Overview
AI agents for law firms automate non-billable operational work—client intake, document drafting, deadline tracking, billing reconciliation—while solicitors retain approval authority over all client-facing actions. Unlike legal chatbots that answer questions, AI agents execute multi-step workflows autonomously, pausing for human judgment at critical decision points. The result: 20+ billable hours recovered per fee-earner per week without compromising SRA compliance or client privilege.
The UK legal sector has reached an inflection point. According to the Clio Legal Trends Report 2025, 96% of UK law firms now use AI in some capacity—yet only 17% have fully embedded it into their workflows. This gap represents the difference between adoption and transformation.
AI agents bridge this gap. They do not just assist; they execute. They do not just suggest; they act. And critically for regulated professionals, they do not just automate—they maintain the human oversight that SRA compliance demands.
What Agentised Does for Law Firms
AI agents handle the operational work that consumes solicitor time but generates no billable hours. Here are the four highest-impact workflows:
Client Intake & Onboarding
Document Drafting
Matter Management
Billing & Time Recording
Agentised vs Alternatives
How do AI agents compare to legal chatbots, document automation, and paralegals?
| Capability | Us | Bot | Doc | Para |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-step workflows | ||||
| Works 24/7 | ||||
| Handles exceptions intelligently | ||||
| Client communications | ||||
| Cross-system integration | ||||
| Learns from corrections | ||||
| SRA-compliant audit trail | ||||
| Scales without hiring |
Full support Partial Not supported
"A chatbot answers questions. Document automation fills templates. An AI agent runs the intake process end-to-end while you review the final output. That is the difference between a tool and a colleague."
SRA Compliance and Client Confidentiality
The Solicitors Regulation Authority maintains a technology-neutral approach—no AI-specific rules exist. Compliance is governed by existing Principles and the Code of Conduct. Here is how Agentised satisfies each requirement:
Principle 5: Competence
Solicitors must only act within their competence. AI agents assist with tasks the solicitor supervises and approves. All outputs are reviewed before reaching clients, maintaining professional standards.
Principle 2: Confidentiality
Zero-retention model: client data is processed but never stored for AI training. Data remains in your PMS (Clio, Leap) via secure APIs. Legal privilege is maintained—the AI is a tool under solicitor control.
Rule 4.2: Accountability
Solicitors remain responsible for all client work, including AI-assisted tasks. Supervised autonomy ensures human approval at every critical point. Full audit trails document every action for regulatory inspection.
SRA Research (January 2025): Many solicitors lack confidence in managing AI risks. This is why supervised autonomy matters—the architecture provides guardrails that ensure compliance even as capabilities expand. You get the benefits of AI without the regulatory uncertainty.
ROI and Industry Statistics
The business case for AI agents in law firms is driven by two factors: recovered billable hours and improved matter economics.
UK Legal AI Adoption (2025)
Sources: Clio Legal Trends 2025, LexisNexis Q3 2025, PwC UK Law Survey
Solutions by Practice Area
Different practice areas have different automation priorities. Explore solutions tailored to your specialism:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do AI agents differ from legal chatbots or document automation?
Legal chatbots answer questions; document automation fills templates. AI agents execute complete workflows autonomously. They can receive a client inquiry, run conflict checks, draft engagement letters, schedule meetings, and prepare matter files—pausing only for solicitor approval on client-facing actions. The difference is between answering a question and doing the job.
Does using AI agents satisfy SRA supervision requirements?
Yes. The SRA maintains a technology-neutral approach: no AI-specific rules exist. Compliance is governed by existing Principles, particularly Principle 5 (Competence) and Rule 4.2 (accountability for all work). Supervised autonomy satisfies these requirements by ensuring solicitors review and approve all client-facing outputs. The AI executes; the solicitor verifies and takes responsibility.
What about client confidentiality and privilege?
Agentised operates on a zero-retention model: client data is processed but never stored for AI training. All data remains within your existing systems (Clio, Leap, PMS) via secure API connections. AI agents access only what they need for the immediate task, with full audit logs for every action. Legal privilege is maintained because the AI is a tool under solicitor control, not an independent actor.
Which legal tasks can AI agents automate?
AI agents excel at non-billable operational work: client intake and onboarding, conflict checking, document drafting from templates, matter management and deadline tracking, time recording and billing narrative drafting, client communications (with approval), and file reviews. They handle the 20+ hours per week of admin that prevents solicitors from focusing on substantive legal work.
How quickly can AI agents be deployed in a law firm?
Typical deployment takes 2-4 weeks. Week 1: Liability and Leakage Audit to map your workflows. Week 2: Integration with your PMS (Clio, Leap, etc.) and email. Week 3: Agent training on your templates and procedures. Week 4: Supervised rollout with increasing autonomy as confidence builds. Most firms see measurable time savings within the first month.
Ready to recover 20+ hours per fee-earner per week?
See how AI agents handle client intake, document drafting, and matter management for UK law firms. Book a demo to see it in action.