Courts respond as more self-represented people use AI to file papers

In short: More people are using ChatGPT-style tools to write and file their own court documents, and courts are adding new rules to manage mistakes and higher workloads.

What's going on

Self-represented litigants, meaning people who go to court without a lawyer, are increasingly using generative AI. These tools can draft complaints and motions, summarize legal ideas in plain English, and help organize facts and timelines. It is like having a writing helper that can turn rough notes into something that looks more formal.

Some examples are getting attention. A podcast from the American Arbitration Association described a California appeal where a self-represented person reportedly used AI tools to draft the appeal and succeeded in overturning a $55,000 judgment.

Courts and researchers also see signs of more filings in certain case types. The National Center for State Courts reported that civil filings rose in 2023, with a 10.75% year-over-year increase, and contract cases rose sharply in 2022 and 2023 across reporting states. The report suggests easier AI drafting may be one factor, although it does not prove AI is the cause.

At the same time, judges are seeing AI “hallucinations,” which is when an AI tool makes up facts or legal citations that do not exist (like a student citing a book that was never written). One tracker counted 294 instances in 2025 where U.S. self-represented litigants had hallucinations noted in court decisions.

What to watch

Courts are moving toward guardrails instead of bans. For example, a Colorado appeals court warned that future filings with fake AI-generated citations could lead to penalties. Some courts, including Miami-Dade County in Florida, require people to disclose AI use and certify they personally checked every fact and citation. Expect more disclosure rules, more reminders to verify sources, and possibly more tools to screen filings for obviously fake citations.

Source: NYTimes