Legal Spend Analysis

Our free Legal Spend Analysis helps you estimate costs based on 6 key business variables. The calculator provides 3 detailed outputs using vendor benchmarks and company-size adjustments.

Enter your business details to get market-adjusted estimates as of 2026.

What you'll learn:

• Accurate legal spend analysis estimates based on your specific inputs
• Low, average, and high cost ranges for budgeting
• How local factors impact pricing
• Tips for optimizing vendor selection and reducing total cost of ownership

Understanding the cost breakdown helps you budget effectively for your legal spend analysis project. Here are the typical cost components:

Our legal spend analysis uses a multi-variable formula that accounts for the following inputs:

1. Annual Outside Counsel Spend ($) — Range: 10,000 to 500,000,000
2. Matter Portfolio — Choose from: Mostly routine commercial work, Mixed commercial + regulatory work, Specialized / high-risk matters
3. Outside Firms Used — Range: 1 to 200
4. Work Eligible for In-House Shift (%) — Range: 0 to 60
5. Service Intensity — Choose from: Lean service model, Standard service model, Specialized service model
6. Scenario Complexity — Choose from: Basic / Standard, Typical, Advanced / Complex

Based on your inputs, the calculator provides:

• Estimated Spend by Category — Shows low, average, and high estimates
• Estimated Savings Opportunity — Dollar amount based on current market rates
• Benchmark Variance — Percentage value

All calculations incorporate location-specific cost adjustments when a ZIP code is provided, using data from industry databases updated for 2026.

Several factors influence your legal spend analysis estimate:

Annual Outside Counsel Spend ($)

A key variable in determining your legal spend analysis estimate.

Matter Portfolio

Ranges from "Mostly routine commercial work" to "Specialized / high-risk matters." Choosing Specialized / high-risk matters can cost 1.5x more than Mostly routine commercial work.

Outside Firms Used

A key variable in determining your legal spend analysis estimate.

Work Eligible for In-House Shift (%)

A key variable in determining your legal spend analysis estimate.

Service Intensity

Ranges from "Lean service model" to "Specialized service model." Choosing Specialized service model can cost 1.5x more than Lean service model.

Scenario Complexity

Ranges from "Basic / Standard" to "Advanced / Complex." Choosing Advanced / Complex can cost 1.5x more than Basic / Standard.

Company Size & Scope

Enterprise pricing often differs significantly from SMB pricing. Vendor volume discounts, implementation complexity, and support tiers all scale with company size.

Market Timing

Vendor pricing changes quarterly or annually. End-of-quarter negotiations and competitive bids can reduce costs by 10-25%.

After you run the calculator, your results include interactive sections that help you make informed decisions:

Detailed Breakdown

Your results are broken down into individual components so you can see how each factor contributes to the total. Use this to identify the biggest cost drivers and focus your research or negotiation where it matters most.

Visual Chart

The chart provides a visual summary of your results, making it straightforward to compare components at a glance. This is helpful when sharing estimates with a spouse, business partner, or advisor — the visual format communicates the key story faster than numbers alone.

Save and Share Your Results

Download your complete results as a CSV spreadsheet or PDF report. The PDF includes all your inputs and key results — ready to share with contractors, service providers, or anyone else who needs to review the numbers. No account or signup required.