Whitepapers

AI Glossary Law Society of NSW + LexisNexis®

Liasamantha Oliveros — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Demystifying AI for the Legal Profession

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the way we practice law, both in Australia and around the world.

The Law Society of NSW has partnered with LexisNexis to create an online glossary covering key AI and related terms to help you navigate this new legal and regulatory frontier.

DOWNLOAD THE GLOSSARY

This glossary is designed to be a plain English resource focused on need-to-know terminology and how these technologies apply in a legal context and is regularly updated to maintain currency. It spans AI techniques such as machine learning and natural language processing, types of AI models, AI use cases and risks, and other related concepts.

2025–26 Australian Legal AI Survey Report: Adoption, Confidence, and What’s Next

Lycijoy Ferrer — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:23:00 GMT

Generative AI is rapidly reshaping legal practice across Australia. Our latest survey, from over 1000 legal professionals, explores how firms, chambers, in-house teams, government departments, and educators are adopting AI, the outcomes they value most and the concerns shaping implementation.

Key Findings Snapshot

69% are using or planning to use generative AI for legal work.
90% now feel confident using AI (up from 75% in 2023–24).
45% use AI for legal research.
38% measure AI success by time savings.
39% cite inaccurate or fabricated outputs as their biggest concern.

These findings reveal a profession moving beyond experimentation and into practical implementation.

Success is no longer defined by novelty, but by measurable outcomes such as time savings, accuracy, and seamless integration into existing workflows.

Across large law, small and mid-sized firms, barristers, in-house teams and government departments, one theme is consistent: AI must support how legal professionals actually work.

Firms are prioritising tools built on credible legal sources and investing in training to ensure responsible, confident and effective use.

The next phase of Legal AI will be defined not just by capability, but by confidence.

Download the Full Report

FREE WHITEPAPER: Building Safe & Smart AI Practices in the Workplace

Lycijoy Ferrer — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 06:04:00 GMT

AI-enabled monitoring, biometrics, and algorithmic management are reshaping today’s workplace — and with that shift comes a new compliance frontier. From privacy and data governance to bias, transparency, and employee trust, organisations must now navigate risks that didn’t exist a decade ago.

Our latest whitepaper, Building Safe & Smart AI Practices in the Workplace, unpacks what compliance professionals need to know to stay ahead of rapidly evolving regulatory and ethical expectations, and offers practical guidance backed by deep subject-matter expertise.

Key takeaways include:

How AI-driven and biometric monitoring operate in modern workplaces and the compliance risks that arise when work and personal life blend through continuous digital surveillance.
The ethical and governance challenges of AI oversight, including bias, fairness, data minimisation, and the need for transparent, proportionate monitoring practices.
Why internal privacy policies and regular privacy audits are now essential to mitigate legal exposure, strengthen accountability, and build organisational trust.
The critical role of internal AI use policies in defining boundaries, ensuring lawful data handling, preventing misuse, and demonstrating regulatory due diligence.

Free Whitepaper: Navigating the Challenges of AI Regulation

Candy — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:38:00 GMT

Understand evolving AI regulation with this free report, covering compliance risks and legal challenges.(read more)

Your free whitepaper: Developing or Procuring AI? Here's What You Need to Know

Lycijoy Ferrer — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 17:20:00 GMT

As organisations race to develop or procure AI tools, many are realising that innovation comes with a complex web of legal, ethical, and operational challenges. From data privacy and cybersecurity to bias, IP ownership, and accountability, the risks can quickly escalate if not properly managed.

In our latest whitepaper, Gadens Partner Dudley Kneller, Special Counsel Raisa Blanco, and Associate Chris Girardi unpack what every organisation needs to know before building or buying AI.

Whether you’re developing AI in-house or procuring it from vendors, the message is clear: responsible AI starts with the right governance.

Fill out the form to download the whitepaper.

Generative AI: Opportunity, Caution, and Good Practice for Australian Barristers

Lycijoy Ferrer — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:40:00 GMT

Explore how Australian barristers can responsibly integrate generative AI tools like ChatGPT-5 and CoPilot while upholding ethics, accuracy, and justice.(read more)

Taking The Lead on AI Governance

Jessie Pasia — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:06:00 GMT

Discover practical strategies for in-house counsels to implement AI governance frameworks that support innovation and risk management.(read more)

Corporate Legal Departments Find 284% ROI of Lexis+ Al® in New Study

Jessie Pasia — Sat, 02 Aug 2025 17:00:00 GMT

The 2025 Forrester TEI study reveals how Lexis+ AI® transformed legal operations by driving efficiency, lowering costs & delivering faster, high-quality work.(read more)

The Definitive Legal AI Buyer’s Guide

Liasamantha Oliveros — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 08:30:00 GMT

Before investing in Legal AI for your firm, it's essential to do your research. Dive into "The Definitive Legal AI Buyer’s Guide" to equip you with the knowledge and insights necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI in the legal sector.

This essential resource provides a structured framework for selecting the right AI solution, covering critical factors like privacy, performance, ethical considerations, and return on investment. This guide not only serves as a checklist for evaluating potential AI solutions but also offers insights grounded in empirical research and real-world experiences.

Whether you are contemplating your first investment in Legal AI or looking to upgrade existing tools, this guide will prepare you to embrace the future of legal research with confidence.

Download The AI Buyer’s Guide to explore:

A Framework for Legal Gen AI Success
Gen AI Privacy & Security
The Gen AI Model
Agentic AI
Quality of Responses
Gen AI Performance
Evaluating the ROI of Legal AI Technology
Ethical AI Principals
Regulation of Gen AI for the Legal Profession
Contractual Considerations for AI Procurement Checklist

View the Legal AI Buyer’s Guide Visual Story and Download your own copy.

VIEW NOW

Customer in Focus: YMCA Victoria

Peterpaul Yusikee — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 17:32:00 GMT

YMCA Victoria, recognised the need for a centralised compliance management approach, and partnered with LexisNexis Regulatory Compliance to streamline their processes.

This collaboration ensures consistent oversight, timely legislative updates, and effective governance, enabling YMCA Victoria to confidently meet Australian and International standards.

As a result, YMCA Victoria is well-prepared to navigate complex regulations and effectively serve communities.

Fill out the form to learn more.

Customer in Focus: Foresters Financial

Peterpaul Yusikee — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 18:51:00 GMT

Foresters Financial enhanced its compliance processes by partnering with LexisNexis Regulatory Compliance.

This collaboration streamlined workflows, reduced manual tracking, and integrated LexisNexis Regulatory Compliance content within their GRC system, ensuring comprehensive coverage and minimising compliance risks.

The partnership with the two organisations reinforced Foresters Financial's commitment to maintaining a robust compliance framework, allowing them to focus on its core mission of serving its members effectively.

Fill out the form to learn more.

Navigating the 2025 Changes to the Family Law Act: Comprehensive Insights and Strategic Takeaways for Lawyers

Peterpaul Yusikee — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 15:17:00 GMT

Authored by: Jocelyn Magee, Legal Writer, Practical Guidance Family.

June 2025 heralds the beginning of a transformative era in family law, marked by significant legislative amendments aimed at modernising and enhancing the legal framework. These changes are designed to streamline legal processes, bolster protections for vulnerable parties, and address contemporary issues within family law. This blog delves into the detailed amendments and offers strategic takeaways for family lawyers to adeptly navigate the evolving legal landscape.

In-Depth Amendments to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth)

The Family Law Amendment Act 2024 (Cth)(FLAA) introduces a range of critical changes to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (FLA), effective from 10 June 2025. Key amendments include:

Addressing Economic and Financial Abuse: The new, enhanced definition of economic or financial abuse in section 4AB of the FLA underscores the importance of recognising and addressing non-physical forms of domestic violence.
Abolition of Mandatory Counselling for Short Marriages: The removal of the requirement for couples married for less than two years to attend counselling before filing for divorce simplifies the divorce process, reducing delays and emotional strain for these couples.
Attending divorce proceedings: The FLAA amends s 98A of the FLA, so that divorcing parties who file their divorce application jointly or solely, or who have or who don’t have children, will all have the same court attendance requirements, again simplifying the divorce process.
Changes to the s 75(2) considerations in respect of the grounds for spousal maintenance: These amendments introduce considerations of family violence in the list of factors that the court can consider when assessing what order may be proper for spousal maintenance. The court will also be able to consider the need to provide appropriate housing for a child.
Simplifying property settlements: The significant changes to both de facto and married property settlements are designed to clarify and simplify the property settlement process and more accurately define considerations which the court must consider when dividing property. The changes to property settlements include:
- Clarifying that the court is not required to make an order adjusting property interests, and will only do so if satisfied that it would be just and equitable to make such an order;
- Setting out the steps for how a property settlement must be approached. These steps are:
  - Identifying each party’s legal and equitable rights and interests in any property;
  - Identifying the existing liabilities of the parties;
  - Considering the parties’ contributions; and
  - Consider the parties’ current and future circumstances;
- Including the effect of any family violence, to which one party to the marriage has subjected or exposed the other party, on the ability of a party to the marriage to make contributions;
- Repealing the need to consider the factors in s 75(2) or s 90SF(3) of the FLA when dividing property and instead introducing a new list of “current and future circumstances” which include consideration of new factors including family violence, wastage, liabilities and the need of either party to provide appropriate housing for such a child; and
- Recognising companion animals in property settlements - the FLA will allow for specific orders regarding the ownership of companion animals, acknowledging their emotional significance and role within family dynamics. This change requires lawyers to consider pets as part of property settlements, potentially affecting negotiations and outcomes.
Extending the less adversarial approach in child-related proceedings to non-child-related proceedings: The repeal of Division 12A of Part VII and the enactment of a new Part XI, Division 4 will continue the less adversarial approach in conducting child-related proceedings, and will also now permit the same less adversarial approach to be taken in matters which include both child and non- child related proceedings, as well as matters which are completely non-child-related. For non-child-related proceedings, the parties will be required either to consent to the less adversarial approach or the court will make a direction that Part XI, Division 4 will apply. These less adversarial principles prioritise child safety, efficient case management, and the reduction of legal formalities.
Duty of disclosure in property and financial matters: New sections will be introduced into the FLA which set out the duty of disclosure in property matters. This duty is currently only set out in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021 (Cth). The new duty will also establish an obligation on legal practitioners and family dispute resolution practitioners to make parties aware of their duty of disclosure and to encourage compliance by informing them about possible consequences of non‑compliance with the duty.
Changes to arbitration: The FLAA removes the distinction between the types of matters that can be arbitrated privately or by court order.
Children’s Contact Services: The government will be permitted to establish rules of accreditation in the Family Law Regulations relating to children’s contact services.
Changes to the exemptions to attending a dispute resolution prior to commencing Part VII proceedings: An additional exemption will be included in s 60I(9), which is where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a person who has allegedly contravened an order made in the last 12 months has behaved in a way that shows a serious disregard for their obligations under that order. The FLAA also gives courts the express power to reject a Part VII application for filing if there is no certificate or applicable exemption.
Protection of sensitive information: the court will be able to prevent access to evidence of certain confidential communications (‘protected confidences’) relating to communications occurring where a person seeks treatment or support from:
- health services (where ’health’ refers to both psychological and physical health);
- specialist family violence services; and
- specialist sexual violence services.
Costs: s 117 will be repealed and a new Part XIVC will be introduced into the FLA, which clarifies the making of costs orders in family law matters, including when parties could be ordered to pay the costs of an independent children’s lawyer.

Strategic Takeaways for Family Lawyers

Continuous Education and Adaptation: Regularly review updates from the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, particularly regarding new court forms and practice directions resulting from these amendments. Staying informed is crucial for effective client representation.
Master New Definitions and Concepts: Familiarise yourself with the definitions of economic and financial abuse, the new approach to property settlements and to costs, as well as to the duty of disclosure to provide comprehensive advice and advocacy for clients.
Prioritise Child Safety and Efficient Case Management: Consider whether the principles for child and non-child-related proceedings are appropriate in any non-Part VII proceeding and will allow your case to progress efficiently, minimise delay and legal technicalities.
Advocate for Vulnerable Parties: With the recognition of economic and financial abuse, lawyers must be proactive in identifying and addressing such issues, advocating for protective measures and fair settlements for affected clients.

The 2025 amendments to family law present both challenges and opportunities for legal practitioners. By understanding these changes and adapting practices accordingly, family lawyers can provide informed and effective representation to their clients in this dynamic legal environment. Embracing these amendments will not only enhance legal practice but also contribute to a more equitable and responsive family law system.

Learn more from the LexisNexis^® Practical Guidance Family Law module here.

Large Law Firms in the USA Find 344% ROI from Lexis+ AI

Liasamantha Oliveros — Thu, 22 May 2025 17:53:00 GMT

See how Lexis+ AI drove significant ROI for interviewed customers in a study from Forrester Consulting commissioned by LexisNexis. Download the The Total Economic Impact™ of Lexis+ AI for Large Law Firms in the USA to learn more. Published May 2025.

*Findings are based on a Forrester Consulting study of Large Law USA firms.

Choosing Legal AI: Ultimate Guide for In-House Legal Leaders

Liasamantha Oliveros — Wed, 07 May 2025 05:19:00 GMT

If you’re evaluating legal AI for your in-house legal team, you’re in the right place.

The pressure on legal leaders to embrace new technology while delivering more value to the organisation, and with greater efficiency, seems like it has never been higher than in today’s business environment. The expectations of in-house legal teams extend well beyond simply providing legal advice; lawyers may also be the custodians of privacy principles, advising on technology procurement, risk management, and corporate governance during any given day.

But the reality is, in-house lawyers spend a lot of time on repetitive tasks that take significant brainpower, long before you get to the kind of big-picture thinking that adds real strategic value to the business. And outdated systems and fragmented legal workflows only add to the complexity and risk for lawyers and their stakeholders.

Read the eBook Choosing Legal AI →

Choosing Legal AI is a must-read for legal leaders seeking to unlock efficiency across a range of legal tasks by employing AI on a limited budget.

Gain valuable insights on proactive risk management, measurable ROI, and the potential benefits of legal AI versus general-purpose Large Language Models.
Key capabilities to prioritise include privacy and security, answer quality, performance, and ethical AI principles.
Understand the paradigm shift away from traditional rule-based computing that generative AI involves, so that your AI solution delivers reliable legal answers.

For in-house legal teams, the opportunities presented by AI adoption are particularly compelling. AI assistants offer the opportunity to reimagine legal work—such as instant verifiable answers, so they can accelerate decision-making, automating routine legal tasks such as agreements and contracts, and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standards.

But with opportunity comes responsibility. The legal implications of AI adoption—data security, regulatory compliance, and ethical risk—must be carefully managed. Legal leaders are uniquely positioned to lead this conversation, setting the tone for responsible innovation within their organisations.

This eBook explores how legal leaders can harness AI technology not just to keep pace with change, but to lead it—transforming legal from a cost centre to a strategic enabler of business growth. So, whether you’re on the fence or ready to invest, the AI-powered future of legal work is already here.

Enter your details to download the full eBook, Choosing Legal AI: Ultimate Guide for In-House Legal Leaders.

Building Success Together: Unlocking the Power of Collaborative Contracting in Construction

Liasamantha Oliveros — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 06:09:00 GMT

In the ever-evolving construction industry, collaborative contracting is emerging as a transformative approach that promises to enhance project outcomes through cooperation and shared goals. This paradigm shift offers a framework that not only fosters innovation and efficiency but also aligns the interests of all parties involved. For construction lawyers, understanding the intricacies of collaborative contracting and applying best practices is crucial in guiding clients towards successful project delivery.

What is Collaborative Contracting?

Collaborative contracting is a procurement and project management strategy where multiple parties work together in a cooperative manner to achieve common objectives. Unlike traditional contracting, which often involves adversarial relationships and conflict-heavy interactions, collaborative contracting emphasises open communication, joint decision-making, and dispute minimisation. This approach aims to improve project outcomes by aligning interests and reducing adversarial relationships.

Key Differences from Traditional Contracting

Risk Sharing: Collaborative contracts incorporate shared risk and reward mechanisms, aligning the interests of all parties towards project success.
Integrated Teams: These contracts promote the formation of integrated teams that work together from project inception to completion.
Transparency: Open access to information and regular progress meetings ensure alignment and build trust among stakeholders.

Key Features of Collaborative Contracting Agreements

Collaborative contracting agreements are characterised by several distinctive elements:

Good Faith Obligations: Parties are obligated to act honestly and fairly.
Early Warning Mechanisms: Parties are required to warn of potential issues early.
Early Contractor Involvement: Stakeholders are engaged early in the project lifecycle.
Profit and Risk Sharing: Arrangements motivate parties to act in the project's best interest.
Performance Metrics: Metrics incentivise efficiency and innovation.
Open Book Approach: Cost transparency builds trust and collaboration.
Joint Governance Structures: Shared decision-making and accountability.
Limited Rights to Sue: Waiving the right to sue except in specific circumstances.

Types of Collaborative Contracts

Collaborative contracting encompasses a broad spectrum of arrangements, including:

Integrated Project Delivery: A comprehensive approach where a single contract integrates all parties, promoting shared risk and reward.
Alliances: A joint venture where all parties work collaboratively under a unified agreement.
Partnering: Focuses on building strong relationships and mutual trust through a partnering charter.

Each type of collaborative contract offers unique benefits and can be selected based on the specific needs, complexities, and goals of a project.

When to Use Collaborative Contracting

Mega Projects: Ideal for large-scale projects with complex requirements.
Uncertain Outcomes: Suitable for projects with unpredictable elements.
Innovation-Driven Projects: Encourages creativity and new solutions.

When Not to Use Collaborative Contracting

Simple, Low-Risk Projects: Traditional contracts may suffice.
Parties with Conflicting Interests: Collaboration may be challenging.
Parties Lacking Capabilities: Requires skilled and capable participants.

Key Takeaways and Tips for Construction Lawyers

Construction lawyers advising clients on collaborative contracting should consider the following:

Educate Clients: Ensure clients understand the principles and benefits of collaborative contracting, emphasising trust and transparency.
Draft Clear Agreements: Clearly outline roles, responsibilities, and risk-sharing arrangements.
Facilitate Communication: Encourage regular communication among stakeholders to maintain alignment.
Monitor Performance: Carefully consider performance metrics and monitoring methods.
Prepare for Dispute Resolution: Establish robust mechanisms to handle conflicts efficiently.

Download the Collaborative Contracting infographic today and ensure your business is equipped to navigate the construction law matters with confidence.

Download Infographic

Practical Guidance Construction Law

For legal practitioners, staying abreast of developments in construction law is essential. Practical Guidance Construction provides step-by-step guidance, case law, legislation, and practical materials to support lawyers navigating the complexities of both commercial and residential construction law. For further details on collaborative contracting and commercial construction matters, explore our topic on Commercial Construction Contracts, including guidance on Procurement Models in Construction Projects. Stay informed on construction issues by subscribing to our practice area round-up emails here.