Research-backed design
MyReply was inspired by research that reveals why most self-help legal tools fail. And we have learned how to build self-help tools that work.
Our Approach
1. Legal self-help is already accessible — but it isn’t deployable
Legal aid providers, bar associations and courts have spent decades solving the wrong half of the problem: legal information and court forms are widely available, but availability isn't the same as usability. Research shows that even when people have the right materials in front of them, they are still unable to take the necessary steps to help themselves with their legal issues.
Legal guides designed for self-represented parties have to be usable under real-world conditions. People navigating the legal system without a lawyer are derailed by stress, anxiety, and unfamiliarity with the legal process. We designed MyReply to meet renters where they are, and we focus on helping people take action in their case.
2. Legal problems are mostly human problems
The obstacles people face in dealing with legal problems have little to do with legal knowledge. Instead, they are psychological and practical challenges, like cognitive overload, fear, shame, not knowing where to sit or when to speak. These kinds of challenges are studied in fields other than law, including psychology, public health, and education. Our tools draw on evidence from those fields to eliminate barriers to usability, instead of assuming that using “plain language” is enough.
3. Good design is tested, not assumed
Materials that seem clear to lawyers often fail with the people who need them. The only way to know if they work is to test with real users and iterate on the design. We treat every tool as a hypothesis to be validated in the field, not as a final product.
MyReply helps renters navigate evictions
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For tenants facing eviction without a lawyer, the eviction process moves quickly, often resulting in people losing their homes in 20-45 days. When tenants fall behind on rent, they receive a demand for rent that tells them they have 10 days to pay or go (30 in subsidized housing). Many tenants move out immediately, not realizing this notice is only the first step--their landlord must still file and win an eviction case in court.
The tenants who do not immediately self-evict, receive a formal eviction lawsuit and summons to court. Once a landlord files an eviction lawsuit, tenants have just 7-14 days to submit a written response, called an Answer, or they automatically lose the case. Court forms are confusing and don't explain the possible legal defenses that could get a case dismissed. As a result, ~90% of tenants who receive an eviction Summons never file an Answer. When tenants do not file answers, the court issues an eviction judgment by default in favor of the landlord who can then ask the sheriff to forcibly remove a tenant from their home.
Even self-represented tenants who do respond often lose before or at their hearing and have the same outcome. By contrast, tenants with lawyers often win their cases or reach favorable settlements that allow them to stay in their homes, give them more time to pay, and prevent them from having evictions on their record. An estimated 21.8% of people who are evicted experience homelessness imminently (Gilman 2021).
Each year, 3.6 million American families across the country lose their homes to eviction. That’s 10,000 families a day. On average, an eviction costs a low-income family $15,000 in lost wages, emergency care, and moving costs. This debt that can follow them for years.This situation is shameful. So we decided to do something about it.
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MyReply is a free to use digital tool for renters who have received an eviction notice and summons. It helps renters respond to their eviction in under 30 minutes, helping to avoid a default judgement and buy the time needed to catch up on rent or move out. MyReply is not a generic chatbot. It's an AI-enhanced tool, designed by CEDP lawyers who have represented hundreds of renters in eviction cases. It’s grounded in years of empirical research on what actually helps self-represented renters win their cases.
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Renters use their phones to take pictures of their legal documents. MyReply extracts the critical information, and renters answer some basic questions about their goals and situation.
With this data, MyReply finds relevant defenses from a curated database of more than 100 legal defenses. Based on the renter’s defenses and insights from guided attorney focus groups, MyReply provides legal guidance in simple, empathetic language. All of this happens while protecting the user's privacy and confidentiality.
At the end of the session, the renter walks away with a ready-to-file Eviction Answer, clear legal guidance, and a plan they can use to negotiate directly with their landlord.
In early testing, we can see that MyReply is working. Initial user feedback shows that it helps users navigate the complex eviction process, with agency and confidence.
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We're rolling out MyReply across Colorado — supporting 1,000 renters through CEDP clinics by early 2027, then scaling by 10,000 renters each year after that. MyReply was built to be adapted and scaled in every state, because renters everywhere need this kind of support.
Preventing one eviction saves a family over $15,000. If we can serve 45,000 renters over four years, and that's more than $600 million in preserved community wealth — a return of $124 in impact for every $1 invested.
Our goal is to bring MyReply to every renter facing eviction in this country. Access to justice shouldn't be a privilege for the 1% who get a lawyer. It should be a right.
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CEDP is seeking $1.4 million per year to fund our engineering team, measurement and evaluation, attorney and user testing, and expansion to new geographies.
To learn more about MyReply, contact us.
