The Legal Career You Envisioned vs. Reality
Does the professional life you imagined align with the one you are currently living as a lawyer? In a constantly evolving world where information spreads at unprecedented speed, lawyers face the challenge of keeping up with the increasing complexity of the law and the growing expectations of their clients.
Many enter the legal profession driven by a desire to make an impact and achieve intellectual victories, only to find themselves shackled to their desks, surrounded by endless case files and administrative tasks. In this opinion piece, we examine the potential of legal tech—not just as a tool to restore work-life balance, but as a pathway to a more fulfilling legal practice and greater client satisfaction.
Intellectual Prowess
Think back to when you were a law student, when you made a conscious decision to pursue a legal career. What drew you to the profession? I would wager that you pictured yourself as a sharp-witted advocate in court, delivering compelling arguments with impeccable legal reasoning. You envisioned using your intellect to make a real difference in people’s lives. Your work would have meaning, and naturally, you would receive recognition for your intellectual achievements.
Does that vision align with the professional reality you experience today?
A Hint of Disillusionment
It would not be surprising if you felt a hint of disappointment, realising that you spend fewer days in court than you had imagined. Instead, you find yourself spending countless hours at your desk, performing mundane tasks that drain your enthusiasm—hours that take you away from friends and family.
According to Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Lawyer survey, as many as 65% of legal professionals report feeling a lack of fulfilment, direction, or intellectually challenging work. Additionally, many believe that a healthy work-life balance is missing. In short, they are overburdened with work, much of which is not as intellectually engaging as they had hoped, and they struggle to make the impact they once aspired to.
Legal Tech: Making the Profession More Enjoyable
So how do we solve this? If we took a moment to look up from our screens and listen to the conversations happening around us, we would realise that—while we continue to sift through stacks of documents—the world has moved on. The means to make legal work more stimulating and to free up time for more meaningful tasks already exist. It is called legal tech, and it holds immense potential to assist with routine legal tasks, allowing lawyers to spend more time in court and with their clients.
Does legal technology pose a threat to our jobs and careers? Of course not. It is the insecure overachiever within us that resists embracing legal tech. In our many discussions with lawyers, we often hear comments like, “In a few years, we’ll all be redundant.” But rest assured—your expertise as a professional, your persuasive advocacy skills, and your strategic thinking will always be in demand. I would even argue that embracing legal tech will make your legal practice more enjoyable. It may well be the key to restoring work-life balance and bringing your focus back to the heart of the profession.
The Clients’ Perspective
Legal tech is also a game-changer for clients. The Future Ready Lawyer report highlights that the volume and complexity of legal information have skyrocketed over time. Has our ability to process this flood of information at the same pace increased? No. Are clients willing to wait longer for legal advice? No—quite the opposite.
In the past two decades, clients have grown accustomed to instant responses. Emails are often replaced by WhatsApp messages, and pre-scheduled meetings have given way to impromptu video calls at any hour of the day. This shift is not something we can blame them for. We cannot expect them to live in a world where everything adapts to this rapid pace—except their lawyers.
Society moves faster than ever, and we, as legal professionals, must keep up. In all my years in the legal profession, I have never encountered a client who was pleased to pay for hours of research simply because my software was inadequate. Nor have I ever met a client who was not enthusiastic about using technology to enhance the speed and accuracy of legal advice.
As lawyers, we operate within a specific commercial and legal context. Why do businesses seek legal advice? Because they need it to facilitate their operations. They do not file away legal opinions for future reference—they act on them. If we want to truly serve our clients, we must acknowledge this reality and adapt our services accordingly.
The Legal Profession’s Future
Now that we recognise the dual benefits of legal tech, we must look ahead and consider its growing necessity. The Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute forecasts a decline in the proportion of the working-age population. This means fewer lawyers will be available to assist an increasing number of businesses and individuals—who, in turn, are generating more legal documentation than ever before.
This translates into more clients per lawyer and more documents per client. When combined with an ever-evolving legal framework, this inevitably results in an increased workload for legal professionals. If we attempt to handle this growing workload with the same resources, the quality of our output will likely suffer. However, if we embrace innovative tools, we can maintain the high standards our clients expect.
Conclusion
At our core, we as lawyers are intellectual service providers. If we wish to continue delivering high-quality legal services while also maintaining an enjoyable and sustainable career, we must embrace the technological solutions available to us. For ourselves, for our clients—now and in the future.
