AI, Renee Roumanos Legal principal Renee Roumanos mused, has reshaped client expectations.

“The unfortunate fact is that many clients now create legal documents using AI tools, assuming lawyers can ‘fix’ them quickly and cheaply,” she said.

This misconception, she surmised, “often leads to unrealistic pressure for faster outcomes at lower costs”.

The “rise and rise” of AI, Redenbach Legal principal Keith Redenbach posited, is the next step in a series of step changes that has been rapidly unfolding for the legal profession over about the last 20 years.

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The term “AI”, he observed, has now become shorthand for the use of technological assistance to aid the accelerated search, analysis and drafting assistance in the rapid production of legal work.

It has become clear, he said, that clients will demand quicker turnaround with the rise of technology.

“Three decades ago, a reasonable expectation for a ‘snail mail’ letter was one day to take instructions, one day to dictate the letter, one day to amend it, one day to engross it, one day to settle it, one day to issue it by post and one day to receive it,” he said.

“Wind forward to 2025, and 24 hours is the expectation for all of these steps.”

As such, Redenbach went on, the emerging trends will ultimately collide with questions around how legal work is prepared, presented, and acted on by a client.

“Serious questions will arise around how the courts will grapple with these developments. From a client perspective, serious questions arise about how lawyers can fairly charge – fixed fees or on an hourly basis? Those using old school methods (not involving technology) will likely become inefficient if charging hourly,” he said.

Striking the right balance

AI has fostered, Roumanos added, the idea that quick, free legal advice is easily accessible.

However, she said, “these tools frequently produce incorrect or incomplete results, leaving lawyers to navigate the delicate task of explaining value, costs, and reasonable time frames to clients who expect immediate availability and 24/7 responsiveness”.

Gosai Law managing partner Krish Gosai pointed out that clients “rightly expect swift solutions”, but they also trust their lawyers to deliver reliable, context-specific guidance.

“Achieving this balance requires clear communication around AI’s capabilities and limitations, ensuring realistic expectations from the outset,” he said.

“At the same time, continued professional development is critical, helping practitioners stay abreast of emerging technologies while honing traditional expertise.”

Efficiency, Gosai proclaimed, should never overshadow ethics, accuracy, and professionalism.

Ultimately, he said, the legal profession’s essence lies in nuanced human judgement.

“By harnessing AI responsibly, and with the appropriate limitations, lawyers can boost efficiency without compromising the rigorous analysis and ethical commitment that underpin exceptional client service,” he said.

Cusack & Co founder and principal Alison Cusack supported this, noting that efficiency, where it is pertinent, is where practitioners can get buy-in from clients, “whilst still reminding them that well-thought-out advice needs to be, well, well thought-out”.

“I would recommend any firm looking to increase its efficiency to road map its onboarding, updates and communications process to see where simple tweaks (say, Microsoft forms) can be used, to utilise technology to reduce the mental load without jeopardising the legal mind value add to the client,” she said.

“As always, educating your client is the key to managing expectations and communicating your value add.”

Such education will be essential, Redenbach said, given the pressure that will arise for lawyers who do choose to use a more efficient way of preparing and presenting advice, which is undoubtedly by enlisting technological assistance. This, he warned, comes with risks – such as citing non-existent cases.

Moving forward

There are undoubted benefits to AI, Roumanos said: “It enhances efficiency, helps analyse documents, and allows us to craft tailored communication more quickly. Balancing these benefits with the need for accuracy and personal service is a challenge.”

“At my firm, I embrace AI thoughtfully, integrating it to improve outcomes while maintaining the personal touch clients deserve. I love empowering clients with information, and do this via my social media. AI has made connecting with clients, sharing valuable insights so much easier, in a language that they can appreciate.”

Looking ahead, Redenbach said, the practical on-the-ground experience shows that lawyers can expect an accelerated adaptation of AI-assisted technology in the preparation of legal work.

“More sophisticated clients will recognise the benefits, and savvy lawyers will reap those rewards by the increasing of their instructions from those clients,” he said.

“The pros will provide many benefits; however, the cons will need to be considered very carefully by solicitors in order to continue to discharge their proper duties.”