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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