The Access Group report finds 36% say AI could handle routine tasks while 14% believe most legal issues could be managed without solicitors
Nearly half of legal services clients believe artificial intelligence could replace solicitors for at least some types of legal work, according to new research highlighting changing expectations about how routine legal services are delivered.
The findings appear in the Value Gap Report 2026 published by The Access Group, which examined attitudes among consumers and legal professionals towards technology-enabled legal services.
The report found that 36% of clients believe AI could handle routine legal tasks, while a further 14% think it could manage most legal issues without solicitor involvement. However, 46% said a solicitor should always remain involved, suggesting continued confidence in professional oversight for more complex matters.
The research points to a widening gap between how firms currently structure service delivery and how clients increasingly expect routine interactions to be handled.
Danielle Park, a non-practising solicitor and product manager at Access Legal, said clients who expected AI to play a role in routine matters were “onto something important”.
Drawing on her experience in litigation practice, she said there were often long periods during cases when little progress took place while lawyers waited for third parties to respond.
“Clients would ring asking for updates, sometimes just wanting reassurance that their case hadn’t been forgotten,” she said.
She suggested that modern client portals and AI-supported systems could take on those types of routine status updates, allowing solicitors to focus on complex advisory work and conversations requiring professional judgement and empathy.
The report indicates that administrative communication and progress tracking are among the areas where clients appear most comfortable with automation, reflecting expectations shaped by digital service models in other sectors.
At the same time, the findings suggest clients continue to see a clear role for solicitors where legal matters involve risk, uncertainty or strategic decision-making.
Access Legal said firms that adapt their delivery models to reflect these expectations are more likely to close the gap between perceived and delivered value, while those that do not risk falling behind as technology reshapes parts of the legal services market.