How AI Is Changing the Way Consumers Are Finding Lawyers

New Martindale-Avvo report reveals legal consumers in 2026 are increasingly reliant on an "ask and chat" interaction style, moving away from "search and click," reflecting a growing comfort with AI-driven experiences.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging trend for consumers; it is now a core part of everyday decision-making. From legal advice to professional services, consumers are increasingly turning to AI-driven tools for guidance.

Martindale-Avvo's annual State of the Legal Consumer report reveals that consumers are increasingly researching legal matters and forming opinions about legal help before ever engaging with an attorney. The report offers key insights into how prospective legal clients evaluate lawyers and investigate legal issues within the current AI-driven discovery landscape.

More than ever, attorneys and law firms are being evaluated before a prospective client ever visits a firm's website or makes a phone call. The way attorneys appear, are summarized, and are contextualized within AI-powered search experiences now plays a critical role in whether consumers move from awareness to engaging with an attorney.

The report found that 92.4% of legal consumers are likely or very likely to research their legal issue online before making contact with an attorney. As AI continues to proliferate in search results, the traditional "search, click, call" funnel no longer reflects how legal consumers behave.

Instead, an "ask and chat" experience is the new way of online research for legal consumers. As a result, adapting to AI-driven discovery tools and workflows to avoid losing visibility among prospective clients is more important than ever for attorneys.

To remain competitive, law firms and lawyers should look beyond traditional SEO and focus on their presence in generative search experiences. As AI overviews increasingly dominate search results, achieving visibility, accuracy, and authority within these summaries is now essential for client acquisition.

The report provides strategies for adapting to this shifting landscape and improving visibility on AI-heavy search engine result pages. Read the full 2026 Understanding the Legal Consumer report at the Martindale-Avvo Research Hub.

About Martindale-Avvo
Martindale-Avvo helps firms grow the business of their practice, connecting millions of legal consumers each month with an attorney at their point of need. We provide online marketing, lead generation, and reputation management solutions to attorneys and firms across the country through our network of brands like Avvo, Find Law Martindale-Hubbell, Nolo, Ngage, and Captorra. Visit martindale-avvo.com for more information.

SOURCE Martindale-Avvo