Politicians in Germany are seeking to bring in legislation which will bridge the gap between advice provided via legal tech companies and by lawyers. German laws governing the profession currently only recognise legal advice provided by lawyers, with only a few exceptions. The FDP political party is proposing the adoption of a tiered regulation model that would introduce Legal Tech companies to the liability model of lawyers and subject them to the judicial oversight of the German federal states. In particular they are targeting automated platforms that guide people through a legal claim process, such as flight compensation sites.
BRAK – the German Federal Bar Association has been critical of the proposed law, however, as it maintains the position that only lawyers can provide regulated legal advice. If this legislation is ultimately adopted it could lead to other European jurisdictions adopting a similar approach, and possibly even legislation at an EU-level.