6. Wolters Kluwer survey shows AI pressure on the billable hour and ALSP routing
Wolters Kluwer’s 2026 Future Ready Lawyer analysis reports that over 90 percent of legal professionals use at least one AI tool, 62 percent of legal department respondents and 57 percent of law firm respondents expect AI efficiencies to significantly reduce the billable hour, and 51 percent believe AI will accelerate outsourcing of routine work to ALSPs.
BY FRONTIER DESK · JUNE 8, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Wolters Kluwer’s 2026 Future Ready Lawyer analysis reports that over 90 percent of legal professionals use at least one AI tool, 62 percent of legal department respondents and 57 percent of law firm respondents expect AI efficiencies to significantly reduce the billable hour, and 51 percent believe AI will accelerate outsourcing of routine work to ALSPs. The numbers support the commercial thesis behind AI-native firms, fixed-fee plays and agentic legal operations platforms. The issue for firms is whether they convert efficiency into differentiated value or simply compress their own time-based revenue.