Wolters Kluwer Survey: 62% of In-House Lawyers Expect AI to Significantly Reduce Billable Hour

The 2026 Wolters Kluwer Future Ready Lawyer Survey found that 62% of legal department respondents believe AI-driven efficiencies will significantly reduce the prevalence of the billable hour — with 57% of law firm respondents agreeing. The survey found 52% of organizations report additional revenue since adopting AI, and 51% believe AI will accelerate outsourcing of routine work to ALSPs. Meanwhile 60% of respondents report 6–20% time savings per week. The "efficiency trap" identified by commentators — AI delivering speed but firms measuring value by output rather than outcomes — is framed as the central tension for new-law business model design. Thomson Reuters Institute's own internal transformation programme (GCO 2030) is being run as a live research experiment, co-documented with Thomson Reuters' General Counsel's office, providing a rare inside-out case study.