What is the difference between legal tech and law tech?

To answer whether there are differences between legal tech and law tech, you can very simply – yes, they exist. These are really different concepts, but the features of these two terms are described differently. In short, it depends on who you ask.

Legal tech is for lawyers, and law tech is for clients

Many representatives of the legal sphere are inclined to believe that legal tech is a technology for automating the work of lawyers. In particular, the leader of this opinion is Richard Susskind. He considers that legal tech brings together solutions to simplify and improve the efficiency of law firms, businesses, and corporations. The key feature of such technologies is the optimization of internal processes in the work of lawyers within the company. 

In contrast, law tech is seen as a solution aimed at improving the interaction of the legal industry with consumers of legal services. Sounds complicated. However, in reality, everything is simple. Let’s try to explain with an example. 

Law tech technology is when the client gets the opportunity to self-service. You need to know the answer to some legal questions. You get to the company’s website and with the help of a chatbot, you get everything you need. You can also sign up for a consultation. It saves time for both you and the lawyers because a large proportion of these processes are devoted to the self-service of the client. 

To summarize, legal tech is for lawyers, and law tech is for consumers of legal services.

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Can we say that legal tech or law tech is better?

It is just a matter of what tasks you face. It is impossible to single out the advantages of one technology over another. Legal tech and its solutions will be needed if it is necessary to improve the efficiency of lawyers and the quality of services they provide. These include, first of all, the automation of processes and the simplification of repetitive tasks from day to day.  

It is noteworthy that legal tech also brings benefits to the client, not only to the lawyer. First of all, it is a matter of improving the quality of legal services. In some cases, some costs of legal procedures are even reduced. Various administrative issues and work with papers take a very long time for a lawyer – sometimes almost a third of the working day. It will be much better to spend this time solving more important professional problems. Therefore, legal tech does not take away the lawyer’s earnings, but only helps to focus on really promising and well-paid tasks. This increases motivation and gives more interest in work, and professional development. 

A new stage in the development of legal services is law tech and its capabilities. Technology affects the external side of the work of a law firm. Its task is to simplify and make more effective the interaction of clients with a law firm more. Thanks to law tech, you can get a DIY service with the help of AI, spending a minimum of effort. And the lawyer does not spend much time on repetitive questions, or the same actions. Clients receive legal advice when they need it, and many routine tasks are automated. 

To sum up, it’s safe to say that both technologies only simplify the lives of lawyers and their clients in different ways, rather than competing with each other.

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Given the development of the field of law, the most profitable solution would be to create a hybrid between legal tech and law tech. It would help optimize internal and external processes in companies. An approach such as a plan will help to get the best out of two different methods and allow companies to develop harmoniously and succeed.