De-Complicate Your Legal Tech Agenda: The Safeguard Against the Sinkhole

Killer Opening Hooks

◼️Imagine signing a $1M contract for a legal tech platform that fails before it even launches. Sound extreme? It happens every day.

◼️Legal tech failure isn’t an accident - it’s a certainty when you skip the basics. And yet, the industry keeps buying shiny boxes like moths to a flame.

◼️Here’s the truth: you don’t need gene therapy. You need sleep, good food, and a walk in the park. Translation? You don’t need million-dollar platforms - you need the basics.

The Legal Tech Frenzy: Why Everyone’s Losing Their Heads

If you’re an in-house leader today, you’ve probably heard it: “What’s your AI strategy?” The CTO is asking. The CFO is asking. The CEO is asking. And the legal press is screaming about A.I. replacing lawyers.

The pressure is growing – particularly for legal teams in large MNCs – notorious for “big” everything. The narrative is clear: tech equals progress. If you’re not implementing AI, automation, and analytics, you’re failing. Right?

Wrong.

Here’s the truth: most legal tech projects fail  - either out right or because the substantially underdeliver. Not because the tools are bad, but because the foundations are missing. 

And yet, legal teams keep signing seven-figure contracts for platforms they’re not ready for. Why? Because fear sells. Vendors know it. IT departments know it. And legal teams - under pressure - fall for it.

This is why the Legal Tech Definition station exists – have a good read of it - it costs you absolutely nothing to implement!  It’s the antidote to the madness. It’s the reset button. It’s the voice of reason in a hype-driven market. 

The Core GLS Legal Tech Message: Pump the Brakes

Before you spend a single dollar on legal technology, redefine what technology means for your legal team. Here’s the definition GLS stands by:

Legal technology is, quite simply, ANYTHING that increases productivity per unit of your lawyers effort.

That’s it. That’s the truth. And it’s the most liberating truth you’ll hear today.

Why does this matter? Because the prevailing culture has conflated legal tech with legal transformation - and that confusion is costing businesses millions. 

Transformation starts with people, processes, and priorities. Technology facilitates; it does not lead. Lawyers enable; technology amplifies. Ignore this, and you’ll join the graveyard of failed tech projects littering the legal industry.

Adopting this practical GLS definition is your safeguard against the legal tech sinkhole. It forces you to focus on what matters: readiness and safe and efficient pathways to desired outcomes, not optics.

The Fatal Assumption: “IT Will Handle It”

Here’s the second big mistake: leaving legal tech implementation to IT. On paper, it sounds rational. IT implements ERP systems, HR platforms, finance tools - they’re the tech experts.

But legal tech is different. It’s nuanced. It’s messy. It’s deeply tied to legal processes, risk profiles, and regulatory obligations. IT doesn’t live in that world. They shouldn’t - they’re not lawyers.

So what happens? IT treats legal tech like another corporate system. They apply the same playbook they used for HR or finance. And it fails. Spectacularly. 

Why? Because legal tech isn’t just about installing software. It’s about re-engineering workflows that are frequently executred in an entirely illogical decision making landscape, its about aligning risk tolerances, and embedding compliance into every click. 

Without joint ownership - legal and IT working as equals - you’re setting yourself up for disaster.

The Comfort Trap: Legal Gets Lazy

Here’s the third mistake: legal teams get too comfortable too quickly. They think, “Great, IT’s got this. We’ll check in at go-live.”

Wrong again.

Legal cannot abdicate responsibility. You might know the law, but you’re not a technologist. And IT might know tech, but they’re not lawyers. This is a marriage of opposites. Both sides need to show up. Every day.

If you don’t, you’ll end up with a system that looks great on a dashboard but fails in practice. And when it fails? You’ll blame IT. You’ll blame the vendor. You’ll blame the project manager who left six months ago. There’s enough corporate cover to dodge accountability … for the next few years at least.

But here’s the reality: if you don’t do the low-tech groundwork first, your high-tech dream will derail.

The Missing Foundations: Why You’re Building on Sand

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: most legal departments don’t have the basics in place. No Group Legal Policy. No departmental mandate. No service charter. No SLAs. No clause banks. No template libraries. No time basic tech literacy. And, no time. 

And yet, they’re buying contract lifecycle management systems. They’re signing up for AI review tools. They’re implementing workflow platforms.

It’s madness.

Imagine building a skyscraper without a foundation. That’s what you’re doing when you skip the basics. These foundational assets aren’t optional - they’re prerequisites. Without them, your tech won’t work. Or worse, it will work badly, creating chaos instead of clarity.

The Corporate Cover-Up: Why Failure Feels Safe

Here’s the dirty secret: when legal tech fails, no one gets fired. Legal blames IT.  It blames the Vendor, the Vendor blames the client. The project manager moved on, it wasn’t my decision and so on and so on. There’s enough corporate fog to hide in … and as we all know – IT is a tricky business!

So what happens? Teams keep making the same mistakes. They buy more tech. They fail again. And the cycle continues.

But if you’re reading this, you’re not here to play the blame game. You’re here to deliver success. To transform your team safely. To build credibility.

And that starts with one principle: low tech first. And it all starts with redefining your defining of legal technology – and starting with the basics. 

The Low-Tech Revolution: Why Simple Wins

Here’s the good news: you don’t need gene therapy. You need sleep, good food, and a walk in the park. Translation? You don’t need million-dollar platforms. You need the basics.

Low-tech solutions are the doorway to success. They cost nothing. They deliver quick wins. They build credibility. They fit your team’s capacity. They allow you to tap your team’s expertise. They create the dynamics you need for future collaboration with IT.

Here’s what low-tech first looks like:

◼️Group Legal Policies: what positions legal much achieve

◼️Legal Department Authority Mandates: what is legal’s domain of authority

◼️Templates: Standardised, approved, and ready to use.

◼️Clause Banks: Pre-vetted language for speed and consistency.

◼️Playbooks: Clear guidance for common scenarios.

◼️Approval Matrices: No more email ping-pong.

◼️Service Charters: Define what legal does - and doesn’t do.

◼️SLAs: Set expectations. Measure performance.

◼️Checklists: for all common legal workflows and risk scenarios

These aren’t glamorous. They won’t make headlines. But they work. And they prepare you for high-tech success.

The Mindset Shift: From Pressure to Purpose

Here’s the bottom line: successful tech implementation is for those who want to deliver success - not those who feel pressured to “do something.”

If your mindset is, “I want to achieve success. I want to transform my team safely,” then low tech first makes all the sense in the world. It’s practical. It’s logical. It’s proven. It is self-regulating.

Looking at transformation through this lens guarantees:

◼️Practical Solutions: No hype, just results.

◼️Foundational Focus: Build the base before the tower.

◼️Zero Cost: Most low-tech fixes cost nothing.

◼️Quick Wins: Build credibility fast.

◼️Capacity Alignment: Projects that fit your team’s bandwidth.

◼️Collaboration: Easier joint work with IT.

◼️Future Readiness: Lay the tracks for automation.

The Wake-Up Call: Stop Chasing Shiny Boxes

If you take one thing from this blog, let it be this: stop chasing shiny boxes. Stop buying tech because the CTO asked about AI. Stop signing contracts because the CFO wants savings. Stop outsourcing responsibility to IT.

Start with low tech. Build the foundation. Then - and only then - move to high tech.

Because here’s the truth: legal tech isn’t about robots replacing lawyers. It’s about lawyers working smarter. And that starts with the basics.

Your Next Move

So, what now?

◼️Existing Ecosystem Audit: Do you even know what you are trying to improve?

◼️Audit Foundations: Do you have templates, playbooks, SLAs?

◼️Quick Wins List: where are the quick wins with your low tech legal tech definition in play?

◼️Define Mandate: Does the business know what legal does?

◼️Build Roadmap: What can you fix this quarter?

◼️Engage IT: As a partner, not a saviour.

◼️Educate Stakeholders: Tech is a facilitator, not a miracle.

Do this, and you’ll transform your team. Safely. Successfully. Credibly.

Ignore it, and you’ll join the graveyard of failed projects.

The choice is yours.

Final Thought:

Legal tech isn’t gene therapy. It’s sleep, good food, and a walk in the park. Start simple. Start smart. Start now.