Introduction
Is your firm using generative AI tools for business tasks?
The past year has been a turning point for legal teams. Legal AI adoption has surged — use by corporate legal teams’ organisations is up to 60% , and law firms jumped from 37% in 2024 to 80% in 2025 , with usage among 700-lawyer-plus firms now at 100%. In 2025, firms, legal departments and public-sector organisations experimented, piloted and pressure-tested a wave of new AI tools. Some delivered real value; others revealed the gap between promise and practicality. What emerged from that learning is a clearer understanding of what it will take to move from experimentation to meaningful, sustainable impact. In 2026, we begin to see a more grounded vision take shape: AI that becomes part of the workflow, not another place to click. Ambient intelligence that supports work as it happens. A DMS that shifts from a passive system of record to the foundation of an organisation’s future legal operating system — where content, workflow and AI come together to make both work and life better. This evolution won’t happen overnight. It requires thoughtful change management, better-structured knowledge, secure integrations and tools that meet professionals exactly where they work. But the direction is clear. As organisations adopt more disciplined, workflow-ready AI — instead of chasing hype or standalone tools, the benefits compound: faster insight, smoother collaboration, fewer manual tasks and more time for the work that depends on human judgment. The result isn’t just efficiency. It’s balance. It’s the ability for lawyers and other legal professionals to make the most of every moment with powerful legal tech. Here are six key legal tech trends that will redefine what it means to work — and thrive — in 2026. Each one shows how technology can be more than a tool; it can be a partner that gives time, clarity and purpose back to the people driving the future of the profession — whether in a law firm, corporate legal department or government agency.
80%
Yes
37%
15%
2025
2024
2023
ILTA 2025 Tech Survey
“We’re going to see — and we have seen — ambient AI become ubiquitous. It’s going to seep into everything in ways that are largely undetectable but have a profound impact on what we see and ultimately what we do.”
– Casey Flaherty, B+B Partner and LexFusion Co-Founder
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NetDocuments | 2026 Legal Tech Trends
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