A Solicitor’s Duty in the Age of AI: Keeping Client Intake Information Safe

Key takeaways

• The SRA’s warning notice (17 August 2026) says AI use does not reduce a solicitor’s professional responsibility.
• The SRA received 42 reports of AI-related wrongdoing between July 2025 and July 2026.
• Putting client details into public AI tools can breach confidentiality. It may also waive legal professional privilege.
• Intake is the first point where a firm collects sensitive data, so it is the first place to set safe habits.
• Supervisors stay accountable for work done by the people they supervise.

Why this matters for every law firm

A solicitor’s duty in the age of AI sounds like a big topic. In daily practice, it comes down to a small question: where does client information go?

A new client fills in a form. Someone on the team copies the details into an email, a note or a document. Somewhere along the way, a shortcut tempts. Maybe it is a public AI tool that “tidies up” the notes.

That shortcut is the risk. The SRA says AI in law firms is allowed. It does not ban the technology. It asks firms to keep the same standards they always had: competence, confidentiality, supervision and honesty.

InflowQ builds client intake software for law firms. Intake is where client data first enters a firm, so we look at this question closely. This article covers what the SRA has said, what it means for intake, and how to set up a process that is easy to follow.

What the SRA has said about AI

Three points stand out.

1. AI does not move responsibility. The warning notice says a solicitor stays responsible for the work, even if AI helped produce it. AI cannot owe duties to a client or answer to a regulator. People do.
2. Confidentiality comes first. The SRA warned that entering client information into AI tools without proper safeguards may breach confidentiality and data protection rules. Under its guidance, client data should stay in a secure environment, be kept from unauthorised third parties, not be used to train AI models unless that is clearly authorised and appropriate, and not be kept longer than necessary.
3. Supervisors are accountable. The guidance says solicitors who supervise junior or non-authorised colleagues can still be responsible for errors, such as false case citations reaching a court.

The Law Society of England and Wales has said AI should support legal practice and not replace the solicitor’s role as a trusted adviser.

Why intake is the first risk point

Intake is the first time a firm holds personal details. These often include names, contact details, family circumstances, injury descriptions or immigration history. It is sensitive material from the first minute.

Problems tend to appear when intake is scattered. Details sit in inboxes, call notes, spreadsheets and chat messages. The more places data lives, the harder it is to control.

Scattered intake also leads to:

• repeated typing of the same facts
• details sent to the wrong person
• no clear record of who saw what
• pressure to use quick tools outside approved systems

A single, structured intake process reduces each of these. It gives the firm one place to apply its rules.

Five duties in plain words

These are summaries, not legal advice.

1. Keep client information confidential. Paragraph 6.3 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors covers this. It applies to AI tools too.
2. Check everything AI produces. AI can sound sure and still be wrong. A person must verify it before it is used.
3. Supervise properly. If a trainee or assistant uses AI, the supervising solicitor is still accountable.
4. Be open with clients. The SRA’s compliance tips (last updated 9 February 2026) say clients should be told when they are dealing with AI.
5. Protect personal data. UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules apply whenever personal data is handled, including by software.

A simple AI policy checklist for intake

A firm’s AI policy does not need to be long. A one-page version can cover the basics:

• Name which tools are approved for client data. Name which are not.
• Ban pasting client details into public AI tools unless the firm has approved a secure process.
• Say who is responsible for checking AI output before it is used.
• Add a line to client care letters explaining where AI is used.
• Record who reviewed each intake, and when.
• Train staff with real examples, and repeat it each year.
• Ask the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) to review any new tool before it goes live.

Short rules get followed. Long ones get skipped.

Keep a person in the loop

Software can collect, sort and route client details. A solicitor decides what they mean.

A sensible split looks like this. The system collects basic details, sends a confirmation and offers a call slot. A person reviews the answers for urgency, speaks to the client and gives advice.

This protects clients, and it also keeps the firm’s judgement at the centre of every matter. Our post on automating intake without losing the human touch covers where that line sits.

How InflowQ fits in

InflowQ is client intake software for UK law firms. It helps a firm:

• Collect structured details. No-code questionnaires ask the same clear questions every time, so details arrive complete and in one place.
• Reduce re-typing. Information connects to the case management system a firm already uses, so staff do not copy it between tools.
• Keep data in the UK. Client data is held on secure UK servers, which supports GDPR compliance.
• Keep follow-up simple. Teams can see who has been contacted and what is still open.

InflowQ is a tool, not a compliance service. A firm still needs its own policy, supervision and checks. What the software does is make those habits easier to follow, because client details start in one controlled place.

A quick self-check for your firm

Try this once a quarter:

1. Ask three team members where client details are stored after an enquiry.
2. Check whether any public AI tool has been used with client information.
3. Read your client care letter. Does it mention AI use?
4. Confirm who reviews new tools before staff use them.
5. Count how many places one client’s details are held.

If the answers surprise you, that is a useful finding.

Frequently asked questions

Final thoughts

The solicitor’s duty in the age of AI is not new. It is the old duty applied to new tools: protect the client, check the work and be honest about how it was done. Firms that get intake right make everything after it easier to control.

To see how this could work for your firm, book a free 30-minute demo with InflowQ.