Late last week (30 October 2026), the Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB) and Commissioner’s Legal Services Research Centre published their The Evolving Use of Generative AI: Findings from the 2026 Victorian Lawyer Census.
The voluntary census received responses from 2,221 Victorian qualified lawyers and found:
- 55% were using AI in legal practice, up from 37% in 2025;
- 78% of AI users had increased their use during the year;
- 79% of AI users relied on general-purpose products such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot; and
- adoption differences between career stages had largely disappeared among lawyers aged under 60.
Some other significant AI-related takeaways from the Report:
- Among AI users in fee-charging practice, 26% said AI had produced lower fees for clients. Fee reductions were more common among lawyers principally serving B2B clients.
- 46% of client-facing lawyers reported clients arriving with inaccurate or misleading information obtained through AI
- 41% had received AI-generated documents or correspondence requiring correction.
- Only 10% reported clients arriving with a better understanding of their legal issues because of AI.
One of the biggest red flags to come out of the Report: 46% of lawyers said it increased the time and effort required to deliver services.
Clearly we have a way to go, and while adoption is up its use still needs improvement.
Interesting though, use of general-purpose AI platforms is much higher than I had thought. Which leads to the question: Where’s the governance?
Link to Report
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