Legal Document Production

When I think about what is changing around how law firms maintain consistency with their legal documents, I immediately think back to a meeting I had a few years ago with a Global CIO from an AMLaw 10 firm.  As he considered vendor consolidation in the document creation space, he candidly told me he could not believe how much emotion/passion existed in the firm around document creation.

But when you think about it, there should be! All the amazing work that attorneys do to represent their clients in the best possible way very often gets distilled into a document.  When that document is poorly formatted, off-brand or corrupt, that reflects poorly on the firm and gives clients pause on how they are being represented. Furthermore, lawyers and the teams that support them spend much of their day creating, editing, and managing legal documents. They want that to be easy, straightforward, and manageable, so they can concentrate on all that goes into the document.

So, what do I think will change in the coming year? Firms will continue to focus on the integration of their document creation tools to make sure their users have the best-of-breed solutions that make their jobs easier and ensure consistency in their work product.  The balance of vendor consolidation, expense control and the user experience will all remain factors in charting the path forward. More than a few firms have been sold on a “platform” approach that promises a seamless UX but results in added complexity and a less-than-stellar overall experience. Coupling that with dramatic rate increases will leave more than a few firms back in the market for solutions.

As Microsoft continues to develop their Office JS platform, firms will begin to develop their plans for moving their users fully into the cloud. The reality is this will be a multi-year migration as the desktop experience their users are accustomed to has not been replicated with the cloud-based MS Office products. Microsoft will get there, and the flexibility this will offer is advantageous. Firms will need to ensure their software vendors have a plan and a sharp eye on where Microsoft is heading.

As we step into 2025, the legal document production software landscape is poised for transformation driven by the evolving demands of law firms and corporate legal departments. The top trend from 2024—law firms demanding more vendor flexibility for document solutions—will solidify as a cornerstone expectation. Firms increasingly seek solutions that empower them to independently manage templates and workflows without relying heavily on third-party intervention. This shift reflects a growing emphasis on operational efficiency, agility, and cost control. Vendors who prioritize user autonomy, offering intuitive interfaces and robust and real-time training resources (help-mode), will continue as industry leaders.

Another key focus for 2025 will be the seamless round-tripping of documents without formatting issues or data loss. As legal professionals collaborate with clients and external stakeholders constantly, documents often move between systems and software. Platforms that ensure smooth integration and retain complex formatting, metadata, and structure across edits will become non-negotiable. Additionally, the demand for platforms built on native Word will continue to dominate. Legal professionals prefer tools that integrate effortlessly with Word while enhancing its capabilities—such as automated clause libraries.

By combining seamless round-tripping with native Word functionality and open architecture, software vendors can set themselves apart in this very competitive market, catering to firms prioritizing innovation, efficiency, and reliability.