{"id":3162,"date":"2026-08-27T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T23:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/resources\/resource\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition"},"modified":"2026-08-27T09:11:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T01:11:55","slug":"australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition","status":"publish","type":"insight_resource","link":"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/resources\/resource\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition","title":{"rendered":"Australia State of the Legal Market 2026 Edition\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-default\" style=\"background-color:#ececec;color:#ececec\"\/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Record growth:&nbsp;<\/strong>Considered one of the strongest years in a decade for the Australian legal market.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Split pack:&nbsp;<\/strong>The \u201cBig 8\u201d, Large law firms and&nbsp;Midsized&nbsp;law firms \u201cran their own race\u201d in the&nbsp;financial year&nbsp;2026.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Right people, right tools:<\/strong>&nbsp;Technology spending led the way per qualified fee earner when it came to indirect expenditure, as firms continued equipping their people with the latest tools.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-default\" style=\"background-color:#ececec;color:#ececec\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Thomson Reuters Institute has today released the <em>Australia State of the Legal Market 2026 Edition<\/em>, in partnership with Melbourne Law School. According to the report, the Australian legal market recorded one of its strongest years of growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year\u2019s edition&nbsp;comprises&nbsp;an analysis of three distinct legal segments. They are the&nbsp;\u201cBig 8\u201d, Large law firms and&nbsp;Midsized&nbsp;law firms.&nbsp;Although they are running the same track,&nbsp;as&nbsp;the report&nbsp;notes;&nbsp;they are speeding towards different goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/sites\/22\/2026\/08\/WG0626_05B_1920x848-1024x452.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/sites\/22\/2026\/08\/WG0626_05B_1920x848-1024x452.png 1024w, https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/sites\/22\/2026\/08\/WG0626_05B_1920x848-300x133.png 300w, https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/sites\/22\/2026\/08\/WG0626_05B_1920x848-768x339.png 768w, https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/sites\/22\/2026\/08\/WG0626_05B_1920x848-1536x678.png 1536w, https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/sites\/22\/2026\/08\/WG0626_05B_1920x848-740x327.png 740w, https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/sites\/22\/2026\/08\/WG0626_05B_1920x848.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-98e7ceac2d4d318f2db0622cc2319e19\" style=\"color:#d64000\">2026&nbsp;financial year&nbsp;\u201creflects an unusual balance\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Professor Michelle Foster, Dean, Melbourne Law School said the 2026&nbsp;financial year (FY 2026)&nbsp;\u201creflects an unusual balance, in which global instability generated work for Australian firms without unsettling the domestic economy on which that work depends.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs geopolitical pressures continue to impact economic conditions, it is more important than ever for firms to review core strategies and ensure objectives remain aligned with the changing landscape\u201d (see page 2).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3f32234d50c910dd5a1a4c9214971555\" style=\"color:#d64000\">FAQs&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What you want to know about the<em> Australia State of the Legal Market (2026 Edition)<\/em>&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style data-wp-block-html=\"css\">\n.schema-faq-question {font-size: 20px;}\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1787792798804\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Was FY 2026 a strong year for the legal market?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, according to the<em>\u00a0Australia State of the Legal Market\u00a02026 Edition<\/em>, FY 2026 \u201cwas one of the strongest years the Australian legal market has seen in a decade\u201d (see page 3). But that does not mean each firm experienced the same levels of demand for legal services, nor that they employed the same strategies to secure their success.\u00a0\u00a0<br><br>This year\u2019s report contrasts \u201cThe Big 8\u2019s\u201d strategies to\u00a0Midsized\u00a0firms as they speed towards differing goals.\u00a0Find out more\u00a0within your\u00a0copy of the report.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1787792811894\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How much did firms invest in technology last\u00a0financial year?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">We know that firms increased their spending on technology per qualified fee earner in FY 2026, which the report\u00a0categorises\u00a0as \u201cindirect expenses\u201d. As it notes, \u201cThe sheer volume of spending puts it into perspective, with the 10 heaviest technology &amp; KM spenders investing close to $30 million each\u201d (see page 7).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1787792820610\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What\u00a0methodology\u00a0underpins the Australia State of the Legal Market 2026 Edition?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Over the course of FY 2026, the financial metrics in this report were collected from Thomson Reuters Financial Insights data, which is based on the accounting systems from 27\u00a0participating\u00a0law firms\u00a0operating\u00a0in Australia. These include some of the largest firms by the number of qualified fee-earners (QFEs) in the country.\u00a0\u00a0<br><br>Global metrics used for comparison are based on 260-plus law firms, primarily\u00a0located\u00a0in the United States and the United Kingdom, which also\u00a0participate\u00a0in the Financial Insights program. Some numbers may have changed since the issuance of the FY 2025 report due to sample shifts, revisions, or changes in\u00a0methodology.\u00a0\u00a0<br><br>Market insights included in the report were based on interviews with 109 Australian-based legal buyers over the course of FY 2026.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1787792839809\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Where can I access last years\u2019 edition of the Australia State of the Legal Market?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><a href=\"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.au\/legal\/resources\/resource\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2025-report-the-legal-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Australia State of the Legal Market 2025 Report: The Legal Race<\/a>\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Download <em>Australia State of the Legal Market 2026 Edition <\/em>on Legal Insight today.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian legal market has had a year of record growth, according to the Thomson Reuters Institute&#8217;s 2026 report. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3165,"template":"","categories":[573],"tags":[343,353],"resource_type":[624],"insight_job_role":[763],"insight_practice_area":[579,586,590,766,1042],"class_list":["entry","author-traus","has-excerpt","post-3162","insight_resource","type-insight_resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","category-benchmarking","tag-legal-market","tag-legal-service-delivery","resource_type-report","insight_job_role-managing-partner","insight_practice_area-commercial-law","insight_practice_area-dispute-resolution","insight_practice_area-employment-law","insight_practice_area-insolvency-and-restructuring","insight_practice_area-mergers-acquisitions","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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But that does not mean each firm experienced the same levels of demand for legal services, nor that they employed the same strategies to secure their success.\u00a0\u00a0<br><br>This year\u2019s report contrasts \u201cThe Big 8\u2019s\u201d strategies to\u00a0Midsized\u00a0firms as they speed towards differing goals.\u00a0Find out more\u00a0within your\u00a0copy of the report.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\\\/legal\\\/resources\\\/resource\\\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition#faq-question-1787792811894\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\\\/legal\\\/resources\\\/resource\\\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition#faq-question-1787792811894\",\"name\":\"How much did firms invest in technology last\u00a0financial year?\u00a0\u00a0\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"We know that firms increased their spending on technology per qualified fee earner in FY 2026, which the report\u00a0categorises\u00a0as \u201cindirect expenses\u201d. 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But that does not mean each firm experienced the same levels of demand for legal services, nor that they employed the same strategies to secure their success.\u00a0\u00a0<br><br>This year\u2019s report contrasts \u201cThe Big 8\u2019s\u201d strategies to\u00a0Midsized\u00a0firms as they speed towards differing goals.\u00a0Find out more\u00a0within your\u00a0copy of the report.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/resources\/resource\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition#faq-question-1787792811894","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/resources\/resource\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition#faq-question-1787792811894","name":"How much did firms invest in technology last\u00a0financial year?\u00a0\u00a0","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"We know that firms increased their spending on technology per qualified fee earner in FY 2026, which the report\u00a0categorises\u00a0as \u201cindirect expenses\u201d. As it notes, \u201cThe sheer volume of spending puts it into perspective, with the 10 heaviest technology &amp; KM spenders investing close to $30 million each\u201d (see page 7).\u00a0\u00a0","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/resources\/resource\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition#faq-question-1787792820610","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/insight.thomsonreuters.com.hk\/legal\/resources\/resource\/australia-state-of-the-legal-market-2026-edition#faq-question-1787792820610","name":"What\u00a0methodology\u00a0underpins the Australia State of the Legal Market 2026 Edition?\u00a0\u00a0","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Over the course of FY 2026, the financial metrics in this report were collected from Thomson Reuters Financial Insights data, which is based on the accounting systems from 27\u00a0participating\u00a0law firms\u00a0operating\u00a0in Australia. These include some of the largest firms by the number of qualified fee-earners (QFEs) in the country.\u00a0\u00a0<br><br>Global metrics used for comparison are based on 260-plus law firms, primarily\u00a0located\u00a0in the United States and the United Kingdom, which also\u00a0participate\u00a0in the Financial Insights program. 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