Navigating What’s Next: The Trends Reshaping Legal Practice Across Australia and New Zealand

The legal profession is no stranger to change. But as conversations at two recent ALPMA Next Level events in New South Wales and Victoria demonstrated, today's challenge is not simply keeping pace with technology. It is helping people, processes and culture evolve alongside it.

Xperate were proud to be invited to contribute to expert panel discussions at both events, with Ashleigh Kachel, Operations Manager, joining the panel in NSW, and Danielle Dazkiw, Legal Accounts Consultant & Trainer, representing Xperate in VIC.

Bringing together legal leaders, operations professionals and technology experts, the sessions focused on a common theme: "Navigating What's Next: The Trends Reshaping Legal Practice."

For firms that were unable to attend, here are some of the key themes that emerged, and why they matter for ambitious law firms across Australia and New Zealand.

Technology Is No Longer the Hard Part

One of the strongest themes across both events was that technology itself is rarely the biggest obstacle to transformation.

Modern legal technology platforms are more capable than ever. Whether it's practice management, document automation, workflow optimisation, business intelligence or AI-powered productivity tools, firms have access to solutions that can deliver significant efficiencies and competitive advantage.

The real challenge is ensuring those tools are adopted and used effectively.

A recurring message from legal leaders was that technology projects succeed or fail based on adoption, not implementation.

Many firms can successfully deploy a new system. Far fewer can achieve the behavioural change required to realise its full value.

This is where change management becomes critical.

Successful firms are taking a more structured approach to technology projects, recognising that communication, training, engagement and leadership are just as important as the technology itself.

Change Doesn't Have to Mean Change Everything

Another common theme was the risk of trying to transform too much, too quickly.

Law firms today face pressure from every direction. Client expectations are changing. Economic uncertainty remains a factor. New technologies are emerging rapidly. Regulatory and compliance responsibilities continue to grow.

Against this backdrop, it can be tempting to launch multiple transformation initiatives simultaneously.

However, panel discussions reinforced the value of focusing on manageable, incremental improvements.

The firms seeing the greatest success are often those that:

• Prioritise one challenge at a time
• Deliver measurable wins early
• Learn from initial projects before expanding further
• Build confidence and momentum across the wider firm

Transformation is rarely a single event. It is a continual process of improvement.

The firms that navigate change most successfully are often the ones that move deliberately, bringing their people with them at every stage.

Start With the AI You Already Have

It would not be a legal technology discussion in 2026 without addressing artificial intelligence.

Unsurprisingly, AI remained one of the most talked-about topics at both events. But the conversation has evolved significantly over the past year.

Rather than asking, "Should we adopt AI?", firms are now asking, "Where should we apply AI first?"

One particularly practical piece of advice resonated with attendees: start with the AI capabilities you already own before investing in new tools.

Many firms already have powerful AI functionality embedded within the platforms they use every day, including practice management systems, document management solutions, Microsoft 365 and legal-specific applications.

Before adding another product to the technology stack, firms should evaluate:

• Which AI tools already exist within current systems
• Whether staff understand how to use them
• How they fit within established workflows
• What governance controls are required

The goal should not be to implement AI for the sake of innovation. The goal should be to solve genuine business challenges, improve client service and reduce unnecessary administrative burden.

Trust in AI Requires More Than Technology

As AI adoption increases, so too does the need for governance.

A strong message from attendees and panellists alike was that trust cannot be assumed. It must be built.

AI initiatives require clear policies, practical training and well-defined boundaries around appropriate use.

Law firms must consider questions such as:

• What information can be shared with AI tools?
• How are outputs reviewed and validated?
• Who is accountable for decisions influenced by AI?
• How do firms balance innovation with risk management?

Forward-thinking firms are developing frameworks that enable responsible experimentation while maintaining professional standards, client confidentiality and regulatory compliance.

Those conversations are becoming increasingly important as AI moves from isolated trials into wider operational use.

Inclusion Drives Adoption

Another key takeaway was the importance of involving people early and often.

Employees are significantly more likely to embrace change when they feel their voices have been heard.

Whether introducing a new practice management platform, updating workflows or deploying AI tools, successful firms are creating opportunities for staff to contribute feedback, raise concerns and influence outcomes.

This approach delivers two benefits.

First, it improves the quality of decision-making by incorporating insights from the people doing the work every day.

Second, it creates greater ownership and buy-in across the firm.

Change is rarely resisted because people dislike technology. More often, resistance emerges when change feels imposed rather than collaborative.

Leadership Must Own Transformation

Perhaps one of the most important themes from both events was that technology adoption is fundamentally a leadership challenge.

The firms making the greatest progress are not treating transformation as an IT project. They are treating it as a strategic business initiative.

Partners, directors and firm leaders play a critical role in:

• Setting the vision
• Communicating the purpose behind change
• Demonstrating commitment through their own behaviours
• Championing adoption across teams

Technology teams provide expertise and support, but leadership creates the environment where change can succeed.

As one discussion highlighted, the biggest challenge is often not proving the technology works. It is scaling adoption consistently across the entire firm.

The Wellbeing Challenge Cannot Be Ignored

Alongside technology and AI, wellbeing and burnout emerged as significant concerns.

Law firms continue to face increasing workloads, growing client expectations and pressure to do more with less.

Technology alone will not solve burnout.

However, the right combination of technology, process improvement and operational design can help remove unnecessary friction from daily work.

Repeatedly, conversations returned to the importance of reducing administrative burden, eliminating duplication and streamlining routine tasks.

When lawyers and support teams spend less time searching for information, manually entering data or navigating disconnected systems, they have more capacity to focus on higher-value work and can focus on why they wanted a career in law in the first place – to help people.

This not only improves productivity but can also contribute to a healthier and more sustainable working environment.

At Xperate, this remains a central focus of our consulting approach. Whether helping firms optimise existing systems, improve financial processes, streamline workflows or evaluate new technologies, the objective is not simply efficiency. It is creating better ways of working for the people behind the process.

Looking Ahead

If the ALPMA Next Level events highlighted one overarching message, it is this: The future belongs to firms that can balance innovation with adoption.

The opportunities presented by AI, automation and modern legal technology are considerable. But success will depend on more than selecting the right platform.

It will require strong leadership, thoughtful change management, clear governance and a genuine commitment to supporting the people expected to embrace change.

These are conversations Xperate has every day with firms across Australia, New Zealand and around the world.

Our team combines hands-on legal operational experience with deep technology expertise, helping firms navigate transformation with confidence and clarity.

Talk to the APAC Team

Whether you're exploring AI, planning a technology upgrade, reviewing operational processes or looking for practical ways to improve adoption and engagement, we're here to help.

Get in touch with Donna Broadley, Danielle Dazkiw or Ashleigh Kachel to discuss your firm's goals, challenges and next steps.

The legal sector is changing quickly. The right technology matters, but the right partner can make all the difference.