6 Best Legal Document Automation Software for Law Firms in 2025 [Guide]

Looking for the best legal document automation software in 2025? Our guide highlights top legal technology software solutions that save time, reduce human error, and enhance document creation efficiency for law firms.

Short on time? Here are our top 6 document automation tools for lawyers in 2025:

• Gavel: Best for overall, user-friendly legal document generation‍
• Clio Draft (formerly LawYaw): Best for lawyers who want a barebones document automation solution directly inside their case management tool
• HotDocs: Best for legacy document automation users ‍
• Bryter: Best for building client-facing applications without documents‍
• Rally: Best for business lawyers looking to automate part of the client experience
• Briefpoint: Best for lawyers who want to automate discovery documents specifically

If you’re a lawyer, then you don’t need anyone to tell you how much time you waste on repetitive, tedious, but necessary tasks. What you need is a solution: a way to get all that time back and practice at the top of your license. 

Document automation to the rescue. Document automation (aka document generation, document assembly, and legal workflow) software helps you streamline and standardize the document creation, modification, and replication process so you can save time and reduce the risk of human error. Any industry that deals with repetitive document drafting, like the legal industry, is a prime candidate for document automation software. Finding the right document automation software is integral to freeing up your brain power so you can focus on more important matters and improve profitability in your practice.

Here’s how it works. Instead of going through all your forms and using find-and-replace to swap in your clients’ info, you set up an easily-fillable document template that you can send to your clients. Then, your clients can simply input their information themselves, and the document automation software will generate a clean, professional-looking form with your clients’ info in all the right places. Believe it or not, this tech-enabled process can save you up to 20 hours per week, freeing you up to work on more engaging and challenging tasks. 

Document automation software is an essential tool in the modern lawyer’s toolbox, but with so many options on the market, it can be hard to figure out which one is best for your firm. 

We’ve created this guide to make that search easy for you. In this list, you’ll find the 6 best document automation tools for lawyers, organized by use case. As we put together this list, we prioritized highlighting the best cloud-based document automation software, ranking them by ease of use, user interface, client intake, document templates, document management, and the number of practice areas each tool caters to. We’ll share where legal document automation software shines, as well as top choices for attorneys and law firms across various practice areas. 

A quick note before we start: document automation vs case management software

Case management and legal practice management software are becoming increasingly popular, and since many legal management tools also offer document automation features, it can be easy to mix them up. Here’s a quick overview of how they differ:

• Case management and legal practice management software help you manage and keep track of various parts of your job. They offer features like document management, time tracking, billing, calendaring, and client management. Some case management software will include some document automation features, but not all. 
• Document automation software helps you automate repetitive tasks by creating document and form templates that can be quickly filled out by your clients.

Some case management software integrates with document automation software and vice versa. Gavel, for example, is a document automation tool that integrates with case management software, like Clio, so you can easily import the information you gather via your documents into your favorite case management tool.

The key thing to remember here is that while there may be some crossover in certain cases, these are two entirely different classes of tools. 

Key Benefits of Document Automation Software for Lawyers

Lawyers are prime candidates for document automation software. It’s an impactful value-add to any legal business for a few key reasons:

• Greater consistency and fewer errors: Standardized templates and automated documents ensure that correct contract language, provisions, and references are baked into the document, creating consistency across client deliverables and reducing errors and time spent reviewing prepared documents. Standardized templates also prevent the need for lawyers to create and recreate piecemeal documents from various sources.
• Time savings: Manual document drafting using control+F to find and replace text is cumbersome and time-consuming. Document automation software eliminates the complicated process of manually scanning documents and replacing sensitive client information.
• Empower attorneys to assist in document drafting: Document automation systems empower junior attorneys and staff with the necessary language and tools to prepare complex legal documents. More senior attorneys can then quickly review document inputs, leaving them with more time to spend on other high-level, strategic tasks.
• Knowledge repository: Institutional knowledge and expertise can be baked into templates, removing the need to rely on the specific knowledge and know-how of a select few individuals. Data in documents is collected by and retained within the system to allow firms to leverage their collective expertise and experience to share trends or advise clients on best strategies or timing.
• Improve client experience: With the ability to more quickly and efficiently prepare documents, document automation software can drastically improve the client experience. Once automated templates are created, self-service portals allow clients to generate and use documents in just minutes.
• Manage complex workflows: Document automation tools allow lawyers to automate complex workflows, from creating and populating documents to sending for review and approval and collecting signatures, often all within one platform.

Gavel has afforded these and many more benefits to its users through its software. For example:

• Streeter Law Firm harnessed the power of Gavel’s automation platform to build a streamlined process for estate planning. The firm can now create comprehensive estate plans in just 30 minutes, allowing clients to quickly and confidently secure their future.
• Litson PLLC transformed its lead conversion process with Gavel’s automation tools, reducing the time from lead to client by 90%. The firm now delivers faster, more responsive service, giving clients a seamless experience from the first consultation to the resolution.‍
• Rogue Family Law used Gavel to streamline its document creation processes, resulting in significant cost savings for clients. By automating routine legal tasks, the firm helped families save thousands in legal fees while delivering faster and more efficient services.‍
• Matchstick Legal leveraged Gavel’s no-code document automation platform to build Emessay, legal tech software to help small and growing creative businesses create personalized key contracts by answering a handful of key questions.‍
• Sisu Legal, an immigration firm, used Gavel to automate the client intake and reference letter creation process, along with numerous other workflows. This helped them save time and build a better user experience for their clients, who were already undergoing the stressful process of obtaining immigration status in the US and Canada.

What to Look for in Document Automation Software

When you’re evaluating whether a document automation software is right for you, ask yourself these questions:

• What industries or practice areas does this tool cater to? While law is particularly ripe for document automation, other industries can benefit as well, so not all document automation software is built with lawyers in mind. Gavel, for example, is built by lawyers for lawyers, whereas HotDocs is aimed at banks, corporations, publishers, insurance firms, and government organizations in addition to lawyers. Some document automation software is designed for lawyers, but with only one specific area in mind — Briefpoint is built for discovery documents in particular, for example. 
• Does this tool focus on document automation or is it just part of a larger suite of features? Some tools, like Clio and Smokeball, feature document automation capabilities as part of a larger suite of legal tools. Other tools, like Gavel and Briefpoint, are designed specifically for document automation. Tools that are built precisely for document automation will generally perform better in that area. 
• Is coding required? Some document automation tools require coding. Gavel offers a no-code document automation solution that’s built around an intuitive visual editor, but other tools, HotDocs and Knackly, require users to write out codes to get their templates working. 
• Does this tool have a pre-built library of document templates? Tools with a large library of document automation templates, like Gavel, can help you get up and running faster. 
• Are there any AI features? AI is becoming more common in legal software. Gavel Blueprint, for example, uses AI to generate document automation templates from your pre-existing documents, cutting down on start-up time. 
• What integrations does this tool have? Modern lawyers need to use a variety of different tools to stay competitive, and things run smoothest when all your tools can talk to each other. Check whether the software you’re looking at integrates with the tools you’re already using (or plan to use in the future). 

Best Document Automation Software for Legal Professionals

Gavel: Industry-Leading Legal Document Automation Software

Gavel is the premier document automation tool for the legal industry. It’s built by lawyers, for lawyers. In fact, everyone on the customer team at Gavel is either a former lawyer or a legal professional.

Gavel excels because it blends simplicity and power: it’s easy to set up, but it contains all the powerful logic you’ll need to set up the most complex documents. As Michael Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Smith Barid, LLC — and a Gavel user — said, “Love the simplicity of setup and the complexity of opportunities.” 

With Gavel, you can:

1. Automate your own templates and forms from scratch
2. Use the Gavel Marketplace to find relevant templates — built by other Gavel clients — and complete those templates to churn out completed contracts
3. Customize a pre-built workflow, allowing lawyers to forego creating a template from scratch and simply edit the existing template to make it unique to their needs in the practice areas of estate planning, probate law, and family law. 

Gavel’s simple UI makes creating your own templates easy. Even the most complex and powerful automation features, like conditional logic, complex branching, lists and nested repeating items, and advanced calculations, are implemented in intuitive and easy-to-use ways within the visual editor. 

Both Word and PDF documents (including court and judicial forms) can be automated and generated through Gavel via its cloud-based portal and Microsoft Word add-on. Gavel also facilitates e-signature collection and centralized data and document storage and integrates with Clio, Docusign, Stripe, and Zapier. It also has a Public API. 

Clients can access the automated document workflows through a portal created for specific clients, or you can integrate these workflows into your website. Each instance of Gavel can also be custom branded with your law firm’s logo and brand instead of Gavel’s — a bespoke solution for your firm.

To guide new automators along, Gavel provides a comprehensive Learning Center and unlimited live customer support. But if you prefer to leave the workflow and document building to the experts, Gavel also has a team of vetted freelancers available for hire by the hour. 

Gavel’s clients agree that Gavel leads the industry, as expressed by Condreda Presley: “This is the most innovative and comprehensive form automation tool that I am aware of on the market today! To create documents and apps with little to no coding experience is a game changer!!” and “[it] changed the way I run my practice”.

Here are some sample use cases where Gavel’s software shines:

• Client intake
• Different types of document templates and pre-built court forms
• Estate planning documents
• Family law documents
• Formation documents
• NDAs
• Statements of work
• Leases
• Integrates with document management systems like Clio Manage

Pros

• Rated 4.7 on Lawyerist and #1 on Capterra
• Simple, easy-to-navigate UI
• Powerful document automation features, including conditional logic, complex branching, lists, and nested workflows
• AI-enabled workflow building
• Pre-built court forms and document templates
• Unlimited live customer support and learning center
• Client-facing tools, including guided interviews and portals to access and manage data
• Zapier, Clio, Docusign, Stripe, and Office 365 integrations
• Can automate both Microsoft Word and PDF documents
• Legal commerce tools
• Custom domain

Cons

• Not all features available in Lite (basic) tier
• API access is available only at higher pricing tiers

Gavel offers a free 7-day trial. Prefer to speak to someone? Schedule a demo here.

Clio Draft (formerly LawYaw)

Clio Draft (formerly LawYaw) is an easy-to-use automation tool, largely geared toward lawyers who want a simple and barebones document automation solution. Overall, Clio’s specialty is law practice management software and legal document management software, not document automation. That said, although it is light on features, its intuitive interface and short learning curve allow lawyers to start building key templates right in Microsoft Word with minimal startup time. 

Clio Draft's key feature is its up-to-date library of official jurisdiction-specific court forms, which can be populated with client-specific information, making it a win for litigation-focused attorneys. If you require more custom solutions, it can also convert your own Microsoft Word documents into templates. Clio Draft allows for the reuse of cards, fields, and logic chains of prior templates to quickly create new templates. Once ready to generate, users can create sets of documents through a single process.

E-signature integration allows users to send documents for electronic signatures right from within the tool. However, other client-facing features, such as guided workflows, client intake questionnaires, or client portals for clients to share and manage their data, are noticeably lacking.

Pros

• Simple, easy-to-use interface
• Library of jurisdiction-specific court forms
• Reuse of template elements to create new templates

Cons

• No client-facing features
• Customer support only via email
• A la carte pricing with higher costs

HotDocs: Legacy Document Automation Software for Desktop

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HotDocs is one of the oldest and best-known document automation solutions, offering services for a variety of use cases, including banking, government, insurance, and law. Its legacy is both its strongest and weakest point: like a lot of other legacy software, HotDocs is a bit clunky and outdated compared to newer options — it largely keeps its market share due to the time investment that would be required for firms to switch over to a new platform. 

In fact, to use HotDocs, you’ll need to be comfortable with some basic coding. HotDocs uses a proprietary coding language called HotDocs Scripting Language, and you’ll have to master its syntax to get the most out of the tool. Customer support assistance requires an extra fee, so you shouldn’t plan on relying on that for coding help. 

For attorneys focused on complex legal document generation, HotDocs offers conditional and nested logic, the ability to generate multiple documents, dynamic questionnaires to populate templates, and the ability to gather and process lists. HotDocs integrates with key law firm software, including its CRM, timekeeping, and accounting software, but it is notably lacking an e-signature integration. 

Notably, HotDocs is no longer updating its desktop document automation software, focusing on its web app instead. So if desktop functionality was something keeping you in the HotDocs sphere, now might be a good time to consider switching. 

Overall, HotDocs is a tool that has worked and continues to work well for many firms, but unless you already have significant experience with HotDocs and are deep in its ecosystem, there are better options out there. 

Pros

• Powerful document automation capabilities (logic, nested repeating items, etc.)
• Can be used across industries
• Integrates with law firm software, such as CRM, timekeeping, etc.

Cons

• Complex document generation requires coding expertise and understanding of HotDocs Scripting Language
• Customer support costs extra
• Lacking e-signature integration

Bryter: Workflow Automation Software

Bryter is a no-code/low-code platform that allows users to build digital applications. It offers document automation features, but its main focus is workflow automation, not document automation.

While the interface is simple and generally easy to learn, pre-built document automation features are limited, and more complex functionalities require additional coding or simply don’t exist. 

Bryter really shines when it comes to workflow automation tools. Its trigger emails and approvals, and integrations with Kira, Microsoft Suite, iManage, and Docusign allow you to leverage firm data and expertise to collect and share key information and create end-to-end process solutions.

Bryter’s automation platform also allows for the creation of client-facing applications, like document compliance tools, tax guides, and fifty state regulation trackers. You cna do this by using its workflow tools to collect data and share insights and information with clients.

Pros 

• Integrates with Kira, Microsoft Suite, iManage, DocuSign, and other applications used by law firms
• Enables the creation of client-facing applications 
• Pre-existing templates for document automation 

Cons 

• Complex automation capabilities either don’t exist or require coding
• Can only generate one document at a time
• Can only automate Word documents, not PDFs

Rally

Rally focuses on automating the entire client experience from start to finish. The tool facilitates everything from intake to document creation, custom branding, document storage, client collaboration, and payments. Notably, Rally allows users to integrate a menu of services into their website to sell legal services online. 

When it comes to document automation specifically, Rally lacks more robust automation capabilities, such as certain field types and logic capabilities. 

Rally serves as both a contract automation and contract lifecycle management tool, with emphasis on the latter. As a document automation tool, Rally provides a number of pre-created and easy-to-edit templates, which can be filled in using information from CRMs and other sources. Unlike many other document automation tools, clients can also access the platform to collaborate on documents or use it as a self-service platform. 

Rally has also launched Spellbook, an AI-powered contract drafting tool. Given the explosion of generative AI tools, Rally’s resources will likely be spent on continuing to build and grow Spellbook’s functionalities instead of developing its document automation tools. 

In terms of document creation, the features are fairly comparable to a number of other providers on the market, but at a much higher price point.

Pros 

• Integrates into firm website to sell services online 
• Allows for client collaboration 
• Offers pre-created and easy-to-edit templates 

Cons 

• High price point 
• Less robust automation capabilities (i.e., lacking logic functions and certain field types) 
• Focus on growth of AI-powered contract drafting features (Spellbook)

Briefpoint

Founded in 2020, Briefpoint is a relative newcomer to the document automation space. It fills a very specific legal niche: instead of providing tools for legal document automation in general, it focuses solely on discovery documents. This gives it a leg up on more general tools in some regards but also means that this shouldn’t be your go-to tool for everyday tasks. 

Briefpoint’s automation process is simple. First, drag and drop your discovery request (request for admission, request for production, interrogatories) into the tool. Briefpoint will automatically extract the important information, like the venue, case, case number, and judge. Next, select the objections and responses you would like to make from a list, and Briefpoint will use generative AI to fill in the necessary content (this feature is only available on the higher-tier pricing plan). Then, you can just download the finished document, sign it, add it into your CMS, and add the due dates to your calendar.

Integrations are somewhat scarce, as Briefpoint currently only integrates with Clio, Smokeball, and MyCase. 

Pros

• Specifically tailored to discovery
• Clever use of generative AI
• Solid security practices

Cons

• Narrow focus that only supports discovery documents
• Few integrations

Which Document Automation Software is the Best For You?

There’s no “best” option that works for each law firm or legal practice. While the solutions shared above are some of the best in the market, it’s best to evaluate each tool with your specific needs in mind. Consider:

• Your specific use case and the documents you need to automate
• The size of your legal practice
• Whether those using it have the necessary training
• Resources and customer support features
• Budget per user 
• User-friendliness of the tool

If you’re a lawyer, you can sign up for a demo of Gavel to see if it fits what you’re looking for. In 2024, Gavel was awarded Disruptive Technology of the Year and the best legal document automation software by ALM.

Accelerate Document Automation with Gavel's Legal Document Automation Software

We’re biased, but Gavel is our winning option for the best all-around legal document automation software. It’s built by and for lawyers, and its powerful document automation features, robust customer resources, legal form software, and marketplace to purchase pre-built applications make Gavel a great option for many organizations.

As our clients say, “This is the best software ever. I think every law firm in America should use it."

If you’re ready to start automating, get started with a free trial of Gavel today.