Legal teams are accelerating the use of Artificial Intelligence as they adapt to more complex client demands, shifting business models, and growing regulatory pressure. Wolters Kluwer’s 2026 Future Ready Lawyer findings present a sector in rapid transition, where law firms and corporate legal departments are reworking workflows, service delivery, and talent strategies. Artificial Intelligence is now used widely for legal research and analysis, developing legal arguments, drafting contracts, reviewing documents, and automating routine work.
Over 90% of respondents report using at least one AI tool in their daily workflow. 92% of legal professionals now use at least one AI tool. More than 60% of respondents report weekly time savings of 6% to 20% resulting from AI usage. 62% of respondents save 6-20% of their weekly time due to AI. Approximately 50% of respondents reported that revenue has increased by 6%-20%. 52% of respondents reported revenue increases after adopting AI. 62% of legal departments believe that AI-driven efficiencies will significantly reduce the prevalence of the billable hour, paving the way for alternative pricing models and greater cost transparency.
Adoption remains constrained by operational and governance challenges. The top challenges to further Artificial Intelligence implementation are ethical concerns related to Artificial Intelligence and data privacy (39%), inadequate training (39%), and resistance to change (35%). 35% of respondents cite cybersecurity as a significant concern, however few organizations feel very prepared to address those challenges. The findings frame information security, compliance, and trustworthy deployment as central requirements for any broader rollout of Artificial Intelligence in legal practice.
Demand for specialized legal expertise is also increasing as geopolitical risks and cross-border regulation become more difficult to manage. 44% of survey participants report increased demand for expertise in sanctions, export controls, international arbitration, and cross-border transactions. Cybersecurity concerns (35%) and regulatory scrutiny and compliance requirements (33%) continue to intensify. Country-level responses show that ethical concerns related to Artificial Intelligence and data privacy are seen as a top issue in the USA, Poland, and China, while compliance with data privacy regulations is a top information security challenge in China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Poland.
The research is based on an online survey of 810 legal professionals from the USA, China, and eight European countries. The survey was conducted online for Wolters Kluwer from August 8 to August 25, 2025. The report positions future-ready legal organizations as those combining Artificial Intelligence investment with training, ethical oversight, cybersecurity, and continuous learning.
