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Thank you for taking part in this research. Your responses will be used by Newbery Advisory for research on AI adoption in law and accountancy firms, and aggregated insights will be shared publicly in the final report. The survey doesn't require your name or your firm's name, and this page sets no cookies or tracking. At the very end, you will have the optional choice to provide your email address if you wish to receive the final report — this is not required to participate.

Independent Research · Law & Accountancy · UK · 2026

The Law & Accountancy
AI Study 2026

This study explores how law and accountancy firms in the UK with approximately 20–250 employees are approaching AI — what tools they are using, how widely those tools are being adopted, and where the real barriers lie. It's conducted by Newbery Advisory and isn't funded or sponsored by any technology vendor. Individual firm data will not be published or shared.

Time~10 minutes

Sections7

PrivacyNo name or firm needed

ReportHeadline findings early 2027 · Full report Q1 2027

Section 1 of 7

Your Firm

1.1 Which best describes your firm?

Law firm Accountancy firm Both — multidisciplinary practice Other professional services firm

1.2 Where is your firm primarily based?

England or Wales Scotland Northern Ireland

1.3 How many people work in your firm in total?

Fewer than 20 20–49 50–99 100–149 150–249 250 or more

1.4 Which best describes your firm's primary practice focus or service line?

Law firms

Full service (law) Commercial and corporate Real estate and property Private client (family, wills, trusts) Employment and HR Litigation and disputes

Accountancy firms

Full service (accountancy) Audit and assurance Tax Accounting and business advisory Outsourced finance and payroll Corporate finance and transactions Business recovery and insolvency

Other

Other specialist

1.5 What is your role?

Managing Partner / Senior Partner COO / Director of Operations / Practice Manager Partner HR Director / People Director Head of IT, innovation or knowledge Other senior leadership

1.6 Is your firm independently owned, or part of a wider group?

Independent — owned by its own partners or directors Part of a wider group or network of firms Part of a group backed by external or private-equity investment

Please answer all questions before continuing.

Section 2 of 7

AI at Your Firm Today

2.1 Which AI tools does your firm currently use?

Select all that apply

General purpose

Microsoft Copilot or other Microsoft AI tools ChatGPT, Claude, or similar general-purpose tools Meeting transcription and notetaking tools (Otter, Fireflies, Granola, Teams)

Legal-specific

Harvey Clio Duo LexisNexis AI Thomson Reuters CoCounsel

Accountancy-specific

AI features in Xero, Sage or QuickBooks Dext or AutoEntry

Other

A proprietary or custom-built AI tool None Other

2.2 Roughly what proportion of your client-facing professionals — those doing chargeable client work — use AI tools at least weekly as part of their normal working practice?

Fewer than 10% 10–25% 26–50% 51–75% 76–90% More than 90% I don't know

2.3 Where has AI had the most tangible impact in your firm so far?

Select up to two

Client work

Document drafting and review Accounts preparation and tax computation Bookkeeping, data entry and reconciliation Audit testing and sampling Legal or technical research Client communications and updates Meeting notes and record-keeping

Firm operations

Business development and pitching Finance and billing HR and people management Knowledge management Compliance and risk No meaningful impact yet

2.4 Who is primarily using AI in your firm at the moment?

Most client-facing professionals, but not support staff Client-facing professionals in specific service lines or teams Partners and senior professionals only Support staff and administration A small number of early adopters — not yet widespread Usage is across the board — client-facing professionals and support staff No one yet — we don't use AI

Please answer all questions before continuing.

Section 3 of 7

Adoption Reality

3.1 Which statement best describes where your firm is on its AI adoption journey?

We are still evaluating whether and how to adopt AI We have deployed tools but usage is patchy and inconsistent AI is used regularly in some parts of the firm but not others AI is now part of how most of the firm works day-to-day AI is central to our operating model — deeply embedded

3.2 What has had the most positive impact on AI adoption in your firm?

Select up to two

Strong leadership backing and clear direction Client-facing professionals driving it themselves — bottom-up enthusiasm A specific tool that solved a real problem quickly Structured training and onboarding support External guidance or peer learning We haven't had a significant positive driver yet

3.3 What is the single biggest barrier to getting more value from AI right now?

Integrating AI into how we actually work day-to-day Lack of AI skills or confidence using AI among our people Data security and client confidentiality concerns No clear ownership or leadership of the AI agenda Regulatory or compliance uncertainty Budget or cost of tools We don't yet have a compelling enough reason to move faster We're making good progress — barriers are manageable

3.4 Is there a named individual accountable for AI adoption at your firm?

Yes No Not sure

Please answer all questions before continuing.

Section 4 of 7

Governance and Risk

4.1 Does your firm have a formal AI use policy?

Yes — documented, shared with all staff, actively enforced Yes — something in place, though not consistently applied In progress — we are developing one No — we allow AI use but have no formal policy No — we haven't addressed this yet

4.2 Does your firm maintain an approved tools list — a defined set of AI tools staff are permitted to use in client work?

Yes — clear approved list, others are prohibited Partially — some guidance but not a formal approved list No — people use whatever tools they choose No — we haven't addressed this yet

4.3 When AI is used in client work, what is your firm's approach to disclosure?

We have a clear policy and disclose consistently We disclose when asked, but it's not standard practice Individual client-facing professionals decide for themselves We don't currently have a position on this We don't use AI in client-facing work

4.4 How aware is your firm's leadership of the rules and regulator guidance on AI that apply to your firm (for example from the SRA, ICAEW, ICO, or the EU AI Act for EU work)?

Very aware — we are actively assessing our obligations Aware in general terms, but haven't assessed the detail We know they exist but haven't engaged with the specifics Not on our radar at this stage

Please answer all questions before continuing.

Section 5 of 7

People and Capability

5.1 How would you describe your firm's approach to AI training and capability development?

We have a structured programme in place Some training has happened, but it's been ad hoc We've pointed people to resources and left them to it We haven't invested in formal AI training yet Training is planned but hasn't started

5.2 How confident are you that your people have the capability to use AI effectively and safely in their roles?

Very confident Fairly confident Mixed — some teams yes, others no Not very confident Not confident at all

5.3 How actively are managers and senior professionals supporting AI adoption in their teams?

Actively — they are role-modelling use and encouraging their teams Passively supportive — not resisting, but not driving it Inconsistent — depends entirely on the individual Some active resistance from senior people This hasn't been addressed at manager level

5.4 Have you specifically asked your people how they feel about AI adoption, beyond their training or capability?

Yes No Not yet, but we're planning to

Please answer all questions before continuing.

Section 6 of 7

Value and Measurement

6.1 Is your firm currently tracking the impact of AI in any formal way?

Yes — we have defined metrics and review them regularly We track some things informally, but nothing systematic We intend to, but haven't set anything up yet No — we're not measuring AI's impact

6.2 Where are you seeing the clearest return from AI investment so far?

Select up to two

Time savings on routine tasks Improved quality or consistency of work output Better or faster client service Reduced cost per matter or engagement Fewer errors or less rework Staff capacity freed for higher-value work We are not yet seeing a clear return

6.3 Has AI affected your firm's approach to pricing?

Yes — we've moved further toward fixed or value-based pricing Yes — we've reduced fees on some work that now takes less time Yes — we've held our prices and kept the efficiency gain We're starting to think about it but haven't changed our model Not yet, but we expect it will No — AI hasn't changed how we price

Please answer all questions before continuing.

Section 7 of 7

Future Outlook and Participation

7.1 In the next 12 months, what is your firm's highest priority in relation to AI?

Deploying AI tools for the first time or expanding what we have Getting more consistent use from tools we already have Building a governance and compliance framework Developing our people's capability and confidence Measuring and demonstrating the value AI is delivering Redesigning workflows and roles around AI

7.2 Compared to today, how do you expect your firm's AI investment to change over the next 12 months?

Increase significantly Increase somewhat Stay broadly the same Decrease We don't have a plan yet

7.3 As part of this research, we are conducting 20–25 structured interviews of 30–45 minutes. Interview participants receive early access to the findings before general release. Would you be willing to take part?

Yes — please contact me Yes — send me details and I'll confirm Not at this stage

7.4 Would you like a copy of the published report, and an invitation to our private findings briefing (online, early 2027)?

Yes — report and briefing invitation Report only, thank you No thank you

7.5 If you'd like the report, the briefing invitation or a call about an interview, leave your email address.

Needed only if you've asked for something in 7.3 or 7.4. We'll use it only for what you've chosen there. It's stored separately from your answers and isn't linked to them, so we can't find or delete your answers later. It won't be shared or used for marketing. To have your email deleted, write to gareth@newberyadvisory.com.

Firm name (optional)

Only saved if you leave an email address above, and kept with it, not with your survey answers. Used only to address your copy of the findings. Will not appear in the published report or be shared with any third party. Please don't include client or matter details.

Please answer the required questions (7.1–7.4) before submitting.

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Your responses have been received and will contribute to a clearer picture of how law and accountancy firms across the UK are really adopting AI.

Your answers were saved, but we could not save your email address. If you would like the findings or an interview, please email gareth@newberyadvisory.com.

Participants will be among the first to receive the findings — a headline summary in early 2027 and the full report in the first quarter of 2027.

Questions? Contact gareth@newberyadvisory.com
newberyadvisory.com

The Law & AccountancyAI Study 2026

Your Firm

AI at Your Firm Today

Adoption Reality

Governance and Risk

People and Capability

Value and Measurement

Future Outlook and Participation

Thank you.

The Law & Accountancy
AI Study 2026