Legal trends: Digital transformation is top priority in 2025
Technological readiness is a key issue for law firms this year, new research from OneAdvanced indicates
British law firms overwhelmingly plan to invest in technology solutions in 2025 to boost productivity and profitability, new research reveals.
Almost two-thirds (60%) of firms plan to upgrade their digital systems this year in recognition of the crucial role technology plays in maintaining competitive advantage and operational efficiency.
The adoption of AI solutions in legal practices is also gaining momentum, although the sector is generally slower to explore AI technology than many others including education, local and central government and the health sector.
The findings are revealed in the OneAdvanced Legal Trends Report 2025, using insight from senior decision-makers in the legal sector, as part of the company’s wider outreach into 6,500 British business leaders from a multitude of sectors.
Doug Hargrove, senior vice president of legal and professional services at business solutions provider OneAdvanced commented: “It’s as important as ever that law firms remain competitive without ever compromising on quality. With firms looking for strategic developments that help boost their productivity, reinforce quality performance and enable competitive pricing, it’s little surprise to find that so many are looking at technology to help.
“The sector is seeing true technology backed innovation in recent years, for example with the advent of platform law firms. The use of cloud-based technology is far more prevalent, and many firms are wholly embracing hybrid and remote working — a significant shift for the sector, he added.
Technological readiness is a key issue for 2025, the research indicates. While 60% of firms believe they are on track with their technology strategy, only 40% expressed strong confidence that their current infrastructure can fully support business goals. As a result, system upgrades and integration have emerged as key priorities, with 45% of firms planning enhancements in the coming year.
Meanwhile, AI is emerging as a transformative force, although adoption levels vary widely throughout the profession. Only 10% of firms report the comprehensive integration of AI into their business processes, though over a third (35%) have initiated some form of implementation.
AI in legal practices is being used to various effect including enhancing online customer service (22% of law firms using AI), fraud detection (22%), data management (27%) and document drafting (33%).
Hargrove added: “The potential to deliver exceptional service while streamlining operations and having a better grip on productivity and profit is perhaps the most exciting area of technological overhaul.
“For law firms, it means they can keep doing the excellent work they are known for while better supporting their teams, exceeding client expectations and delivering financial success.”
