Clio Empowers Australian Legal Industry to Break Free From Data Lock-In

In today’s rapidly changing legal landscape, Australian law firms face mounting pressure to deliver better results with less time and fewer resources. Yet, many legal professionals lose precious hours to repetitive tasks, outdated systems and frustrating practice management systems that lock you and your data in—making the dream of efficient, streamlined practice management seem out of reach. Clio, the world’s leading provider of cloud-based legal tech, is changing this with its recent innovations: Manage AI and Clio Draft, designed for firms determined to break free from inefficiency and data barriers.​

Breaking Free from Data Lock-In

Despite advances in technology, Landmark data commissioned by Clio has uncovered a disturbing pattern of data lock-in affecting Australian law firms. 71% of law firms in Australia have faced legal tech vendors withholding or delaying access to their own data when trying to switch providers. Shockingly, over one-third of firms report spending upwards of $25,000 in fees just to retrieve their files, losing weeks in delays and confidence in their systems.​

This “data lock-in crisis” undermines firm independence and client service. Only 52% of lawyers are sure they fully own their data in their current systems, raising serious concerns over fairness and transparency. Clio is committed to changing this standard—delivering true data portability, capped extraction fees, and clear export formats, so law firms have full control and flexibility, never being held hostage by outdated platforms.​

Industry experts agree: technological progress should help lawyers, not hinder them. By choosing Clio, firms gain peace of mind that their casework, billing, and client relationships are supported rather than obstructed, with no lock-in contracts or withholding of data! And for a limited time, take advantage of Clio’s Breakfree offer. Clio will help cover the remaining cost of your contract — with a credit of up to 6 months free of Clio!*

Access the findings of the commissioned report here.

Manage AI: Redefining Productivity and Confidence

Launched as the next evolution of Clio’s acclaimed legal AI, Manage AI takes on the tedious administrative challenges that bog down law firms. By automating deadline management, document reviews, billing and client communications, Manage AI lets lawyers reclaim their time and focus on strategic, client-centric work.​

Manage AI harnesses generative AI within Clio Manage, reading court documents to extract key dates and instantly create calendar events. The tool offers proactive insights, recommending priority tasks and flagging case risks, while drafting professional client updates in seconds—all in a secure environment where sensitive data is never used to train external models. Every action follows strict permission controls, ensuring privacy and compliance at all times.​

Australian firms adopting Manage AI report reclaiming up to five hours per week and see productivity gains that enable greater caseload flexibility and profitability. With 79% of surveyed firms already using some form of AI (as recently revealed in Clio’s latest Legal Trends Report) and 70% of clients expressing a preference for firms that do, Manage AI is now essential for staying competitive.​

Download the free report here.

Clio Draft: Automate Documents with Zero Hassle

Drafting legal documents often means struggling with template errors, endless re-entry of client details, and slow, manual workflows. Clio Draft, now fully available for Australian firms, eliminates these headaches with document automation built for legal-specific needs. Lawyers can convert existing Word documents into smart, fillable templates, auto-populating fields from Clio Manage so every document is accurate and compliant.​

This seamless connection means firms can generate client letters, conveyancing documents, contracts, in a fraction of the usual time, with up to 80% time saved on drafting. Clio Draft’s questionnaire feature further streamlines client intake, mapping responses directly to templates. On the admin side, documents are securely stored and available from any device, so teams can collaborate from anywhere.​

Australian users highlight the ability to cut document generation time, reduce errors, and move seamlessly across matters. The result? More billable hours, improved consistency, and happier clients.

Why Australian Firms Choose Clio

As the market faces increased regulatory scrutiny and pressure for ethical data standards, more law firms are switching to smarter solutions. Clio’s united platform, now supercharged with Manage AI and Draft, means unpredictable costs, endless admin, and lost control are problems of the past.

Clio empowers firms to:

• Automate repetitive admin and legal drafting​

• Seamlessly connect client data across all workflows​

• Easily export and migrate data, without penalty or delay​

• Maintain strict compliance and privacy standards​

• Serve more clients and grow profitability​

Ready to see the future of legal practice management in action? Discover how Clio’s innovation, automation, and ethical approach can transform your firm—so you can focus on what matters most: delivering outstanding service for your clients. Book a free consultation today!