South Carolina man Nathan Chambers last week apologised in court, saying that as he “watched my father and sister throughout my entire life practice law and I watched my life go down the drain”, he “kind of lost my mind a little bit”.

He was caught after appearing in court in a complicated probate case which drew a significant amount of online attention, The Post and Courier reports.

Chambers allegedly submitted a number of documents to the court in his father’s name, which a judge has said may have been written with the use of generative AI.

At one point in the probate proceedings, which were broadcast, the fiancé of Chambers’ “client” is accused by a judge of unlawfully providing legal advice without being a qualified lawyer, which he refuses to accept is a crime.

The exasperated judge unwittingly asks Chambers to confirm that giving legal advice without being a qualified attorney would be illegal — to which he quickly replies: “Absolutely.”

Chambers will face trial on charges of impersonating a lawyer in two counties.