Law Firms Are Investing in AI. But Are They Actually Getting Results?

Artificial intelligence is attracting significant investment across the legal profession. But new research suggests many organisations are struggling to measure whether the technology is delivering meaningful results.

According to findings published by the College of Law on 23 October 2026, 66% of surveyed legal professionals expect their organisations to make moderate to significant investments in AI over the next 12 months.

Yet only 31% report that their organisations formally track whether AI investments have delivered value.

Just 5% say their organisations systematically measure value across all AI initiatives.

The findings, drawn from a Centre for Legal Innovation survey, highlight a growing challenge for law firms: investing in technology is one thing, but demonstrating its commercial and operational benefits is another.

The pressure to do more with less

AI is increasingly being used to assist with legal research, drafting, document review and other time-consuming tasks. For law firms, the attraction is clear. Technology promises faster turnaround times, greater efficiency and the ability to manage larger volumes of work. But the research suggests that measuring those benefits is far from straightforward. Completing a task more quickly does not necessarily mean a firm has improved profitability, reduced risk or delivered a better client experience.AI-generated material may also require substantial verification, potentially reducing the time savings that firms initially anticipate.

The findings come as clients increasingly expect legal services to be delivered faster and more cost-effectively.

Among survey respondents, 50% identified client expectations to deliver more, faster and for less as a major challenge.

Is the profession ready?

Despite the rapid pace of adoption, confidence in the legal profession's preparedness remains limited.

Only 3% of respondents believe the profession is well prepared for the challenges it will face over the next three years.

The research also identified several leading concerns:

• 71% cited AI and technological change.
• 50% identified increasing client expectations.
• 38% pointed to pricing and business-model pressures.
• 38% highlighted data governance, privacy and information security.
• 37% identified mental health and wellbeing.

Nevertheless, 62% expressed optimism or cautious optimism about the profession's future.

What does this mean for lawyers?

For individual lawyers, the findings raise important questions about how AI-driven productivity will affect workloads, performance expectations and professional development. If a task that previously required several hours can be completed more quickly, will that create additional time for client engagement and higher-value work? Or will lawyers simply be expected to complete more work within the same working day?

For law firm leaders, the challenge is to establish clear measures of success that extend beyond time saved.

These could include quality, profitability, client satisfaction, risk management and employee wellbeing.

LawUno Insight

The next stage of legal AI adoption may not be about which firm has the most advanced technology. It may be about which firms can demonstrate that their technology actually improves legal practice.

AI has the potential to change how legal services are delivered, but investment alone does not guarantee better outcomes

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As adoption accelerates, firms will need to balance efficiency with quality, commercial performance and sustainable working conditions.

For lawyers, the question is equally important.

If AI is making legal work faster, are lawyers benefiting from that efficiency, or simply being expected to do more?