Overcoming resistance to digital transformation for in-house legal teams

29
Apr
2025

Katherine King

Digital transformation has long been a buzzword in the corporate world, but for many in-house legal teams, the implementation of new tech is just another item on a very long to-do list. As a Legal IT professional, how do you bring your team over the line?

Like the proverbial woodcutter who’s too busy chopping wood to sharpen their saw, legal professionals can be so overwhelmed with work that there’s no time to stop and adopt tools that might make them more efficient. Technology often ends up being perceived as “just another task”, something to ignore, or even fear.

Rather than being seen as a way to work smarter, not harder, technology can feel like a disruption to already stretched workloads. When you’re in the weeds, there’s rarely time to pause and consider better tools or processes. But investing time and money in the right technology can deliver long-term gains in efficiency, visibility and control for in house teams.

What’s really holding teams back?

Resistance to change is only human. When you’re already stretched thin, the idea of learning a new system or changing the way you work can feel overwhelming. Legal teams are often under pressure to adapt when there’s no room to pause, let alone learn.

• Fear of the unknown: Even with a strong business case for adopting legal tech, fear of the unknown can stop people in their tracks. Many busy professionals are understandably cautious about introducing tools that might disrupt what already works for them.
• Increased visibility: Digital platforms bring new levels of visibility where everyone can see what everyone else is working on. For legal teams juggling everything from quick advice to long-running matters, this can be confronting. There’s a risk of misunderstandings, especially if what’s on display doesn’t reflect the context or complexity of a matter. For people used to working independently, it can feel like their autonomy is being chipped away.
• Change fatigue: Many teams are just tired. Legal professionals are busy and have seen plenty of “shiny new things” rolled out with big promises, only to quietly disappear. That leaves people weary (and wary) of what’s next.
• Lack of role relevance: If a new tool or platform feels like just more admin work or data entry, people will check out. To get buy-in, it has to clearly improve how they do their job, not just add to their workload.

Overcoming this resistance is all about creating genuine excitement about what’s possible, getting internal champions on board and supporting people through the change. You can’t just hand over a new tool and hope for the best.

Reframing the promise of tech

Most people don’t think of themselves as “tech users”, yet they’re using productivity tools every day. Your phone’s email, calendar, travel apps and social media all help you do things faster. Work tech should be no different.

But in many legal teams, there’s a lag. Old-school storage systems, spreadsheets and the basics of Microsoft Office continue to dominate, even as expectations around speed, reporting and outcomes keep rising. The right legal tech can change that completely.

When done well, legal tech doesn’t just save time. It frees people up to do more meaningful work. Automating repetitive tasks like intake forms or document generation reduces admin, giving people time to focus on the interesting, strategic work they actually enjoy. It’s also about having everything in one place. When documents, advice, and matter histories are easy to find, reuse, and report on, the whole team runs more smoothly. No more digging through emails or trying to remember where something was saved.

And here’s the key … people need to *see* the value straight away. If a new tool saves time, helps them find what they need, or takes a task off their plate, they’re more likely to engage with it. It doesn’t have to be flashy, just useful enough that people think, *“Oh, this actually helps.”* That’s what builds momentum.

The real power of platforms built for legal teams is in how they bring people together. They make it easy to find what you need, reuse what you’ve already created, and keep track of what’s happening across the team. And perhaps most importantly, they give people peace of mind. You can go home knowing everything’s stored properly, nothing’s lost, and you don’t have to dig through a mess the next day.

Getting people on board…and keeping them there

Change management isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s make or break. It doesn’t matter how powerful the platform is, if people don’t know *why* it’s being introduced, *how* to use it, or *what* it’s going to do for them, it’s going to fall flat.

Too often, a shiny new system is rolled out with a single training session and no follow-up. That’s not a rollout, it’s a recipe for failure.

Change management means having internal champions who believe in the tool, can explain the “why,” and support others through the transition. It means offering tailored training, accessible resources and someone people can go to with questions. Ideally, it also means having an account manager who knows your team and how you work.

The biggest barrier to adoption isn’t usually the tech. It’s poor communication. If people don’t understand how the platform fits into their workflow or how it solves a real problem, they’ll disengage. But if you can connect the dots between the tech and your team’s strategic goals, that’s when things start to click.

A practical approach to adoption

Rolling out new tech doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Think of it like sharpening the saw. Taking a little time now to build the right foundations will save hours of effort down the line.

A phased approach helps build confidence and buy-in.

• Start with a pilot group to test the waters, build confidence, iron out any kinks, and let early success create some momentum.
• Tailor training and support to how your legal team actually works. Templates, bite-sized learning, and accessible support make a huge difference.
• Create space for feedback so you can keep improving. Legal teams evolve, and your tech is set up should evolve too.

At Dazychain we work closely with legal teams to provide not just training, but structured onboarding, contextual help, and ongoing support so the platform becomes embedded in daily workflows. Customized automation helps remove repetitive tasks, saving time and helping teams realize the value of the platform sooner.

Adoption isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s something you build and refine over time. The more people feel supported along the way, the more likely they are to stick with it.

What happens when it works?

Once the right tech is in place and people are using it confidently, the benefits speak for themselves. A well-implemented matter management platform can:

• Help teams become more structured, organized and efficient
• Strengthen security, accountability and audit trails
• Store documents in one searchable, accessible place
• Help teams surface risks and issues before they become critical
• Give leadership clear oversight of legal spend and decision-making.

Sharpening the saw

At the end of the day, digital transformation isn’t just about tools. It’s about people.  It’s about helping legal teams spend less time on the repetitive stuff and more time on the work that matters. When legal teams feel supported to explore, ask questions and try new ways of working, change becomes something they can actually get excited about.

Celebrate the wins along the way, even the small ones. Show the impact. Demonstrate that the tech is helping people do their best work and delivering real value.

Because here’s the thing: legal tech will only stick if it delivers measurable outcomes. That’s what makes the difference. It’s not about ticking a box. It’s about making legal work better, smarter and more sustainable.

Just like the woodcutter who never stops to sharpen their saw, legal teams who don’t make time for the right tools eventually lose momentum. While it may feel like there's never enough time to stop and improve, adopting technology is what ultimately keeps the saw sharp.