Why law firms are moving from services to products
For most of legal history, the business model was straightforward: firms sold time and advice. You had a matter, the lawyer put in the hours, and the bill reflected that effort. But that model is shifting. Across firms of all sizes, not just BigLaw with big innovation budgets, lawyers are starting to think differently. They’re moving from delivering services one matter at a time to designing products: packaged solutions, tools, templates, and subscription offerings.
Why This Shift Matters
Think about your own practice. How many times have you drafted the same type of contract, flagged the same risk, or answered the same client question? In the traditional model, each request is treated as bespoke: start from scratch, customize, bill the time. But patterns repeat. And where there are patterns, there’s potential for products.
This shift matters because it streamlines the delivery of legal expertise and reduces inefficiencies. Instead of reinventing the wheel for every client matter, firms can create repeatable, structured products that clients can access with clear expectations around price and outcome.
From Services to Products
Here’s the contrast in simple terms: under the service model, clients pay for expertise delivered matter by matter, with value tied to hours of effort. Under the product model, clients pay for reusable solutions where value is embedded in design, systems, and automation.
Products can take many forms, even in smaller firms. Examples include:
Flat-fee incorporation packages
Contract playbooks or templates
Compliance toolkits for HR managers
Subscription models combining templates with a set number of consult hours
Dashboards tracking regulatory changes
These aren’t replacing lawyers; rather, they package expertise in ways that are clear, predictable, and scalable.
Real-World Examples of Productization in Legal Firms
Law firms increasingly build scalable products by integrating legal knowledge with technology and client insights. For instance, a financial services firm developed a product combining workflow automation with regulatory expertise to manage compliance processes efficiently. Another example involves a firm creating a legal workflow tool for GDPR-related data subject access requests, automating document creation and tracking.
Some firms serve a wider audience by offering tools that guide clients through common legal processes, such as family law cases or contract management, reducing cognitive overload and improving user experience. Others offer solutions tailored to enterprise clients with high configurability and security. Additionally, solo lawyers have built platforms to help peers automate probate document generation, turning legal know-how into a marketable product.
What’s Driving the Change
Several forces are making productization more attractive and sometimes necessary:
Clients want clear, usable solutions, not just advice.
Margins improve because products can be delivered repeatedly once designed.
Competition is fierce, and products help firms stand out in a crowded services market.
AI and automation drastically reduce the time required for tasks that were once manual and lengthy.
Benefits for Law Firms and Lawyers
Adopting a product mindset doesn’t require firms to become technology companies overnight. Instead, it means approaching legal work differently:
Identify repeatable patterns in your work.
Package these into fixed-fee offerings, templates, or subscription models.
Automate document generation and routine workflows.
Offer clients clarity and predictability with packaged solutions.
This approach delivers multiple benefits:
Clarity for clients, as packaged offerings make buying legal services less intimidating.
Efficiency for lawyers, by reducing reinvention and freeing time for high-value judgment work.
Competitive edge, standing out among peers and DIY platforms.
Predictable revenue streams that smooth out fluctuations common to hourly billing.
Ability to sell legal solutions 24/7 via online platforms, unlocking new revenue potential.
Why This Matters to You
The shift from services to products represents a significant opportunity for legal professionals willing to embrace change. It aligns with modern client expectations for transparency, efficiency, and practical outcomes while allowing firms to scale expertise and improve profitability. By productizing aspects of legal work, lawyers can focus more on complex, high-value tasks and less on routine, billable-hour grinding.
Our Why at Legau
To support lawyers through this transition, Legau built Business of Law 101, a free 8-day email course that illuminates how the business side of law works. It’s part of Legau’s mission to reduce stress, promote legal education, and strengthen institutions from within.
If this resonates, consider joining the free course to explore how these market shifts can benefit your firm.