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Victorian Lawyer Census finds 55% of lawyers use AI, but few have cut fees
The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner's 2026 census of 2,221 lawyers found 55% use AI in their work, up from 37% a year earlier, yet only 26% said AI had lowered client fees. Most users rely on consumer chatbots rather than legal tools, and 46% said clients arrive with inaccurate or misleading AI-generated information about their legal problems.
Key points
- AI use rose from 37% to 55% of surveyed Victorian lawyers in a year; the age gap among under-60s largely disappeared.The Guardian
- 79% use consumer chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot; 22% use only legal-specific tools.The Guardian
- 26% said AI had cut client fees: 34% for business clients versus 23% for individual fee-paying clients.The Guardian
- 46% said clients arrive with inaccurate AI information, and 41% said client AI documents needed correcting.The Guardian
- AI use was highest in trade practices (85%) and lowest in criminal law (29%).The Guardian