Is Your Law Firm Ready for AI .. or other automation to modernise your practice? Find out what to prioritise in less than 15 minutes
A free self-assessment for those who lead, manager or shape the direction of your law firm
Most UK law firms are doing something with AI — but very few have a clear picture of where they actually stand. Carton & Co has developed a free Modernisation and AI Readiness Self-Assessment to help managing partners find out quickly.
There's no shortage of AI activity across the UK legal sector right now. Lawyers are experimenting with Copilot in Word and Outlook, dabbling with ChatGPT for drafting and increasingly hearing about dedicated legal AI tools like Harvey, Lexis+ AI and CoCounsel. But experimentation and adoption are two very different things.
LexisNexis research shows that 61% of UK legal professionals are already using generative AI — yet only 17% of firms have embedded AI into their strategy. Thomson Reuters data suggests that 29% of UK lawyers fear their firm is moving too slowly, risking competitive disadvantage. Meanwhile, Clio's Legal Trends Report indicates that 74% of hourly billable tasks could be automated with AI, for firms that have the right framework in place to use it safely.
The gap between trying AI and using AI well comes down to foundations: governance, policy, data security and a clear structure for how lawyers and AI work together. Without those, firms are left with inconsistent usage, unmanaged risk and pilots that never translate into day-to-day practice.
Where Does Your Firm Stand?
This AI Readiness Self-Assessment takes around 15 minutes and covers five key dimensions:
- Leadership & Strategy - Has AI reached the senior agenda? Is there a partner championing it?
- Governance & Policy - Does the firm have an AI use policy? Is there a framework for approved tools?
- Data & Security - Do you know where your data lives? Are your Microsoft 365 security settings configured appropriately?
- Technology & Infrastructure - Are your existing systems ready to work alongside AI tools?
- People & Culture - Do your lawyers understand what AI can and can't do? Are there AI champions across practice groups?
For each area, you'll receive a traffic-light readiness score — Green, Amber or Red — along with practical commentary on what the score means and what to do next.
What Most Firms Find
The majority of firms that complete the assessment land in the Amber zone. That's completely normal. The most common gaps we see are: no formal AI governance or policy, an unclear picture of where firm data actually lives, no AI-specific staff training and staff already using free AI tools without any structured oversight.
None of these are disqualifying. All of them are addressable — and the first step is knowing where you stand.
What Happens Next?
The assessment is free and you only share your results if you want to. If you do share them, we'll provide a personalised readiness report with scored analysis and recommendations. Firms that want to go further can then move to our comprehensive On-Site AI Readiness Assessment — a structured full-day engagement that produces a detailed RAG (Red, Amber, Green) - rated report and action plan, forming the foundation for a structured AI adoption programme.
π Take the AI Readiness Self-Assessment here now- only share results if you want to!
Or if you'd prefer to talk through your firm's position first, you're welcome to
book a call with Allan Carton directly.
Allan Carton is a qualified solicitor and holds an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School. Since 1990, he has specialised in advising UK law firms on technology adoption, client relationships and business development. He has worked with over 150 UK law firms on strategic initiatives including AI frameworks, client listening programmes and legal technology integration.
