Australian law firms know what they want. More revenue. Faster growth. A bigger slice of a competitive market.

What they’re less sure about is the technology that’s supposed to get them there.

New data from LEAP’s Profitability in Law: Global Report 2026, which surveyed 700 legal professionals across six countries, reveals a striking disconnect at the heart of the Australian market.

41% of AU/NZ respondents said their firms need to focus on generating more revenue to improve profitability. That’s the highest proportion globally. Aussie lawyers are growth-oriented.

But the tools aren’t following.

Only 20% of AU/NZ legal professionals use integrated or legal-specific AI daily or as a core part of their work. That’s the lowest adoption rate of any region surveyed. The UK and Ireland sit at 31%. The US and Canada at 27%. Aus and NZ are running last.

The trust numbers explain why.

24% of AU/NZ respondents report low or no trust in legal tech providers to integrate AI responsibly, the highest distrust rate of any region surveyed. The UK and Ireland report 11% distrust, while US and Canada sit at 9%.

That caution carries a real cost.

In AU/NZ, only 8% report significant time savings from AI, compared to 18-19% in the UK, Ireland and North America.

The irony is that Australian firms know what they’re missing.

48% of AU/NZ respondents nominated document review and analysis as the best way to deploy AI for profitability, the highest of any region globally. 46% said the same for legal research. But when asked what their firms are actually doing, only 29% said AI is deployed for document review, and 32% for legal research.

The gap between belief and action is the widest in the world.

Until Aussie law firms start trusting the tools they’re using, the growth they’re chasing may just stay out of reach.

Source: LEAP