When you launch a website or online store, the question of legal documents arises quickly. Privacy policy, terms of use, cookie policy, terms of sale: these documents are mandatory and their absence exposes your business to fines of up to 4% of annual global turnover. The first instinct is often to contact a lawyer. But in 2026, specialised AI generators offer a credible and far less costly alternative. Let us compare these two approaches objectively to help you make the right choice for your situation.
The real cost of a lawyer for your legal documents
Hiring a lawyer specialising in digital law remains the most personalised solution, but it comes at a price. Here are the typical fees observed in Europe in 2026:
- Terms of Use: 200 to 500 euros
- Privacy Policy: 200 to 400 euros
- Cookie Policy: 150 to 300 euros
- Terms of Sale: 300 to 600 euros
For a complete pack of 4 documents, the budget ranges from 800 to 1,800 euros, not including annual updates (often billed at 100 to 300 euros per document). The average delivery time is 1 to 3 weeks.
The advantages of a lawyer: maximum personalisation, strategic legal advice tailored to your business, professional liability coverage, a human contact in case of disputes.
The drawbacks: high cost (prohibitive for many small businesses and startups), long turnaround times, each update billed separately, variable availability depending on the firm.
The cost of a specialised AI generator
A specialised AI generator like WebLegal.ai takes a radically different approach. The system guides you through a structured form, analyses your answers and generates personalised documents that comply with the GDPR.
- Price: €14.90-19.90 for all your website’s legal documents
- Timeline: less than 10 minutes from start to finish
- Format: ready-to-publish documents, consistent with each other
The advantages: unbeatable value for money, speed of execution, built-in GDPR compliance (Articles 12, 13, 14 and 30), guaranteed cross-document consistency, available in 6 languages, regular template updates at no extra cost.
When it is sufficient: for 95% of websites — e-commerce stores, startups, SMEs, blogs, showcase sites, SaaS applications. In reality, the vast majority of businesses do not need a fully bespoke document: they need documents that are complete, compliant and adapted to their business. That is exactly what a specialised generator provides. To understand how it works in detail, read our guide on the legal document generator.
What about generic AI (ChatGPT, Claude)?
With the widespread availability of AI, many business owners are tempted to use ChatGPT or Claude to draft their legal documents. The operation seems free, but the real cost tells a different story.
The apparent price: 0 euros (or the cost of an existing subscription).
The real cost: between 150 and 300 euros for review by a lawyer, which is essential because generic AI guarantees neither the completeness of mandatory clauses nor consistency between documents.
The concrete risks:
- Inconsistencies between the privacy policy and terms of use (different terminology, missing cross-references)
- Omission of mandatory clauses (right of withdrawal, legal basis for processing, data retention periods)
- Legal errors caused by AI hallucinations (references to non-existent articles)
- No guarantee of compliance with current legislation
- Documents not adapted to your specific jurisdiction
The real time investment: writing prompts for each section, checking consistency, rephrasing, correcting — expect 2 to 5 hours of work for an uncertain result.
Detailed comparison table
| Criterion | Lawyer | Generic AI | Free templates | Specialised AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 800-1,800 euros | 0 euros + 150-300 euros review | 0 euros | €14.90-19.90 |
| Timeline | 1-3 weeks | 2-5 hours | 3-5 hours | < 10 minutes |
| Legal quality | Excellent | Variable | Low | Very good |
| Personalisation | Maximum | Limited | None | Good |
| GDPR compliance | Guaranteed | Not guaranteed | Rarely | Guaranteed |
| Updates | Paid | Manual | None | Included |
| Cross-doc consistency | Good | Low | None | Excellent |
| Strategic advice | Yes | No | No | No |
| Multi-language | On request | Partial | No | 6 languages |
When to choose a lawyer over AI
A lawyer remains the best choice in certain specific situations:
- Sensitive data: your site processes health data, financial data, biometric data or data relating to minors. These types of processing require in-depth legal analysis (Article 9 of the GDPR).
- Regulated activity: you operate in a sector subject to specific regulation (healthcare, finance, insurance, online gaming) that requires particular clauses.
- Ongoing disputes: you are facing proceedings from a data protection authority, a customer dispute or a regulatory audit. A lawyer can adapt your documents to the contentious situation.
- Highly specific needs: marketplaces with third-party sellers, complex cross-border data processing, large-scale personal data subcontracting.
To find out which documents are essential for your case, consult our guide on the 4 essential legal documents for every e-commerce website.
Our recommendation based on your profile
Startup / micro-business (fewer than 10 employees)
Recommendation: specialised AI. The best value for money. You get compliant, personalised and consistent documents for a fraction of a lawyer’s cost. The money saved can be invested in growing your business. If you have a specific concern, a one-off consultation with a lawyer (150-200 euros for one hour) is enough to address any uncertainty.
Standard SME (10-250 employees)
Recommendation: specialised AI + occasional lawyer consultation. Use a specialised generator for the document base, then have a lawyer validate points specific to your business. Estimated total cost: €14.90-19.90 + 150-300 euros for consultation = far less than 800-1,800 euros for full drafting. Read our article on mandatory privacy policy requirements to understand the stakes.
Regulated activity / sensitive data
Recommendation: lawyer + specialised AI as a complement. Have your main documents drafted by a specialist lawyer, and use the AI generator for supplementary documents or versions in other languages. This hybrid approach optimises the budget while guaranteeing maximum legal protection. To learn about the mistakes to avoid in your terms of sale, see our guide on terms of sale mistakes.
Conclusion
In 2026, the choice between lawyer and AI generator is no longer binary. The right strategy depends on your profile, your sector and the sensitivity of the data you process. For the vast majority of businesses, a specialised AI generator offers the best balance of quality, price and speed, with GDPR-compliant documents produced in minutes. A lawyer remains essential for complex cases and regulated activities. The most important thing is not to remain without legal documents: every day without legal protection is a day of exposure to penalties. Act now to secure your online business.