Majority of legal professionals now use AI, Clio report finds
updated on 13 April 2026
Ellie Nicholl (she/her) is senior content and engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net
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AI adoption in the legal sector has accelerated over the past year, with software company Clio reporting that 89% of lawyers use it “in some capacity” and 70% saying they began doing so in the past 12 months. However, the research also suggested disparities in client communication and how AI is embedded into workflows.
Clio’s UK & Ireland Legal Insights Report 2026 included responses from more than 500 legal professionals and 500 members of the public. Key motivations included increasing time efficiency (46%), improving the quality of legal work (38%) and improving capability to manage large caseloads (37%).
Despite high adoption figures, only 27% of firms have embedded AI “widely or universally across their organisation” – with the majority limiting AI use to specific tasks and teams. Data showed that several factors are holding firms back from wider adoption. More than one-third (37%) find fitting new tools into exiting workflows to be the biggest barrier. Other problems included a lack of time to learn new tools (15%) or explore advanced features (14%), limited interest (12%) and a lack of perceived need for additional technology (9%).
Client communication around AI was mixed. While 81% of firms said they disclose AI use to clients at least occasionally, only 7% of clients said they remember being told about AI use. The findings highlighted the demand for transparency, with 79% of the public saying they think lawyers should tell them when AI is involved. Governance concerns were identified elsewhere in the data, with 17% of the firms surveyed reporting that they don’t have a formal AI policy, despite the large majority (72%) allowing AI use.
The results pointed to the potential knock-on effect on legal pricing models. Data revealed that 53% of matters are billed at a fixed-fee rate and just 32% are billed at an hourly rate. Despite the shift towards fixed fees, the findings showed that price isn’t the most important factor for clients. Instead, when choosing a lawyer, a firm’s reputation was clients’ top priority (48%), while only 25% said fixed or flat fees influenced their choice of lawyer.
General manager international at Clio, Sarah Murphy, commented: “The message from this research is clear: AI is no longer a differentiator in itself.” She added: “Rather, depth of integration is what separates high-performing firms from those leaving real value on the table. For solo, small, and mid-sized firms across the UK and Ireland, the opportunity is significant. These firms are often the most agile when it comes to reshaping workflows, and those that move from scattered adoption to cohesion stand to gain the most.”
