Legal technologies in action: The future of the legal market in light of disruptive innovations

Abstract

Legal technologies (digital solutions to providing legal services) have turned into the essential element of competition among legal-market stakeholders. This study highlights the competitive superiority of legal services based on the concept of innovative disruptive technologies in comparison to traditional firms. For this purpose, the present study identified several trends in the evolution of the legal tech market (i.e., changing landscapes of legal business, delivery models, legal-market segments, and disruptive technologies); moreover, qualitative content analysis has been conducted to provide sound grounds for cost-benefit analysis. Furthermore, cost-benefit analysis makes a comparison of the monetary, social and psychological costs, benefits of legal technologies and traditional firms from clients' and lawyers' viewpoints. This has been, in fact, neglected by extant research. Based on these analyses, a new model for legal business has developed to highlight how potential advancements can take place in legal practices. Our findings reveal that legal technologies make legal services more affordable and easily accessible, while helping lawyers to develop innovative solutions and a relaxed working environment. In addition, this study contributes to the literature on service innovation with a focus on how new services and business models have been developed in the legal market as a result of digital technologies. Eventually, this study adds theoretical and practical implications to the research discussing the advent of legal technologies.