Legal Professionals See AI Benefits But Integration Challenges Limit Full Adoption, According to Filevine Study

Filevine survey finds time savings and career gains, but siloed data prevents deeper trust

SALT LAKE CITY, March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Legal professionals are embracing AI at unprecedented rates, with 67% now using AI for legal work more than once a week, according to Filevine's inaugural AI Trust Index. The survey, which polled U.S legal professionals, revealed substantial benefits in using AI: 75% report saving 1-5 hours each week, while 14% save more than 5 hours. Additionally, 27% say AI has enabled them to advance their careers faster.

Trust in AI is trending upward, as well. Over half (52%) of respondents report increased confidence in using AI for legal work over the past year, a clear signal that the technology is proving its value in day-to-day practice.

However, while usage and confidence are climbing, only 3% of respondents report being "extremely confident" in using AI overall, and a mere 1% express extreme confidence specifically for legal work. This significant gap between adoption and complete trust reveals a fundamental challenge: legal professionals are willing to use AI, but not yet willing to fully rely on it without labor-intensive manual verification.

For virtually all respondents, the barriers are clear. Accuracy and reliability concerns top the list at 56%, followed closely by security and confidentiality issues at 53%. Nearly one-third (31%) of law firms still lack formal AI policies, even as 48% of legal professionals use AI daily. When asked what would most accelerate AI adoption, 19% pointed to better integration with existing systems.

"The data reveals both the opportunity and the obstacle," said Ryan Anderson, co-founder and CEO of Filevine. "Legal professionals recognize AI's value. They're saving hours every week and scaling their collective expertise across matters. But they can't achieve trust when their AI tools are disconnected from the data that matters most. Disparate systems can't provide decision-tracing and clear audit trails to support the outcomes."

The integration imperative

The path to closing the trust gap lies in how AI accesses and uses data. The survey found that legal professionals want AI capabilities integrated directly into their workflow tools, with 70% considering this an important feature for their legal technology.  Within Filevine, there has been a nearly 40% increase in weekly usage of Ask LOIS since the beginning of 2026, indicating that when AI is embedded within the core legal workspace, professionals are gaining the confidence and trust in outcomes.

Current AI usage patterns show where legal professionals see the most value: legal research (52%), document review and analysis (40%), and document management and assembly (22%). Paralegals (41%) and legal assistants (40%) are the heaviest users, followed by associate counsel and attorneys (25%).

"The data shows that legal professionals have mastered the first phase of AI. They are using it to summarize documents and find information," said Anderson. "The next leap is moving toward a system that actually handles the heavy lifting of the work itself. The key is building structured institutional memory and clear decision tracing into AI products.  We are doing this at Filevine so lawyers can verify the machine's work in seconds. It's about ensuring the human remains firmly in control of the final judgment while the system manages the complexity of the process."

About Filevine

Filevine is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices around the world. For more than a decade, Filevine has structured how legal work is executed and is now redefining how intelligence operates within it. Its Legal Operating Intelligence System (LOIS) connects contracts, matters, documents, and workflows into a single operating platform built for modern legal teams.

Law firms, enterprises, and government agencies rely on Filevine to manage complex legal work with precision, security, and control. Recognized as a leader in Legal AI, Filevine has been honored by the LegalTech Breakthrough Awards, The SaaS Awards, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, and the Business Intelligence AI Excellence Award (2025). Today, thousands of organizations trust Filevine to deliver measurable outcomes across every stage of the legal lifecycle.

SOURCE Filevine