to take a new workflow live, built with your operations team
AI for law firms
AI for law firms that handles what happens after the draft
What is AI for law firms?
AI for law firms means embedding AI where manual processing is slowest — matter intake, document review, contract management and internal coordination — inside structured workflows instead of a standalone drafting tool. AI handles classification, extraction, drafting and routing; attorneys handle the work that needs them.
With Zenphi, legal operations teams build AI-assisted workflows that connect intake, document review, document generation, contract management and approvals — in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, with attorneys in control at every decision.
- Live in 7 days
- No per-matter fees
- ISO 27001 certified
Contract review with human oversightFiled
- TriggerNew contract receivedNDA from Halbrook Capital · type detected
- AI stepExtract terms, summarise and score riskParties, term, governing law · risk 8/10
- RuleRisk above 7: escalate to senior counselSimple decisions stay predictable
- ApprovalSenior counsel approves with commentsReview brief attached
- ActionSent for e-signatureDocuSign envelope dispatched
- RecordFiled and matter updatedEvery step logged
AI and rules, with attorneys in controlEvery step logged
Trusted by IT & operations teams at
operational workflows: intake, documents, contracts, reviews, approvals and case files
average first response from our support team
support rating from Zenphi reviews on Capterra
How Zenphi is different
AI embedded inside legal workflows
An AI tool that summarises a document is useful. A workflow that reads a new matter request, extracts the details, classifies practice area and urgency, assigns it by workload and expertise, generates the engagement letter, routes it for partner sign-off and sends the client acknowledgment changes how the firm operates.
Where AI creates the most leverage
- Matter intake and triageAI classifies practice area, urgency and matter type — no manual triage.
- Matter assignmentMatched to the right attorney by expertise, matter history and workload.
- Legal document generationNDAs, engagement letters and filings generated from approved templates.
- Contract and document review supportAttorneys review the exceptions AI flags, rather than every page.
Before and after
From email follow-ups and manual tracking to a governed workflow
Manual, today
- New matters triaged by handAssigned to whoever has time.Manual
- Every page reviewedAttorneys read the whole document to find the exceptions.Manual
- Approvals chased by emailStatus tracked manually in threads and spreadsheets.Manual
With AI-assisted workflows
- Matters classified and routedAI reads each request; rules assign it to the right attorney.AI-assisted
- Exceptions flaggedAI flags non-standard or high-risk clauses for the attorney.AI-assisted
- One-click approvalsApprovers decide from their inbox or chat, with no separate login.Automated
Use cases
Six law firm workflows, each live in 7 days
Each uses AI as a configurable step — extracting, classifying, summarising or drafting — inside a workflow with rules and approvals. Select a workflow to explore it.
INTAKEExample with Google Workspace
Matter intake and triage
Requests arrive by email, forms and portals, and someone has to read each one before anything happens.
WHERE AI HELPS
Extracts client, matter type, urgency and documents, and classifies the practice area.
WHERE ATTORNEYS DECIDE
Rules run the conflict check and assign the matter; the partner approves the engagement letter.
Request arrives in Gmail or a formAI extracts and classifiesConflict check against client records in Google SheetsAssigned by practice area and workloadEngagement letter from a Google Docs template
See this workflow live ↗
Matter intake, start to finish
Matter intake from email, forms and client portals
AI and structured automation work together on one of the firm’s busiest processes.
- 01Intake
Intake from any channel
Email, forms, web forms or client portals — structured automatically whatever the source.
EmailFormsClient portals - 02Extract
AI extracts matter details
Client name, matter type, urgency, requested outcome and relevant documents.
AI extraction - 03Check
Conflict check triggered
Checked against existing client records in a spreadsheet or a connected matter management system.
Client recordsMatter system - 04Assign
Assigned to the right attorney
Based on practice area, workload and availability.
Practice areaWorkload - 05Draft
Engagement letter generated
From an approved Google Docs or Word template, then routed for partner approval.
Partner approval - 06Notify
Client acknowledgment sent
Sent automatically with the timeline and next steps.
AutomatedClient-facing
Platform capabilities
AI that works within your firm’s controls
AI in Zenphi runs inside structured workflows, with defined inputs and outputs and human review wherever judgement is required. Nothing acts outside the workflow you’ve approved.
Built by your team with ZAIA
Describe a process in plain English or upload a flowchart, and ZAIA, Zenphi’s automation copilot, drafts a working workflow for you to refine. No code, no tickets.
No per-seat, per-document or per-matter fees
Zenphi is priced per process, so automation costs don’t grow with attorneys, matters or documents.
Conditional logic
Different matter types, risk levels and amounts lead to different next steps, with fewer manual decisions.
Flexible intake
Capture matter requests from whichever channel clients use; each submission is structured and routed into the same workflow.
Controls built into every step
AI steps have defined inputs, outputs and review gates. You choose Gemini, OpenAI, Claude or your own models and decide what each step can see. Every AI action is logged.
Client communication
AI drafts acknowledgments, status updates and document requests from matter context and firm guidelines. Attorneys review and send.
Connect your systems
Where each system shows up in a legal workflow
The same workflows run with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, alongside your e-signature and practice management tools.
| Legal workflow step | Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals | One click from Gmail or Google Chat | One click from Outlook or Microsoft Teams |
| Intake forms and email | Gmail and Google Forms | Outlook and Zenphi forms |
| Registers and conflict checks | Google Sheets | Excel Online |
| Document templates | Google Docs | Word |
| Matter folders | Google Drive | SharePoint and OneDrive |
| E-signature | DocuSign or Adobe Sign | DocuSign or Adobe Sign |
| Matter management | Your practice management system | Your practice management system |
Comparison
Zapier, Make, Power Automate, n8n or Zenphi for legal operations?
All five can bring AI into law firm workflows. The differences show up in cost as matter volume grows, which productivity suite the firm uses and who has to build and maintain the workflows.
| Zapier | Make | Power Automate | n8n | Zenphi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per task — every step that runs counts | Per operation or credit | Per user or per bot ($15/user/month Premium; $150/bot/month Process) | Per execution on Cloud (from €20/month for 2,500); free to self-host | Per process — no per-user, per-matter or per-execution fees |
| High-volume legal operations | Costs grow with every matter, document and approval | Costs grow with volume | Licences grow with headcount or bots | Execution limits by plan, or your own hosting | Volume doesn’t change the price |
| Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 | Connectors for both | Connectors for both | Built around Microsoft 365 — a weak fit for firms working in Google Workspace | Nodes for both | Native actions for both |
| Who builds and maintains it | Operations teams, for simple automations | Technical operations users | Power users and IT | Developers or technical teams | Legal operations teams, with ZAIA drafting workflows from plain English |
| AI as a workflow step | AI steps available | AI modules available | AI Builder and Copilot features | AI nodes, configured by developers | AI steps with your choice of model, instructions and data access |
| Approvals and human review | Human in the Loop app on paid plans | Built with extra modules or apps | Built-in approvals | Wait and form nodes | Approvals with routing, reminders and escalation |
| Where it’s strongest | The largest library of app integrations | Visual control over complex data transformations | Deep Microsoft 365 and Dynamics integration | Self-hosting and code-level flexibility | Custom, governed processes owned by legal operations |
Real outcomes, real teams
Why legal teams trust Zenphi
Zenphi has become a core law firm workflow tool for our team. We’ve used it to automate intake, legal document automation, and several internal approval processes that used to depend on email follow-ups and manual tracking. It gave us a much more scalable way to manage legal operations without forcing us into rigid workflows.
Zenphi helped us modernize the operational side of legal delivery. From legal document automation and matter intake to reporting and internal coordination, it has given our team a flexible law firm workflow tool that supports the way we actually work. The result is faster turnaround, better consistency, and much less manual effort.
Human support, always live
Workflow experts, not chatbots
Our Customer Success team works with your operations team to get the first workflow live within 7 days.
5.0support rating on Capterra
<1 hraverage first response
Knowledge base
AI for law firms — frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions managing partners, legal operations leads and IT teams ask when evaluating AI platforms for law firm workflows.
Deep diveHow AI is being integrated into legal servicesRead the answer Deep diveIncorporating AI without creating riskRead the answer Deep diveModernising legal workflows without rigid softwareRead the answer Deep diveAI solutions for a mid-sized US law firmRead the answer
AI in legal operations
Client communication and documents
Implementation
How is AI actually being integrated into legal services workflows today?
The most useful applications are operational: extracting structured data from contracts, filings and client submissions; summarising case files so attorneys read briefs instead of raw documents; checking whether required case materials are present; generating repeatable documents from approved templates; routing new matters by expertise and workload; and turning workflow activity into dashboards for firm leadership.
The distinction that matters is between AI that produces output and AI that connects to action. A workflow that reads a contract, extracts terms, flags non-standard clauses, writes a brief, routes it for sign-off and files the executed version is AI integrated into legal operations.
Zenphi runs AI — Gemini, OpenAI, Claude or your own models — as defined steps inside legal workflows. AI extracts, classifies, drafts and summarises; the workflow routes, generates, approves and files; every AI action is logged.
What are the best practices for incorporating AI into legal work without creating risk?
Apply AI to clearly bounded tasks — extraction, summarisation, validation, generation, assignment — with human review wherever legal judgement is needed and a complete record of every AI action. The risks of unsanctioned AI use, such as inconsistent output, confidentiality exposure and unreviewed drafts reaching clients, come from using AI outside a governed process.
Inside a workflow, each AI step has a defined input, output and routing rule. Low-confidence results go to human review, and high-risk flags reach the supervising attorney before anything happens.
Zenphi supports this with review steps, approval checkpoints and full logging, step-level control over what each AI step can see, and data residency in the US, AU or EU.
What kinds of legal workflows are the best candidates for AI first?
Document-heavy and administration-heavy workflows: matter intake and triage, case file validation with missing-document follow-up, document summarisation for review, generation of NDAs, engagement letters and standard filings, and workload-based assignment. They’re high-volume and high-friction, and AI improves speed and consistency without replacing legal expertise.
Zenphi connects each AI step to the process around it — routing, status updates, document generation, follow-ups — so nobody has to act on AI output by hand.
How can AI improve client communication in a law firm?
Most client communication follows patterns: intake acknowledgments, requests for missing documents, status updates, deadline reminders and delivery confirmations. Connected to workflow events, AI drafts each one from matter details and firm guidelines — naming exactly which documents are missing, for example — and an attorney reviews it before it’s sent.
In Zenphi, every communication is tied to the event that triggered it, the data used and the reviewing attorney, giving a complete record in each matter file.
What should firms look for when comparing AI platforms for document review and legal workflows?
Ask whether AI output connects to automated next steps, whether attorneys get review gates with the AI brief beside the document, whether every AI action is logged (input, model, output, routing decision), where client data is processed and stored, and whether pricing stays predictable as document and matter volume grows.
Zenphi meets all five: AI steps connect to routing, generation, approval and filing; review gates are built in; every AI action is logged; data residency is available in the US, AU or EU; and pricing is per process.
Why are document workflows still one of the most important areas to modernise for a legal services organisation?
Every matter generates documents, and each needs creating, reviewing, routing, approving, signing and filing. The manual effort in those steps limits firm capacity more than almost anything else. AI changes how the non-judgement steps are handled: it reads the document so the attorney reads a brief, checks the file so the paralegal doesn’t, and drafts the NDA so the attorney reviews instead of writes.
Zenphi connects document-related AI to the full lifecycle — intake, generation, review, approval, follow-up and reporting — so throughput grows without matching headcount.
What can law firms learn from successful AI implementation examples in legal services?
Successful firms start with one high-volume, high-friction workflow, automate it end to end, validate it on real inputs, set the review gates it needs and measure the time saved before expanding. This builds confidence quickly and surfaces edge cases in a narrow scope.
Zenphi is deployed the same way: a firm starts with intake triage, missing-document follow-up or NDA generation, has it live within 7 days, then moves to the next workflow.
How do you modernise legal workflows without forcing your firm into rigid software?
Choose a platform that automates around your existing channels, documents, approval logic and systems: email-based intake, your Google Docs or Word templates, your matter management system, your sign-off hierarchy and the differences between practice groups.
Zenphi works with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, connects to matter management systems and e-signature platforms such as DocuSign and Adobe Sign, generates documents from your existing templates and configures approvals to match your actual hierarchy.
What are the best 5 AI solutions for a mid-sized US-based law firm?
A practical stack combines an operations workflow platform with specialised legal tools:
1. Zenphi — AI workflow automation for legal operations. Matter intake and triage, document generation, case file validation, contract review support, approvals with audit trails and client communication, in a no-code builder, in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Priced per process.
2. Harvey — AI legal research and drafting. Built for legal research, contract analysis, due diligence and drafting at the attorney level; it doesn’t automate the operational workflows around those tasks.
3. Clio — practice management with AI features. Widely adopted for matter tracking, billing, intake, calendaring and trust accounting, and a natural system of record and trigger source for workflows.
4. Ironclad — contract lifecycle management. Strong AI for contract review, redlining, clause analysis and repository management, suited to firms with high commercial contract volume.
5. Thomson Reuters CoCounsel — AI legal research. Built on Westlaw content for research, case law summaries and citations, suited to litigation and regulatory practices.
In this stack, Zenphi automates the operational processes and connects the other tools, so data and actions move between them without manual handoffs.
Get started today
Run your firm’s operations with AI, under your control
See how your legal team can use AI inside real workflows — with structured automation, attorney approvals, integrations and security controls built in.