Why You Shouldn’t Get Legal Advice from TikTok
Lately, it seems like you can learn anything on TikTok. It’s easy to find new recipes for the holidays, throwback millennial dance trends, and… reliable legal advice? On #LawyerTok, attorneys are telling stories, explaining legal “loopholes”, and even giving out tips on how to deal with law enforcement. We looked into this trend to see if you should trust the legal advice you find online.
Legal Guidance vs. Legal Advice
Did you know that there is a difference between receiving legal guidance and receiving legal advice?
To put it simply, legal guidance tells you what you could do, but legal advice tells you what you should do.
The ethical guidelines for practicing lawyers are clear, and they must provide information that is current and accurate to potential clients. So when an attorney agrees to give legal advice, they establish an attorney-client relationship. That allows them to discuss the specifics of a situation and give the best possible recommendation for your needs.
On TikTok, though, lawyers can only provide legal guidance. This means they can explain what the law is and how it is enforced, but not how you should act in your situation. Importantly, they are not responsible for the decisions you make based on that information.
What’s Funny Isn’t Always What’s True
The most popular videos on TikTok might seem over-the-top, but with lawyers, that’s for good reason. The same set of rules that dictates how an attorney talks to their future clients also dictates how they can talk about former clients. This means most of these content creators have to make “adjustments” to the story details that protect the identity of their clients — and the integrity of their practice.
Does this mean every video is a lie? Of course not!
We scrolled through video after video, and the truth is that plenty of #LawyerTikTok stories are educational and reveal facts about local ordinances that may surprise you. But when a story sounds too good to be true, it probably is. When it’s time to get specific about your case, it’s a good idea to log off and ask an expert.
Know Your Civil Rights
It’s important to understand your civil rights, so you can be empowered before a potentially challenging situation arises. With a mobile app like TurnSignl, users have access to live legal guidance for encounters while driving, like a traffic stop or after an auto accident.
However, anyone can learn more about their civil rights by reading through local rules & regulations, available in the app and widely available from other online resources like the ACLU and Know Your Rights Camp.
Being empowered and knowing your rights is the easiest way to achieve the best possible outcome in any legal situation. For an attorney in your passenger seat every time you hit the road, download the TurnSignl app today on iOS or Android.
