Axiom 2027 In-House Legal Budget Report

Global – – September 11, 2026 -- Ninety-two percent of in-house legal departments received AI implementation mandates with no accompanying budget in 2027, up sharply from 78% a year earlier, according to the Axiom 2027 In-House Legal Budget Report. The study, conducted by InsightDynamo and commissioned by Axiom, surveyed 510 in-house legal and finance leaders across six countries, with 64% of respondents from companies generating $1 billion or more in annual revenue.

Unfunded AI mandates push costs onto existing technology budgets

Legal teams are absorbing AI implementation costs by pulling funds from other line items, most often existing technology budgets, as adoption spreads across departments without new capital allocation.