Charley Moore brings a rare combination of legal training, military service, and technology leadership to discussions about how non-lawyers interact with the legal system. After serving as a U.S. Naval Officer and practicing law with a focus on emerging technology companies, he founded Rocket Lawyer in 2008 and guided the platform for two decades. Through subscription legal plans, document automation, and attorney networks, Moore helped shape tools designed to make routine legal work more accessible and efficient for individuals and small organizations. His experience scaling a values-based company in a highly regulated environment informs a pragmatic view of what legal technology can and cannot do. Today, he also leads Invictus AI, where he focuses on practical AI applications that autonomously complete defined tasks. Charley Moore’s background provides a grounded perspective on how self-service legal tools support non-lawyers who manage contracts, forms, and signatures as part of their everyday work.
What Legal Tech Can Actually Do for a Non-Lawyer
A freelance graphic designer drafting NDAs, a landlord preparing lease agreements, or a small business owner finalizing service contracts are all examples of people who regularly handle legal tasks without formal legal training. Legal tech offers a convenient way to complete specific legal tasks without relying solely on traditional legal services.
Legal tech refers to software platforms that enable individuals to complete common legal tasks through self-service tools. Most of these tools rely on web-based forms, automation, and guided question-and-answer prompts. Examples include Rocket Lawyer, LegalZoom, and LawDepot, which offer tools to create and customize legal documents. These platforms focus on common legal needs and typically explain that templates and tools are not the same as legal advice or court representation.
One of the most common uses of legal tech is document creation. These platforms guide users through question sets to generate contracts, lease forms, NDAs, and similar documents. Each form reflects the inputs users provide and helps them avoid missing key sections while removing the need to start from a blank page.
After users create a document, many services let them finalize it using electronic signatures. E-signature providers describe security measures such as verification steps, encryption, and audit trails that record signing activity. Users can download signed documents and store them in a cloud folder or with the provider, which reduces the need for printing, scanning, or mailing forms.
Many platforms also offer legal Q&A tools that help people manage contracts or handle early questions without a legal background. These features help users spot common decision points and decide whether a template is enough or whether an attorney should review the situation. While these tools do not provide case-specific legal advice, they support early-stage decision-making.
After users understand the terms, some platforms support follow-through by keeping documents organized for reuse. A saved document makes it easier to generate a new version when the same type of work repeats. This reduces rework when a familiar agreement needs an update.
Legal tech does not provide court representation, and platforms often state that services are not a substitute for an attorney when a matter becomes complex or high-stakes. Many services draw clear boundaries around legal advice and representation, especially when local laws or procedural rules matter. Some platforms also offer access to attorneys as an added service when a user needs help beyond self-service tools.
To balance independence with reliability, many legal tech platforms now use a hybrid model. These models combine self-guided tools with optional attorney access or attorney-backed services. This structure allows users to complete routine tasks independently while requesting review or consultation when the situation calls for it. Subscription-based legal help and paid add-ons often reflect this layered approach.
Those who benefit most from legal tech often handle frequent, repeatable legal tasks. Independent contractors managing multiple client contracts, landlords overseeing several units, and entrepreneurs handling their own forms all gain from reducing delays and improving document consistency. For these users, completing a legal task efficiently is often more important than customizing it at length.
As legal tech platforms expand, more users may expect tools that integrate with financial software, automate document updates, or flag risks before submission. These capabilities could shift legal tech from a task-based solution to an ongoing support layer for non-lawyers who manage repeat paperwork and signing workflows over time.
About Charley Moore
Charley Moore is the founder of Rocket Lawyer, where he spent 20 years building technology that supports affordable, self-service legal work combined with optional attorney access. His background includes service as a U.S. Naval Officer and legal work advising technology startups and investors. Moore holds a patent related to secure electronic document creation and execution and has extensive experience operating within regulated industries. He currently leads Invictus AI and has served on several nonprofit and civic boards focused on education, public service, and community development.