Reddit: Legal Advice or Not?

Reddit’s legal advice can seem risky as you might lift a book from a Wikipedia article. Is it true? Does it really exist? Is it accurate? Are you going get in more trouble if your relying on it? It’s probably best to read the book and speak with a real lawyer.

Reddit’s Legal Advice section can help answer the most basic legal question, “Do you need a lawyer?”

When and If

We believe (hoping maybe) that not everyone is mining Reddit’s r/legaladvice Subreddit and paired Twitter Account for legal topics to discuss on our blogs. These topics include “Using a Power of Attorney in order to kick kids out of the house” and “How rich do I have to get sent to a Country Club Prison?” As an example. Most, if not all forum members ask serious questions about legal problems. Reddit is clear in stating that answers to questions on the subreddit don’t constitute legal advice.

Nicole Clark of Vice wrote, “Many of our most helpful and useful threads on r/legaladvice simply answer the question of whether or not someone requires an attorney.” Reddit users must be aware of whether they need legal help. Clark said that another gap was filled by r/legaladvice, which tells people when they need one — which is often some of the most important advice. Clark noted that the most common reason these people didn’t get a lawyer is because they didn’t know they needed one.

Where to turn

The article also pointed out that you don’t need an attorney to find out about prisons at country clubs. Specialists other than lawyers, such the moderators and contributors to the legal advise subreddit can give you the exact same information as attorneys, and sometimes more so.

See also Who can give legal advice?

A lawyer is your best source to legal advice, as we have always said. You might be wondering if you really need to speak with a lawyer. Many of these people are happy to answer any questions you have or offer consultations at no cost. Reddit isn’t necessarily the best place for legal questions. FindLaw should still be your first choice.

Reddit: Legal Advice or Not?