UK legal professionals spend nearly three hours a day on non-billable tasks, according to a new industry report.
Profitability in Law: Global Report 2026, commissioned by LEAP Legal Software, surveyed around 700 legal professionals across six countries and found the equivalent of 88 full working days (17.5 weeks) a year are not charged for.
Despite the hours of non-billable work, 69% of legal professionals reported increased profitability over the past 12 months. Furthermore, 93% said their firm had the potential to be more profitable still and 70% rated profit improvement as a top or high priority.
Half of respondents (51%) found that pressure on pricing was the single biggest obstacle to profitability, while 41% pointed to the need to reduce expenses.
When asked what was preventing their firm from operating more efficiently, 43% blamed too many different systems, 41% pointed to limited AI tools for document review or research, and 40% cited excessive manual administrative work. Just over a quarter (28%) of those surveyed said staff were underutilised.
Craig Matthews, CEO, LEAP UK, said:
“Nearly 18 weeks a year is lost to non-billable work which poses a real challenge to productivity and profitability for any firm, and these findings show it is far from isolated.
“What’s encouraging is that the solutions are increasingly within reach. AI tools are already delivering real time savings for the firms that have adopted them – the challenge now is closing the gap between those firms and the ones yet to act.”
The survey also highlighted the challenges around wellbeing in the sector. A majority (85%) of legal professionals said burnout was a problem at their firm, while 84% identified staff turnover as a concern. A further 38% said their firm lacked sufficient staff capacity and 13% reported they did not have enough support staff.
The report also pointed to the increased use of AI. Some 79% of those surveyed said their firm was already saving moderate or significant amounts of time through AI, while 33% said they were using it for document review and 26% for drafting and document generation. 88% of legal professionals said they trusted legal technology providers to integrate AI tools responsibly and safely.
Meanwhile, 16% of respondents said their firm had invested in reducing administrative burden, and just 35% had prioritised better technology and tools.
The research also demonstrates a reluctance to adopt new technology, with 40% of respondents saying a lack of AI tools to identify opportunities or automate client outreach remained a barrier to growth.
Speed and the ability to verify responses were rated equally important by legal professionals when evaluating AI tools, each cited by 40% of respondents.
