Does adding the phrase “I am not a lawyer” or equivalent, on the internet in general, have any legal effect?
I'm interested to know if, in general, on any site on the internet, whichever jurisdiction its content may be hosted in, does adding "I am not a lawyer" to your advice protect you from any potential liability?
Country
- Canada
Fields:
- Contract
Share
I'm not a lawyer phrase or this is not legal advice doesn’t have any legal effect unless the legal advice has the following characteristics: -Requires legal knowledge, skill, education and judgment -Applies specific law to a particular set of circumstances -Affects someone's legal rights or responsibilities -Creates rights and responsibilities in the advice-giver If the advice you give meets these criteria then it is legal advice. However, if you are clear that you are not a lawyer and that you are not giving legal advice then this undermines the characteristics above. That is, what would be legal advice without such a disclaimer may lose that characteristic if the disclaimer is genuinely given in particular circumstances. Context matters: "this is not legal advice " is not a disclaimer and doesn't turn legal advice into not legal advice. Ultimately, if you're not a lawyer and giving legal advice you would be accused of unauthorised practice of law that is prohibited by regulations and court rules.