How much AI software costs a small Australian law firm
How much AI software costs a small Australian law firm depends on the product, and several legal AI products have no published price. As at 10 November 2026, the cheapest published per user AI add-on we found was Microsoft's Copilot Business at AUD 26.91 a month before GST, paid yearly at a first year discount, on top of a Microsoft 365 plan, and the legal research and practice management AI we checked mostly needs a quote.
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Published 10 November 2026
How much does AI software cost a small Australian law firm?
It depends on which group the tool sits in. Microsoft's AI is sold per user on top of a Microsoft 365 plan. AI in practice management software depends on your subscription. Legal research tools are often quoted, though LexisNexis shows a starting price for one small firm package.
This table uses only what each vendor says on its own page, as at 10 November 2026. If a page doesn't say something, we have left it out. It isn't every tool on the market.
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | Microsoft's Copilot pricing page shows it as an add-on to a Microsoft 365 plan: AUD 26.91 per user per month paid yearly (a discount from AUD 31.40; a footnote says the discount offer runs to 31 December 2026 and applies to the first year only), or AUD 37.68 paid monthly. It also shows Business Standard with Copilot at AUD 35.20 paid yearly or AUD 42.24 monthly, and Business Premium with Copilot at AUD 47.90 paid yearly or AUD 57.48 monthly. Microsoft says these prices do not include GST, that some advanced AI features are billed by usage on top of the licence, and that plans auto-renew. Check which Microsoft 365 plans qualify for the add-on. |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | Microsoft's plans page shows AUD 10.50 per user per month paid yearly, before GST, and lists an AI chat experience in the plan. |
| Smokeball | Smokeball's pricing page shows Bill from AUD 59, Boost from AUD 129 and Grow from AUD 249 per user per month, and Prosper+ at a custom price, all excluding GST. Archie AI is listed as an add-on for Boost, Grow and Prosper+, with no price shown. Ask Smokeball for it. |
| Clio | Clio's Australian pricing page shows two figures per plan, including EasyStart at AUD 39 or 49 and Essentials at AUD 109 or 119 per user per month, with two higher plans priced above that. It lists Manage AI as an add-on and says to contact your sales representative for the price. |
| LEAP | LEAP says it does not publish list pricing and charges per user per month for a set term. Its legal AI page says Matter AI, LawY, AI Prompts, Generator and AutoTime are included in every LEAP subscription, though it also says LawY is included at no extra cost for select matter types. |
| Lexis+ with Protégé | LexisNexis says pricing depends on your firm's size and the content and capabilities you need. The page shows no amounts and offers a quote form and a free trial. A separate Foundational Workflows page for small legal teams of up to three users says for as little as AUD 138 a month, and says that product draws on general web content and your uploaded documents, not LexisNexis authoritative legal content. LexisNexis's shop page ties that price to a 12 month subscription and doesn't say if it is per user or for the team. Neither page mentions GST. |
| CoCounsel Legal (Thomson Reuters) | The Australian product page shows no price. It offers a demo and contact with a representative. |
What else adds to the cost of AI software?
The sticker price is rarely the whole bill. Before you compare, check these:
- The base product. An add-on needs the plan underneath it, so count both.
- GST. Microsoft and Smokeball show prices without GST, and other vendors may not say. Put every price on the same basis.
- The commitment. Microsoft's lower prices are paid yearly. Ask what happens if you stop halfway through.
- Who counts as a user. Some prices are per user, some per practitioner. A firm with two solicitors and a law clerk can get a different total from each, so ask who is counted.
- Setup and training. Ask whether there is a setup fee, and allow for your own time.
How do I work out if AI software is worth the money?
One way is to turn the price into hours. Divide the monthly cost per practitioner by the hourly rate you bill. If you bill AUD 300 an hour, a tool costing AUD 149 a month has to give back about half a billable hour each month to cover its price.
Then test that on real work. In a trial week, note how long your usual email and drafting jobs take with the tool and without it. A conveyancer in settlement week and a family lawyer chasing a quiet client will get different answers, so use your own numbers. The unbilled time calculator gives a rough idea of what email time is worth to you.
How to choose AI software on price: a checklist
- Write down the one job you most want the tool to do.
- Check what your current Microsoft 365 plan and practice management system already include.
- List every cost: base plan, AI add-on, setup, and any per-matter or usage charges.
- Put every price on the same basis: per practitioner, per month, with GST.
- Ask for the commitment in writing, including how to cancel.
- Ask for a quote where no price is published, and ask what it would be for your exact headcount.
- Run a trial on real work before you commit to a year.
- Check the total again if you add a person.
If you are still working out which kind of tool you need, start with our comparison of legal AI tools for small Australian law firms or AI built into practice management software vs an Outlook add-in.
What does AI Legal Toolbox cost?
AI Legal Toolbox is an Outlook add-in with an AI paralegal called Nova. It starts with a 7 day free trial (card needed, nothing charged until day 8), then costs $149 AUD per practitioner per month including GST, with no setup fee and no minimum term. You can cancel any time from Settings in the add-in, and access runs to the end of the month already paid for. It needs a Microsoft 365 work or school account. See the facts page.
Vendors change their prices and plans often, so check the links above before you decide. Last checked 10 November 2026.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
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Questions practitioners ask
Is there any free AI for a small law firm?
Microsoft's pricing page says Copilot Chat is available at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 plans. Check what your plan includes, and what the chat can see in your mailbox, before relying on it.
Is AI included in Smokeball, LEAP or Clio?
LEAP's page says its AI tools are included in every subscription, with LawY included for select matter types. Smokeball lists Archie AI as an add-on on some plans with no price shown. Clio's pricing page lists Manage AI as an add-on and says to contact sales for the price.
Do these prices include GST?
Microsoft and Smokeball say theirs exclude GST. Clio's and LexisNexis's pages don't say. Check each one before you add them up.
See it on your own matters
Start with 7 days free, then $149 per practitioner per month, including GST, with no setup fee and no minimum term. Cancel any time. Rather not do it yourself? We will set it up with you on a 15 minute call, on your own correspondence.