Bateys Law Firm

Embracing AI in Family Law

Since 2006, Bateys Law Firm has built a strong reputation as specialists in family law. As the firm grew, so did the need to improve efficiency without compromising client care. To achieve this, they adopted AI Paralegal, a revolutionary AI tool exclusive to LEAP's family law users, and named it 'Emma'.

AI Paralegal was designed to do billable work such as administrative tasks, sourcing documents on behalf of clients, and preparing commonly drafted documents. Having this kind of targeted support frees up Bruce to focus more on his clients and provides the firm with an additional source of revenue.

I would absolutely recommend AI Paralegal to any law firm out there. I think if they don't embrace this type of technology, they're at a major disadvantage.

Faster, Smarter Disclosure

'Emma’ sets herself apart by being proactive with clients throughout the disclosure process by contacting them to request their permission to obtain their financial information, and then independently retrieving, extracting, and compiling those documents (including bank statements, tax returns and asset valuations) quickly and efficiently.

She then organises this information into clear, structured spreadsheets and balance sheets, ready for legal review. What once took days or even weeks of follow-ups and manual collation can now be completed in a fraction of the time.

Within 24 hours, I had a complete set of disclosures.

A Seamless Client Experience

Beyond speed, ‘Emma’ has significantly improved the client experience. Clients interact directly with the AI system, which guides them through simple questions and approval steps in a clear and accessible way. 

Once information is collected, 'Emma' automatically labels and categorises documents for clarity, ensuring nothing is missed or misfiled. She also prepares disclosure schedules and shares documents with the other side, thereby reducing the manual administrative burden on the legal team. The result is a smoother and increasingly transparent process where clients feel supported rather than overwhelmed. 

The feedback I'm getting from clients is that it's just so easy.

Efficiency Without Losing Revenue

A key advantage of ‘Emma’ is that efficiency gains do not come at the expense of profitability. AI-generated work is billed at an equivalent rate to traditional paralegal time, typically structured as a fixed fee per task or project. 

This means that while tasks are completed significantly faster, the value of the work remains consistent. The firm has also embedded this approach into its client service agreements, with clients showing no resistance to AI-related billing. By reducing manual workload while preserving revenue integrity, the firm has successfully scaled its capacity and enhanced overall efficiency.

AI Paralegal still charges out to your client at a human hour equivalent rate.