You’re drowning in contracts. Your inbox is a mess. You’ve got budget pressure from one side and execs demanding “strategic input” from the other.

Cue the sales emails: demo this CLM! Try that AI! Sign up for a free trial of our workflow wizard!

It’s enough to make even the most tech-curious GC want to unplug entirely.

If you’re an in-house lawyer trying to juggle rising workloads with limited headcount, you’re not alone – and you’re right to feel wary. Legal tech promises to ease the burden, but the sheer volume of tools, platforms and “game-changers” makes it hard to know what’s genuinely worth your time.

So how do you build a tech stack that works – and avoid the digital dead weight? Here’s how to tune out the noise and zoom in on what really helps.

Start with the problem – not the product

Before you even look at tools, get brutally honest about your pain points. Is your team:

• Losing time to manual contract searches?
• Chasing signatures or approvals?
• Bogged down in NDAs or low-risk documents?
• Struggling to report on workload or legal KPIs?

Prioritise the problems that drain your time or create business bottlenecks. Then – and only then – explore tech that targets those specific gaps.

Trying to reverse-engineer a use case around a shiny tool is a fast track to frustration.

Legal tech that actually works for lean teams

Not all tools are created equal – especially when your team is small, overstretched, and under-resourced. The most valuable tech tends to be:

• Simple – intuitive UX with no steep learning curve.
• Affordable – flat pricing or scalable subscriptions that fit your budget.
• Quick to implement – ideally with plug-and-play integrations.
• Genuinely time-saving – freeing you up for higher-value work.

Here are a few types of tech that tend to earn their keep in in-house teams:

1. Contract lifecycle management (CLM):
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Great if you're managing high volumes and want visibility over terms, expirydates, and bottlenecks. Look for tools that work with your existing systems anddon’t require a six-month implementation plan.

2. E-signature tools:
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Still chasing wet ink? A robust e-signature tool is a low-effort, high-rewardfix.

3. Document automation:
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If your team gets contstant requests for the same types of agreements (e.g.NDAs, DPAs, SOWs), automation tooks can empower business users to self-servewith guardrails - freeing you up from rubber-stamping.

4. Intake and workflow tools:

Triage platforms can help route legal requests more efficiently, so you’re not fielding contract questions via Slack, Teams, email, and WhatsApp all at once.

Red flags: when a tool might be more trouble than it’s worth

Legal tech vendors are masters of the slick pitch – but not every product will deliver for your setup. Watch out for:

• Buzzwords without substance – “AI-powered” doesn’t mean much unless it’s solving a real problem.
• Lack of legal context – if it’s not built with in-house workflows in mind, it may fall flat.
• Rigid pricing – avoid tools that lock you into long-term contracts before you’ve seen results.
• Steep setup demands – if you need to map every clause in your contract database before the tool becomes useful, ask whether you really have the bandwidth.

Ask vendors to show you a use case for a team of your size. If they can’t, that’s your cue to move on.

How to trial tech without blowing your bandwidth

You don’t need a six-week pilot or a full procurement process to test if something works. Here’s a quicker approach:

1. Start with a single use case - choose a common pain point (e.g. low-value NDAs).

2. Run a short test - Try a two week trial with a small user group. Involve a business stakeholder - e.g. Sales - if they're part of the process.

3. Measure the impact - Did it save time? Reduce risk? Improve visibility? If not, don't be afraid to bin it.

4. Scale only if it works - If the test drives real value, expand the use case and get buy-in for a wider rollout.

Ask the questions that matter

When evaluating legal tech, cut through the marketing and ask:

• Who else in my industry and company size is using this?
• How long will it take to implement?
• What internal resource will I need?
• Will it play nicely with our existing tools (e.g. SharePoint, Salesforce)?
• Can non-lawyers use it without training?

And don’t be afraid to call a peer. A two-minute chat with another GC who’s used the tool will often tell you more than a two-hour demo.

Your legal tech stack doesn’t have to be perfect – just useful

You don’t need a sprawling suite of tools. You need a few that make your life easier.

In the end, your tech stack should serve you – not the other way around. So ditch the pressure to keep up with the latest shiny thing. Focus on the tech that frees you up to focus on the bigger stuff: strategy, risk, relationships, growth.

And if it just adds noise? You’ve got permission to hit mute.