A census of 2,221 Victorian lawyers finds AI use rose from 37% to 55% in a year, while most users saw no change in pricing and many say client chatbot use adds work.
Artificial intelligence is now routine in Victorian legal practice, according to the 2026 Victorian Lawyer Census published on 30 October 2026 by the Legal Services Research Centre of the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner. The voluntary survey of 2,221 lawyers found that 55% use AI tools, up from 37% a year earlier. The age gap seen in 2025 has largely closed: among lawyers under 60, more than half in every career-stage group now use AI. Most rely on general-purpose products, with 79% of AI users naming tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot, while movement towards legal-specific software has been modest.
The efficiency gains have not translated into cheaper legal services for most clients. Only 26% of AI-using lawyers in fee-charging practices said AI had reduced client fees, and most reported no AI-related change to pricing or service delivery. Reductions were more common among lawyers who mainly serve business clients. Principal researcher and co-author Dr Georgina Rychner said: "AI is quickly becoming part of everyday legal practice, but widespread use should not be mistaken for widespread benefit." Reporting by The Guardian adds that lawyers were also checking AI output for accuracy, which may offset time savings.
Clients' own use of AI is adding to the workload. According to the findings, 46% of client-facing lawyers said clients arrived with inaccurate or misleading AI-sourced information and 41% had received AI-generated documents or correspondence that needed correction, while only 10% said clients arrived with a better understanding of their issue. Some 46% said client AI use increased the time and effort needed to deliver services, against 19% who said it reduced it, and the burden was felt especially in community legal centres. The Board's Risk Outlook 2026 lists responsible AI use as a professional competency risk, and the regulator says it plans to issue further practical resources for lawyers and law practices.
