Market trends
The Decline of the Billable Hour
Zaviar Haider · 15 October 2026
AI is structurally changing how law firms has historically charged their clients.
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The Billable Hour as the hedge
- Traditionally billable hours acted as a hedge
- Where scope of work was unclear time was used to mask inefficiencies
- This allowed law firms to charge hefty fees for client matters
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This is a simplified explanation of a general market trend, not advice on any specific company or transaction. For real examples, read the daily issues.