Legal Aid Virtual Assistant (LAVA) is a chatbot designed by Atlanta Legal Aid and LawDroid through a grant from the Legal Services Corporation to provide civil legal information. LAVA is trained using information authored by Atlanta Legal Aid attorneys and staff, and can answer general questions about civil law in Georgia.
Watch the video, or read the information below to learn more.
To get started, click the LAVA icon and ask away!
HOW TO USE LAVA
- Answers questions in a friendly, chat style.
- Gives information about legal problems in Georgia.
- Shares links to self-help guides, legal clinics, and other services from Atlanta Legal Aid and Georgia Legal Services.
- Works in English and Spanish with automatic translation.
- Understands unclear or misspelled questions.
- Suggests helpful follow-up questions you can ask.
- Lets you talk or listen using voice-to-text and text-to-voice options.
- LAVA is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice.
- LAVA does not search the internet or use information not found on GeorgiaLegalAid.org.
- If LAVA does not know the answer, it will say, “I don’t know,” instead of guessing or making something up.
- LAVA does not store or transmit any personal information.
First, read and click through the questions and information LAVA provides using the buttons, such as “Understood” to make sure you understand what LAVA does and how it works.
Once prompted:
Start with a Simple Question: Type your question in the chat box. For example, “What are my rights as a tenant?”
Be Clear and Specific: The more details you give, the better LAVA can help. For example, instead of asking, “What do I do?” try “What do I do if my landlord won’t fix the heating?”
Ask Follow-Up Questions: If your question isn’t answered, feel free to ask a follow-up question. LAVA will make suggestions of questions related to your issue.
You can ask LAVA questions about civil law in Georgia or Atlanta Legal Aid services. Some examples include:
“What should I do if my landlord won’t fix things?”
“How can I get help for a domestic violence issue?”
“What are my rights as a parent?”
“How do I apply for help from Atlanta Legal Aid?”
Sí, si preguntas en español, LAVA responderá en español.
Para traducir estas instrucciones, utiliza nuestra herramienta de idiomas en la parte inferior izquierda de la pantalla.