According to Clio's U.K. & Ireland Legal Insights Report 2026, nearly 90% of legal professionals are now utilizing AI, which has enabled about 80% of firms to manage increased workloads without additional resources and over 70% to reduce costs by automating administrative tasks.
This technological advancement is prompting a reevaluation of how lawyers allocate their time and charge for services, as evidenced by comments from Nick Rowles-Davies, CEO of Lexolent, who noted the difficulty in justifying billing for hours when AI can complete tasks in seconds.
Major firms like A & O Shearman and Slaughter and May are already implementing AI solutions to streamline processes such as document review and regulatory analysis.
However, the transition is not without challenges; approximately 20% of firms using AI report struggles in meeting billable-hour targets, and a Deloitte survey predicts that the proportion of work billed by the hour could drop from 72% to 44% in the next few years.
The impact of AI extends to junior lawyer training, as traditional methods of learning through repetitive tasks are diminished, necessitating a shift in how firms develop new talent.
Experts like Mansoor Soomro and Jorge Bestard emphasize the importance of judgment and interdisciplinary knowledge in the evolving legal landscape, suggesting that the future will favor lawyers who can integrate various areas of expertise to address complex client issues.
As firms adapt to these changes, the potential for improved work-life balance for lawyers may depend on how effectively they utilize the efficiencies gained from AI