Back in February I sat down and wrote two months worth of blog posts. It felt good to be ahead for once. Everything was scheduled, ready to go, and I did not have to think about it.

Today I had an article queued up about AI. And when I went back and read it, I realized that what I wrote two months ago is already outdated. That is how fast this is moving.

So you are getting a fresh one. And it is coming in two parts. This post is Part 1. Part 2 drops Thursday and it covers something every divorcing person in Memphis needs to hear: that AI chatbot you have been whispering your secrets to at midnight cannot keep them.

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At the risk of sounding like an old man yelling about technology, let me say something that may sound strange coming from a guy who makes his living giving advice.

Not all advice is created equal.

And in divorce, bad advice is expensive advice.

Lately I have started hearing a new phrase in consultations.

“I asked AI and it said…”

Sometimes what it says is fine.

Sometimes what it says is incomplete.

Sometimes what it says is flat wrong for Tennessee.

But almost always, it is missing the one thing that actually matters.

Your facts.

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Divorce law is not a recipe. It is not plug-and-play. Outcomes depend on your income, your debt, your kids, your county, your judge, your history, and your paper trail. None of that fits into a prompt box.

AI does not know your judge.

AI does not know your courtroom.

AI does not know what has already been filed in your case.

So it fills in the blanks with averages, general rules, and best guesses.

And best guesses quietly wreck good cases.

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We have even added a clause to our contracts that says we reserve the right to refuse to review pleadings or documents that are solely AI generated. Not because AI is evil. Because AI is a people pleaser.

AI will try to make you feel right.

It will try to make your story sound clean.

It will assume you did nothing wrong.

I do not.

And that is exactly why you need me.

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Good information can help you ask better questions.

Bad information can lock you into bad decisions.

And the more confident it sounds, the more dangerous it can be.

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Lawyer Bill’s Advice

Use AI. Read everything. Get informed.

Just do not confuse information with legal strategy.

Because your future is not decided by a search bar.

It is decided in a courtroom.

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Part 2 drops Thursday: That AI Chatbot Cannot Keep Your Secrets. If you have been typing your case details into ChatGPT, you need to read it.

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About the Author: William W. Jones IV is a Memphis family law attorney, Rule 31 Listed Family Mediator, and Super Lawyers selectee every consecutive year from 2014 through 2025. Licensed in Tennessee (BPR 022869) and Mississippi (BPR 100707), he practices at The Jones Law Firm, 5100 Poplar Ave, Suite 708, Memphis, TN 38137. Call (901) 761-5353 or visit midsouthdivorce.com.