Generative AI adoption among lawyers has nearly doubled in a year, with 45% now using or planning to make it central to their workflows, according to Thomson Reuters' latest survey.
Despite efficiency gains, 53% of legal professionals expect charge-out rates to stay the same - and more expect them to rise than fall.
A growing number of lawyers and law firms are adopting generative AI tools, according to Thomson Reuters' 2025 Generative AI in Professional Services Report, published last week (15 April).
Usage in the legal sector has nearly doubled in just a year, from 14% in 2024 to 26% in 2025, while 45% of respondents said they currently use generative AI or plan to make it central to their workflows in the next year.
Despite growing use of the technology - and widespread assumptions it could disrupt the billable hour - the report found that most firms are holding firm on fees. Over half (53%) of law firm respondents expect charge-out rates to stay the same, while more expect rates to increase (20%) than decrease (7%).
One UK lawyer told Thomson Reuters that generative AI is likely to hit mid-tier firms hardest, particularly where clients are able to use the technology themselves. In larger firms, they added, the technology “will be used effectively but may not lead to the sorts of cost savings that firms and clients expect, due to the need to verify AI-generated material.”
The findings are based on a global survey of 1,702 professionals across law, tax, risk and accounting, including both in-house and private practice respondents.
Bigger picture
- Client pressure is rising: 59% of in-house legal departments want their external firms using generative AI, and 8% of clients have actively instructed their law firms to use generative AI on a project or included it as a requirement in RFPs (requests for proposals).
- Everyday use is up: A third of law firm professionals now say they use generative AI tools at least once a day.
- Core use cases: Reviewing and summarising documents (77%), legal research (74%), and drafting (59% for briefs and memos, 58% for contracts) are the top areas where generative AI is already in play.
- Measuring ROI: Just 20% of respondents said their organisations were actively measuring the ROI from generative AI investments, and 59% said their organisations were not measuring ROI at all.
Not yet an existential threat
Speculation about generative AI disrupting jobs or business models persists, but the data paints a more measured picture.
Fewer than one in five legal professionals - and less than 10% of tax, accounting and audit professionals - said they see the technology as a major threat to jobs or bottom lines.
What they said
Raghu Ramanathan, president of legal professionals at Thomson Reuters, said:
"It’s incredible how quickly legal professionals have moved from skepticism to strategic adoption of GenAI, and we’re seeing it firsthand through use of our AI solutions. The legal sector is embracing GenAI not as a threat but as an ally, and this isn’t about replacing legal expertise, it’s about enhancing it.
"The challenge isn't technological but organisational - how to integrate these powerful tools while addressing legitimate ethical concerns unique to legal practice. Firms that strike this balance will define the next era of legal service delivery."
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