AI use among Victorian lawyers rises to 55%, but only 26% cut fees

Oct 30, 2026
A census of 2,221 lawyers in Victoria found that AI use rose from 37% to 55% in one year, while only 26% of users reduced client fees.

The Guardian reports that a census by the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner found 55% of lawyers in the Australian state use AI in their practices, up from 37% in 2025. The research covered 2,221 lawyers and found that differences in adoption by age had narrowed, although use remained low among lawyers aged 60 and older.

Consumer chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot were used by 79% of lawyers who reported using AI. Legal specific tools alone were used by 22%. Adoption was highest in trade practices at 85%, followed by banking and finance, and information technology and telecommunications, both at 78%.

Only 26% of lawyers using AI said it had reduced client fees. The figure was 34% among lawyers serving businesses and 23% among those serving individual clients. Meanwhile, 46% said clients had brought them inaccurate or misleading information from AI, and 41% had received AI generated documents that required correction. Nearly half said client use of AI increased the time and effort required for their work, while 19% reported a reduction.

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