On November 1, 2024, Beijing Deheng Law Firm and Shandong Deheng jointly launched the first batch of "digital human lawyers"—marking the official entry of the legal services industry into the AI content production era. More and more law firms are beginning to experiment with AI digital humans to create brand promotional videos and legal science education short videos—reducing content update costs while maintaining a unified professional image.
1. Why Law Firms Need This Type of Video
Traditional legal marketing faces three key pain points: first, high lawyer time costs (senior partners can charge 3,000–5,000 RMB per hour for consultations), making frequent on-camera filming impractical; second, law firms typically lack dedicated hosts or spokespeople, and temporarily assigning junior lawyers to present lacks authority; third, legal science content requires continuous updates (e.g., when new regulations are enacted, interpretation videos need to be produced quickly).
The AI digital human solution can address all three problems at once—select a standard business-attire digital human (such as the professional templates offered on the Tencent Zhiying platform), input a text script, and automatically generate a lip-synced presentation video. The cost is approximately 2,000–5,000 RMB per session, far less than hiring a professional voice actor and renting a recording studio.
2. Mainstream Technical Solution Comparison
Option 1: Tencent Zhiying Platform (Ideal for Quick Testing)
Offers various business-attire digital human templates—users simply upload a lawyer's portrait photo or select a standard avatar, input a text script, and the platform automatically generates a presentation video. The advantages are simple operation and controllable costs (approximately 50–100 RMB per minute); the disadvantage is limited personalization.
Option 2: Custom-Developed Exclusive Digital Twin (Ideal for Long-Term Brand Building)
Law firms can commission a specialized team to create a high-fidelity digital twin for partners—by collecting real facial data and voice samples to train an AI model. Initial modeling costs are approximately 10,000–30,000 RMB, but subsequent video generation only requires a small rendering fee (approximately 50 RMB per minute). The advantage of this approach is highly unified brand image and strong recognizability.
3. Tiered Pricing Reference
Basic tier (single 3-minute legal science short video): 500–2,000 RMB per episode
Uses ready-made digital human templates from platforms like Tencent Zhiying or CapCut. Includes the full process of script writing + video generation + subtitle packaging. Suitable for law firms' daily legal education content updates.
Standard tier (single 5–8-minute brand promotional video): 300–500 RMB per episode
Custom-developed exclusive digital twin solution. Adds real-person data collection modeling and customized scene design. Suitable for building long-running branded series IP.
4. Compliance Considerations
First, in accordance with the "Labeling Measures" requirements, all AI-generated visuals must be clearly labeled in a prominent position on the video with the notice "This video was produced with artificial intelligence assistance"—to prevent viewers from mistaking it for a real lawyer appearing on camera; second, any visuals involving real client cases must be used only with the written authorization of the parties involved; third, legal science content must ensure professional accuracy—it is recommended that a practicing lawyer review the script before submitting it for digital human generation.
5. Step-by-Step Practical Recommendations
Step 1: Clarify the video's core purpose (brand promotion / legal education / business lead generation); Step 2: Choose a technical solution (ready-made templates are ideal for quick testing, while custom digital twins are suited for long-term brand building); Step 3: Write a professional script and arrange for a practicing lawyer to review content accuracy; Step 4: Complete the digital human generation and post-production editing and packaging on the platform.
6. Future Trend Outlook
According to guidance issued by the Ministry of Justice, "artificial intelligence + legal services" has become a key direction for driving digital transformation in the legal industry. More AI application tools in specialized verticals are expected to emerge in the second half of 2026—such as automated legal document drafting systems and intelligent contract review platforms. It is recommended that law firms use brand promotional videos as an entry point to gradually explore the boundaries of AI technology application.
