8 Best Legal AI Tools for Lawyers in Australia: Make AI your legal assistant

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s actively transforming legal practice. For Australian law firms, AI tools are helping lawyers conduct research faster, draft documents more efficiently, manage cases seamlessly, and communicate with clients effectively. In essence, AI software is becoming an indispensable assistant that allows lawyers to work smarter, save time, and gain a competitive edge.

Despite this, many firms have yet to fully embrace AI. Recent data highlights the adoption gap:

• 72% of law firm professionals report that their firms don’t offer a GenAI legal assistant.
• According to our 2024 State of Law report, an overwhelming 74% of professionals are eager to explore the benefits of AI, with 57% excited to explore its use to improve business processes.

Whether you are a sole practitioner, part of a boutique practice, or work in a large law firm, understanding the best AI software for lawyers in Australia can help you make informed decisions. In this guide, we’ll explore 8 powerful legal AI tools for law firms in 2025 and show how they can streamline operations, improve productivity, and enhance client service.

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1. Archie AI (Smokeball)

Archie AI is an AI legal assistant built in Smokeball legal practice management software. Unlike general-purpose AI, Archie AI is tailored to lawyers and matters, delivering contextual insights and instant answers based on your active cases. From drafting and summarising to client intake and matter organisation, Archie AI streamlines everyday legal work.

Why Archie AI matters for Australian lawyers:

• Seamless integration: Embedded directly in Smokeball, Archie works within every detail of your matters to provide real-time insights and answers.
• Secure and reliable: Ask matter-specific questions with confidence. Archie ensures safe, accurate responses while helping you draft client correspondence with ease.
• Smarter time tracking: Automatically generates detailed, accurate descriptions of billable work, eliminating manual entry and improving billing accuracy.
• Efficient client intake: Build custom intake forms tailored to your practice area to capture exactly the information you need.
• Simple to use: Just ask Archie AI, and get instant, matter-aware answers or drafts without juggling multiple disconnected tools.

Archie is the ideal legal matter AI assistant for lawyers and law firms wanting to boost productivity in a safe, integrated environment. Because it’s built into Smokeball, you can manage matters, billing, and client communication all in one place without switching platforms!

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2. Habeas

Habeas is an Australian-built AI research platform trained on an expansive corpus of local case law, statutes, and legislation. It cuts research time on case retrieval, turning hours of manual work into minutes of analysis. Lawyers can query legal issues in plain language and receive precise, citation-backed answers, tailored to their practice area and research style.

Key benefits:

• Jurisdiction-specific focus: Built on Australian legal databases for accuracy.
• Time-saving research: Cuts case law retrieval and analysis time by half.
• Customisable AI assistants: Adapt results to your practice area and preferences.

For lawyers seeking jurisdiction-specific precision, Habeas delivers where global AI tools often fall short.

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3. Harvey

Harvey is one of the most prominent enterprise-level AI platforms for law firms, backed by OpenAI and adopted by leading global firms, including some of Australia’s top practices. Purpose-built for legal work, Harvey streamlines complex processes like document review, discovery, contract analysis, and compliance research. Its enterprise focus means robust data security, scalability, and the ability to integrate seamlessly into large legal workflows.

Why large firms love Harvey:

• Handles vast volumes of data in discovery with speed and accuracy.
• Accelerates due diligence for corporate transactions and regulatory compliance.
• Delivers clear, summarised insights without sacrificing legal nuance.
• Enterprise-grade security and scalability designed for global law firms.

For firms engaged in litigation, corporate law, or cross-border matters, Harvey is a game-changer in managing information-heavy cases at scale.

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4. Mary Technology

Mary Technology helps law firms save countless hours by automating one of the most tedious but crucial tasks - building case chronologies. Instead of manually sifting through documents, medical notes, or correspondence, Mary transforms raw case files into clear, organised timelines in just minutes.

Why Mary Technology matters for Australian lawyers:

• Automated chronologies: Instantly convert case documents into structured, easy-to-navigate timelines.
• Time savings: Firms typically save 75%–85% of the hours usually spent drafting and reviewing chronologies.
• Case clarity: Quickly spot key events, patterns, or inconsistencies without missing critical details.
• Easy exports: Generate professional chronologies that can be shared or exported to Microsoft Word with a single click.

Already used by hundreds of lawyers across Australia, Mary helps firms better understand client stories while freeing up time for higher-value legal work.

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5. ChatGPT

While not built exclusively for lawyers, ChatGPT has become a widely used AI assistant across industries. For law firms, it can be a versatile tool for research, content creation, client communications, brainstorming, and even law firm marketing. It helps lawyers draft documents faster, summarise complex cases, and explore multiple scenarios or arguments, saving valuable time on routine tasks.

Use cases in legal practice:

• Drafting internal memos or correspondence.
• Simplifying complex legal concepts for clients.
• Generating marketing content for law firm websites, SEO blog posts or performance ads.

However, lawyers should be aware of privacy concerns: ChatGPT processes information in the cloud, so sensitive client or matter data should never be shared without proper safeguards.

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6. AI Legal Assist

AI Legal Assist is an AI-powered tool designed to streamline document drafting and review for Australian law firms. The platform leverages AI to automate the creation of contracts, pleadings, and legal precedents, while also assisting lawyers in reviewing complex documents quickly and accurately.

Why AI Legal Assist matters for Australian lawyers:

• Faster drafting: Automatically generates high-quality legal documents, saving hours of manual work.
• Error reduction: Minimises mistakes in large contracts or intricate pleadings, ensuring higher accuracy.
• Practical guidance: Provides suggestions for clearer and more precise legal language, enhancing document quality.
• Customisable templates: Supports firm-specific templates for consistency across all documents.
• Scalable for volume: Ideal for transactional law firms or teams handling high document loads, helping maintain speed and accuracy under pressure.

By integrating AI Legal Assist into their workflows, Australian law firms can improve efficiency, reduce repetitive work, and maintain compliance, all while ensuring high-quality outputs across their legal documents.

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7. CourtAid

CourtAid is a legal AI tool designed to help lawyers quickly access and interpret legislation, case law, and judgments. CourtAid has a database of over 2 million judgments, acts, and legislation from Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, making it a powerful resource for research and case preparation.

Why CourtAid matters for Australian lawyers:

• Extensive legal database: Access a vast library of relevant legal sources across multiple jurisdictions.
• Fast, accurate search: Utilises an enterprise search engine to quickly find the most relevant cases and legislation for your queries.
• Contextual AI answers: Combines search results with AI processing to deliver precise, law-specific insights.
• Better than generic AI: Unlike general-purpose AI tools, CourtAid focuses exclusively on legal content, ensuring reliable and relevant outputs.

CourtAid is ideal for firms and lawyers who need efficient, comprehensive legal research without spending hours manually combing through case law or legislation.

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8. Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant built into the Microsoft 365 suite, designed to enhance productivity by embedding generative AI directly into familiar tools like Word, Outlook, and Excel. For lawyers, this means accessing AI capabilities without leaving the platforms they already use every day.

Why Microsoft Copilot matters for Australian lawyers:

• Document drafting: Generate, refine, and summarise legal documents directly in Word, speeding up drafting while maintaining professional quality.
• Email management: Automate and organise case-related emails in Outlook, draft responses, and prioritise communications efficiently.
• Data analysis: Analyse financial data, timelines, and case metrics in Excel with AI-assisted insights, reducing manual calculations and improving accuracy.
• Workflow integration: Seamlessly enhances existing Microsoft 365 tools without requiring separate platforms or new software.

While Copilot is not a replacement for legal-specific AI, it complements specialised tools by streamlining daily operations and freeing lawyers to focus on high-value tasks.

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Choosing the Right AI Tools for Your Law Firm

With the growing variety of AI tools for lawyers and law firms, selecting the right software can feel overwhelming. The right choice depends on your firm’s size, practice areas, and long-term goals. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating AI software for law firms in Australia:

Firm Size & Practice Area

• Solo practitioners and small to mid-sized law firms often benefit from integrated solutions like Archie AI, which connects seamlessly to all matters and practice management systems.
• For firms with diverse practice areas, choosing tools designed to be adaptable across multiple areas of law is a safe bet.
• Larger firms dealing with complex corporate work or high-stakes litigation may find advanced platforms like Harvey especially valuable.

Compliance & Data Security

• Ensure the AI tool you’ve picked complies with Australian privacy laws and the ethical obligations of legal practice.
• Professional, law-focused tools such as Archie AI, Mary Technology, and AI Legal Assistant usually offer stronger data protection compared to general-purpose AI platforms.

Integration with Existing Systems

• Look for AI software that integrates smoothly with your current systems. Tools that connect directly with widely used platforms such as Microsoft Office, Outlook, and Xero can boost efficiency and reduce double handling of information.

Training & Oversight

• It’s important to remember AI is powerful but not perfect. Lawyers must review outputs for accuracy, relevance, and compliance.
• Choose tools that provide customer support, training resources, and implementation guidance so your team can get the most value out of the software.

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Final Thoughts

AI tools are no longer optional for forward-thinking law firms in Australia. From streamlining practice management to enabling faster research and drafting, these technologies are reshaping the legal industry. The real advantage, however, comes from choosing tools that align with your firm's needs and consistently using these legal AI tools effectively, making them your handy legal assistant AI.

By adopting AI responsibly with proper oversight, strong data security, and a focus on client trust, you can unlock efficiencies, reduce errors, and deliver better outcomes. The right AI software doesn’t just make your firm work faster; it helps you work smarter, stay competitive, and build lasting client satisfaction.

FAQ

1. How do I choose the right Legal AI tool for my law firm?

Start by considering your firm’s size, practice area, and existing software. For example, small firms may benefit from integrated solutions like Archie AI in Smokeball, while larger firms may need advanced tools such as Harvey or CoCounsel. Always check compliance, data security, and integration with your current law firm management software.

2. What AI tools are available for solicitors in Australia?

There is a wide variety of AI tools for lawyers in Australia. Professional legal AI tools include Archie AI, Habeas, AI Legal Assist, Harvey, and Mary Technology. General-purpose AI tools such as Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT can also support legal research, drafting, scheduling, and client communication.

3. Can I use AI to create legal documents?

Yes. Tools like AI Legal Assist and Archie AI can draft, review, and refine legal documents such as contracts, pleadings, and client correspondence. They help lawyers reduce drafting time and improve accuracy, though human oversight remains essential to ensure compliance and quality.

4. What is the best AI for legal work?

The best AI software for lawyers depends on your needs. For integrated practice management, Archie AI in Smokeball is highly effective. For research and litigation support, Harvey and Habeas stand out. For everyday productivity, Microsoft Copilot integrates seamlessly into Microsoft 365 tools. Choosing the right tool means matching features to your firm’s demands.

5. Is AI safe to use in law firms?

Generally speaking yes but only when you choose legal-specific AI tools designed with compliance and data security in mind. Tools like Archie AI, AI Legal Assist, and Mary Technology prioritise privacy and client confidentiality, making them safer than generic AI platforms.