Clients want live visibility, not after-the-fact invoice explanations
Apperio’s reading of 2026 legal market data says nearly 90 percent of legal spend remains hourly, worked rates rose more than 7 percent, and clients want predictability, alignment and visibility into costs while work is in motion.
BY MIDSIZED DESK · MAY 19, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Apperio’s reading of 2026 legal market data says nearly 90 percent of legal spend remains hourly, worked rates rose more than 7 percent, and clients want predictability, alignment and visibility into costs while work is in motion. The article argues that efficiency gains are hard to translate into value when clients cannot see staffing, pacing and cost accumulation. This is the pricing conversation midsized firms need to prepare for: if AI saves time, clients will want to know how that changes staffing, fees and progress reporting.