Legal Support, Then and Now: What the Data Reveal

One of the things I love most about working at BigHand is that we don’t just talk about being data-driven; we live it. With the release of the 2025 BigHand Legal Workflow Leadership Report, we now have five years of data that tell a compelling story about how legal support operations have shifted and where they still need attention. 

I recall writing about our first Legal Workflow Report in 2021, which was based on data from the previous year, 2020. That research occurred during a period of significant change. Firms were navigating remote work, rethinking team structures, and trying to stay productive through uncertainty. 

Now, five years later, we have the benefit of hindsight. We can see how far we’ve come and, in some areas, how far we still have to go. 

Remote Work and Support Staff Retention 

In 2020, 58% of firms expected their support staff to work remotely at least three days a week. 

In 2025, 84% of firms have adjusted their office attendance requirements in the past year, and of those, 53% have increased the number of in-office days required for support staff.

The takeaway? While remote and hybrid models are now widely accepted in many industries, legal support professionals are being asked to return to the office more than others. Within the same group of firms, only 29% increased the required office days for lawyers. 

This imbalance sends a message, and support staff are noticing. Retention remains a challenge. Just 13% of firms reported a decrease in support staff turnover during the past year, and among firms reporting attrition, 20% cite hybrid working arrangements, or the lack thereof, as a contributing factor. 

Of course, lawyers and support teams have different responsibilities, but optics matter. If firms want to retain their experienced administrative professionals, they must carefully consider fairness and flexibility in their approach.

There’s a silver lining. Of those firms that changed their policies, 39% increased flexibility for support staff. That’s a step in the right direction, but more consistent approaches are needed to attract and retain talent in today’s market. 

Support Team Structures Are Still Evolving 

In 2020, 76% of firms had restructured or introduced support teams in the prior 12 months. 

In 2025, that number has grown to 90%. 

The move toward team-based support and centralised services continues to gain momentum. When done well, restructuring delivers improved lawyer productivity, more efficient task delegation, and reduced overhead. 

However, not all firms are restructuring with the same level of data or clarity. Without visibility into workloads and performance metrics, these changes can fall short of their intended goals. They can end up costing time, money, and trust. 

To build efficient support structures, firms need to understand who’s doing what, when, and how well. When tasks are centralised and assigned based on skill, urgency, and availability, everything improves. Service delivery becomes more consistent, and profitability follows. 

Workflow Technology: The Missing Link 

If there’s one thing that has become clearer over the past five years, it’s this: solving retention challenges and inefficiencies isn’t about choosing between flexibility and structure; it’s about enabling both with the right tools. 

Many firms resistant to hybrid working cite visibility as a concern. However, with BigHand Workflow Management, visibility isn’t an issue. Every task and handoff is trackable. It doesn’t matter if someone is working in the office or remotely. Leaders can see who is doing what, where capacity lies, and where bottlenecks exist. 

That same transparency enables smarter decisions around team structure. By reviewing data on peak periods and delegation patterns, firms can design workflows and support models that align with their actual needs. 

Today, 51% of firms already use workflow technology. Another 11% plan to implement it soon. These firms are taking steps toward better structure and greater flexibility. They’re more likely to retain talent, control costs, and deliver great client service along the way. 

Legal support roles have always been essential to the success of law firms, and that remains unchanged. What is changing is how we empower these professionals. With the right policies and technology, firms can create workplaces where support staff feel valued and are set up to succeed. 

Download the full BigHand Legal Workflow Leadership Report 2025 for more critical insights about the evolving role of legal support. 

By Duska Frink

Global Director, Solutions Management at BigHand