The impact of AI on the (Dutch) legal industry
Deloitte Legal Survey
AI is reshaping the legal industry at two distinct speeds. While 45% of Dutch law firms have advanced AI adoption, 55% remain in early stages. This market divide creates both competitive risk and opportunity. Discover what leading firms are doing differently and how to position your organization for success in 2026.
The AI Adoption Gap: Market Reality in Dutch Law Firms
AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to everyday legal work. Yet public debate remains dominated by vendor claims and isolated success stories. To move beyond speculation, Deloitte surveyed the top 100 Dutch law firms to assess the current operational reality of AI adoption. The survey examined strategy, scale of deployment, governance, training, investment drivers, and evolving client expectations.
The results show a market moving at two speeds. Forty-five percent of firms report advanced, multi-departmental AI adoption supported by active training and governance. The remaining 55% are still experimenting through pilots and proof-of-concepts without a coherent strategy. This growing gap signals a potential shift in competitive leadership. The question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to deploy it strategically to create value.
Why Firms Invest in AI
AI investment is driven by clear business outcomes. Improving operational efficiency (26%) leads, followed by freeing lawyers for higher-value work (25%) and protecting competitive position (23%). These drivers directly affect profitability, client satisfaction, and talent retention.
While 95% of lawyers report at least some confidence in the AI tools they use, confidence does not equal readiness. Many firms lack the governance, training, and strategic frameworks needed to scale AI responsibly, creating a gap between individual enthusiasm and organizational capability.
Barriers Slowing Adoption
The main obstacles are lack of expertise (26%) and concerns about legal accuracy (26%). Lawyers often struggle to understand AI’s capabilities or fear reliance on outputs that may introduce liability or reputational risk. Additional barriers include data and privacy concerns (18%), regulatory uncertainty (15%), upfront investment costs (9%), and cultural resistance (7%). These challenges require more than technology—they demand leadership, training, governance, and a clear ROI-driven roadmap.
Client Pressure as an Accelerant
Client behavior is accelerating change. Sixty percent of firms report that clients now perform simple legal tasks themselves using AI tools. Clients also expect faster turnaround times, transparency around AI risks, and lower fees. Only 3% of firms see no change in client expectations.
As in-house teams insource routine work, law firms that cannot demonstrate AI-enabled efficiency risk losing market share to faster, more cost-effective competitors.
The Strategic Opportunity
AI’s greatest upside lies in enabling lawyers to focus on high-value work. Respondents prioritize increased capacity for strategic advisory (25%), faster service delivery (23%), and more innovative services (20%). Achieving this requires redesigning workflows to reduce time spent on routine tasks.
This shift is also reshaping pricing. Fifty-five percent of firms support reviewing fee models in response to AI capabilities and client pressure, signaling growing momentum away from traditional time-based billing.
Closing the Capability Gap
Despite AI momentum, 45% of firms report no clear communication strategy on AI’s impact, and only 15% consider training and resources largely adequate. This gap presents a critical risk.
Firms need a clear narrative explaining why and how AI is adopted, tailored to different roles across the organization. Effective communication, targeted training, and leadership by example are essential to scaling adoption responsibly.
What Happens Next
Looking ahead to 2026, firms that succeed will combine technology with strong executive direction, centralized governance, and focused people programs. AI will not replace lawyers—but AI-enabled lawyers will replace those who fail to adapt. Firms that translate efficiency gains into differentiated client propositions and modern pricing models will secure sustainable market leadership. Those who delay risk being left behind in a market reorganizing around speed, transparency, and scale.
Download the full survey report to explore detailed findings, strategic scenarios, and actionable recommendations from Deloitte Legal Management Consulting.
Contact Hans Albers, Director Legal Management Consulting at Deloitte, to discuss how your organization can build a coherent AI strategy, scale governance and training, and convert AI adoption into measurable business value.
