relevant to your situation.
ChatGPT 4.0 Answer:
When a person dies without a will in Arizona, including Apache County, the procedure for handling their estate is called "intestate succession." The Arizona Revised Statutes Title 14 (Trusts, Estates and Protective Proceedings) details how an estate is to be distributed when there's no will.
First, let's review what the intestate succession laws say:
- If there is a surviving spouse, the spouse receives the entire estate if there are no descendants or if all of the decedent's descendants are also descendants of the surviving spouse. If there are descendants of the decedent who are not descendants of the surviving spouse, the spouse receives only half of the estate. See Arizona Revised Statute 14-2102: https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/02102.htm
- If there is no surviving spouse, the estate is distributed to the descendants (children, grandchildren, etc.), parents, siblings, or more distant relatives, depending on who is alive at the time of death. See Arizona Revised Statute 14-2103, 14-2104, 14-2105: https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/02103.htm, https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/02104.htm, https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/02105.htm
Here are the general steps to handle an estate when someone dies intestate in Arizona:
Petition the court to open probate: This is done in the probate court for the county where the decedent lived, in this case, Apache County. The person who wants to manage the estate, known as the administrator (equivalent to the executor when there's a will), files a petition to open probate.
Notice to heirs and creditors: After the court approves the petition and appoints the administrator, that person must send notice to heirs and creditors of the estate. Creditors typically have four months to claim any debts from the estate.
Inventory and appraise the estate: The administrator must list the assets of the estate, determine their value, and provide this information to the court.
Pay the estate's debts: Before distributing the remaining assets to the heirs, the administrator must use estate funds to pay any valid claims by creditors.
Distribute the remaining assets to the heirs: Once the debts are paid, the administrator distributes the remaining assets to the heirs according to Arizona's intestate succession laws.
Close the probate process: Once all the property has been distributed, the administrator files a final account and petition to close the probate process with the court. After the court approves this petition, the probate process is completed.
You can find further details about these steps in the Apache County Probate Court or on the Arizona Courts' website: https://www.azcourts.gov/probate. You should also consider consulting with a local probate attorney to guide you through the process.
Please note that laws can change, so always verify information with a legal professional or trusted source.
As you can see, version 4.0 gave a much more complete answer.
5. Google Bard can be quite good on local information and recent case law.
Our tests found Google Bard to be the best at giving information about county and local offices and forms.
And for finding recent case law.
EXAMPLES: Applying these Principles to Construct ChatGPT Prompts For Researching the Law in Union County, MS
In other articles in this section, we apply the above principles to construct what we hope will be useful prompts for researching law and procedure in Union County, MS.
The content of this article pertains to all US states and counties.