Best AI tools for legal drafting in 2025

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min

Written by

Gabby Macsweeney

Published on

August 1, 2025

Drafting legal documents requires speed, precision and confidentiality. Increasingly, lawyers are using AI to meet these demands. AI tools can automate the routine elements of drafting, summarisation and research, reducing turnaround times and improving consistency while supporting compliance.

However, not all AI platforms are equal. General-purpose AI can generate text but raise concerns over data storage and security. Legal-specific platforms, by contrast, are designed to meet professional standards.

This blog reviews the top AI legal drafting software in 2025, sets out what “good” looks like for these tools, and compares them on security, accuracy, and workflow integration.

What to look for in AI legal drafting tools in 2025

When assessing AI drafting tools, it helps to be clear on the baseline. Tools like ChatGPT can generate text, but legal teams need more than that. The best AI tools for lawyers in 2025 share these benchmarks:

Word-native workflow. The best tools allow lawyers to draft and redline directly in Microsoft Word with tracked changes, removing the need to copy and paste text between platforms.
Precedent grounding. AI for legal writing should deliver suggested language from a firm’s own clauses, playbooks, and prior deals, ensuring consistency and alignment with established practice.
Playbook and jurisdiction awareness. They apply fallback positions and governing-law-specific rules automatically, reducing manual effort in complex scenarios.
Explainable edits. Every change is accompanied by a clear rationale (whether a policy, a precedent, or a citation) so lawyers can understand and validate the output.
Research links. Where relevant, they provide one-click access to authorities, statutes, or guidance directly tied to the draft.
Security and privacy. Leading tools do not train external models on user data by default, and they include audit trails and granular access controls. The most secure legal AI also anonymises documents before analysis.
Microsoft integration. They work where lawyers already work.
Templates and automation. They generate first drafts from structured data or questionnaires, enabling routine agreements to be created in minutes.

These are the standards we used to compare the following platforms.

Best AI contract drafting software for 2025

The best AI tools for legal writing in 2025 combine advanced natural language processing (NLP) with legal expertise. These platforms support drafting, research, reviews, and more. Security and data privacy should also be key considerations.

1. LEGALFLY

LEGALFLY (that’s us) works directly in Microsoft Word, combining drafting, redrafting, and review in a single secure workspace. It adapts to governing law, grounds edits in your playbooks, and anonymises sensitive data before any analysis takes place.

Teams can convert any contract into a reusable template in minutes, with variables such as names, dates, and jurisdictions detected automatically. Clause logic makes templates smarter by showing or hiding provisions based on deal details (without coding). Unstructured inputs like emails or forms can be dropped in, with key data extracted and populated into the draft.

Every redraft appears as tracked changes with clear explanations, so lawyers remain in control. Legal teams can set guardrails and escalation points, enabling business users to self-serve routine agreements safely while reducing review cycles.

Best for: Legal teams that want a secure, Word-native drafting solution designed for real-world contract workflows.

To find out more about how LEGALFLY could accelerate your drafting, book a demo. Or discover LEGALFLY’s most popular Agents.

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2. LexisNexis Create+ (with Henchman technology)

Create+ brings Lexis+ content and Henchman’s clause retrieval into Word and Outlook. It is strong on Word-native drafting, precedent grounding, and research links. However, it relies on a cloud-first setup, so data privacy and anonymisation are weaker than some competitors. It is most effective for firms already committed to Lexis+.

Best for: Firms that already use Lexis+ and want clause- and authority-aware drafting embedded in Word.

3. Thomson Reuters CoCounsel Legal (+ Westlaw Precision)

CoCounsel generates first drafts of memos, briefs, and contracts, backed by Westlaw and Practical Law. It is strong on research links and explainable edits, since drafts come with rules and citations. It is less advanced on Word-native drafting and system integration, and workflows are more geared to litigation and research-heavy tasks.

Best for: Firms and in-house teams using Thomson Reuters products that want drafting combined with legal research.

4. vLex Vincent AI

Vincent AI supports drafting with access to global statutes and case law. Its Word add-in validates citations and suggests additional authorities, making it excellent for cross-border precedent grounding and research links. It is weaker on templates, automation, and anonymisation, so it works best as a research-supported drafting assistant.

Best for: Lawyers who draft across multiple countries and need research-supported drafting beyond one jurisdiction.

5. Juro

Juro offers contract drafting and CLM in one browser-based system, with AI clause suggestions and redlining. It performs well on templates, automation, playbook awareness, and Word integration. Its limitation is scope: it is focused on contracts rather than broader legal drafting. For high-volume in-house contracts, however, it is a strong fit.

Best for: In-house legal teams who want CLM and AI-assisted drafting combined in one platform.

6. Ironclad AI Assist

Ironclad combines a browser editor and a Word add-in, with AI Assist suggesting playbook-driven edits and redlines. It is strong on Word-native workflow, automation, and system integration with Ironclad’s CLM. It is weaker on research links and explainable edits, since its focus is consistency at scale rather than reasoning or citations.

Best for: Enterprises already using Ironclad CLM that want drafting and redlining tied directly to workflows.

7. SpotDraft VerifAI

VerifAI is a Word add-in that reviews contracts against playbooks and suggests redlines. It is strong on Word-native drafting, playbook awareness, and 365 integration, with optional CLM for broader workflows. It is weaker on research links and anonymisation, making it a good fit for teams that want a simple, playbook-driven assistant.

Best for: Legal teams who want a straightforward Word-based drafting assistant, with or without full CLM.

8. Robin AI

Robin’s Word add-in supports drafting, proofing, and clause rewrites with plain-language explanations. It is strong on Word-native drafting and explainable edits, and it also offers managed services for teams needing additional resourcing. Its weaknesses are system integration and automation, so it works best as a Word-sidekick rather than a full CLM.

Best for: Legal teams who want a user-friendly AI drafting assistant in Word, plus optional outsourced support.

9. Luminance

Luminance extends from contract analysis into drafting, with strengths in anomaly detection, jurisdiction awareness, and compliance mapping. It is powerful for large, complex transactions but is weaker on Word-native drafting and usability, requiring more training than most competitors.

Best for: Firms and corporates managing high-stakes, multi-jurisdictional contracts with compliance demands.

10. BlackBoiler

BlackBoiler pioneered automated redlining in Word, applying playbooks to third-party contracts and explaining each change through ContextAI. It is strong on Word-native workflow, explainable edits, and automation for standard agreements. It is weaker on research links and jurisdictional coverage, since it is designed for repeatable, high-volume contracts.

Best for: Teams handling high volumes of routine agreements that need consistent, automated mark-ups.

11. Harvey AI

Harvey AI is a general-purpose legal assistant trained on legal datasets and widely adopted by major law firms. It can draft contracts, summarise case law, and generate memos across practice areas. It supports multiple legal workflows, from litigation to transactional drafting. However, it is less tailored to Microsoft Word-native drafting and does not prioritise anonymisation or playbook grounding in the way other tools do.

Best for: Large law firms seeking a broad AI legal assistant across multiple practice areas, rather than a drafting-first solution.

12. Casetext Draft (Thomson Reuters)

Casetext Draft, acquired by Thomson Reuters, extends the CoCounsel suite with AI drafting capabilities directly connected to Westlaw and Practical Law. It generates clause-level suggestions grounded in authoritative sources and includes built-in legal research validation. While strong on research links and precedent grounding, it is less advanced in templates and automation compared with drafting-focused platforms.

Best for: Lawyers already using Thomson Reuters tools who want drafting tightly connected to research and authority checks.

What to look for in legal writing AI tools

You should prioritise security, regulatory compliance, and accuracy when selecting AI tools for legal writing.

1. Advanced natural language processing (NLP) for legal text

Legal writing requires precise terminology, logical reasoning, and strict formatting. AI tools should be trained on legal datasets and be able to:

Interpret legal terminology correctly across different jurisdictions.
Recognise contextual differences between contracts, case law, and statutory language.
Generate clear, concise, and legally sound text.

Without strong NLP capabilities, AI-generated legal text may contain ambiguities, improper phrasing, or misinterpretations of case law, increasing compliance risks.
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2. Legal citation and formatting automation

It goes without saying that you should be able to count on accuracy in citations, references, and document structure. Legal AI tools should:

Automatically generate and format citations according to legal standards.
Support inline case citations and reference validation to ensure accuracy.
Maintain consistent document formatting.

AI tools lacking built-in citation features require manual checking, slowing you down and increasing the risk of non-compliance.
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3. Integration with legal research platforms

AI tools should connect with legal research databases to enhance efficiency and compliance. A strong legal AI tool should:

Provide real-time access to statutes, regulations, and case law.
Automate case law retrieval for quick validation of legal arguments.
Enable cross-referencing between drafted text and authoritative legal sources.

Without research integration, AI-generated legal arguments risk being outdated or legally unsound, requiring additional checks.
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4. Security and confidentiality features

AI tools used in legal work should protect sensitive information. Key security features to look for include:

On-premise or private cloud deployment to ensure compliance with data protection laws.
No external data retention or AI model training on confidential input.
End-to-end encryption and access controls to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive documents.

Public AI models (like ChatGPT or Gemini) store input data, posing a risk for firms handling legally sensitive or regulated information.
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5. User-friendly interface

Legal AI tools should fit into existing workflows rather than disrupt them. A well-designed platform will:

Integrate with Microsoft Word, document management systems, and software like Slack.
Allow customisation of AI-generated templates to align with firm-specific language and compliance needs.
Be intuitive, minimising training requirements.

Legal writing tasks where AI excels

AI can help legal teams draft documents, summarise complex information, and conduct research more efficiently. While AI can significantly reduce the time spent on routine writing tasks, you should ensure that its outputs are accurate, compliant, and aligned with your organisation’s policies.

1. Drafting and formatting
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Contract drafting

‍‍AI can produce first drafts of NDAs, employment agreements, and commercial contracts using your templates.

Precedent-based drafting

AI can suggest clauses based on prior contracts, ensuring consistency across legal documents.

Regulatory compliance documents

AI can assist in drafting policies and agreements that align with regulations such as DORA.

Formatting and structuring

AI can maintain consistent numbering, definitions, and references, reducing the need for time consuming manual corrections.
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2. Summarisation

Legal teams often deal with large volumes of case law, contracts, and regulatory updates. AI can extract key information quickly, making it easier to review essential details. AI-powered summarisation is particularly useful for:

Case law summaries

AI can condense judgments and highlight relevant legal principles.

Contract analysis

AI can extract key obligations, risks, and termination clauses from long agreements.

Due Diligence reports

AI can review corporate documents and highlight legal risks in mergers and acquisitions or compliance audits.

Legislative and regulatory updates

AI can track changes in laws and generate concise updates for legal teams.
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3. Research

Legal research is a time-intensive process that requires access to accurate, up-to-date case law and regulatory materials. AI can help by finding relevant legal information faster and improving search precision. Key applications include:

Case law retrieval

AI can identify relevant precedents based on specific legal issues and jurisdictions.

Statutory interpretation

AI can compare legal provisions across different jurisdictions, assisting with cross-border compliance.

Regulatory compliance checks

AI can assess whether contracts and policies align with legal standards, then flag and amend inconsistencies.

Trend analysis

AI can identify patterns in case law, litigation outcomes, and enforcement actions, helping legal teams anticipate risks.

How to successfully integrate AI into legal writing workflows

There are a few ways to to maximise AI’s benefits while safeguarding confidentiality and legal integrity.

Use AI tools built for legal work

Public AI models may store input data, creating confidentiality risks. Legal-specific AI, like LEGALFLY, is designed to protect user data.
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Train staff to use AI effectively

Lawyers and support staff should understand AI’s capabilities and limitations, particularly in handling sensitive information.
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Review vendor policies carefully

AI providers must guarantee data security and non-retention of sensitive input to protect confidentiality.

Conclusion

AI can speed up legal writing, but security and compliance matter as much as efficiency. Public AI models introduce risks, from data retention to potential loss of confidentiality. Legal teams need AI that fits their workflows without compromising confidentiality.

LEGALFLY is built for legal professionals, ensuring secure, accurate, and compliant AI-assisted drafting. Unlike general AI, it protects privileged work while accelerating contract creation, research, and compliance checks.

FAQs

What is the best AI tool for legal drafting in 2025?

The best tool depends on your needs. LEGALFLY is a good option because it works directly in Microsoft Word, grounds edits in your playbooks, adapts to governing law, and anonymises sensitive data before analysis. Other tools like LexisNexis Create+, CoCounsel, and Juro work if you are already invested in their broader platforms.

Can AI draft contracts in Microsoft Word?

Yes. Most leading AI drafting tools now integrate with Microsoft Word through add-ins or plugins. This allows lawyers to draft, redline, and apply playbooks without leaving Word. LEGALFLY, LexisNexis Create+, Ironclad, SpotDraft, and Robin AI all offer Word-native workflows.

Is AI legal drafting secure?

Security depends on the provider. Public AI models such as ChatGPT or Gemini may store input data, which is a risk for confidential legal work. Purpose-built platforms like LEGALFLY anonymise documents before analysis and provide enterprise-grade security, ensuring no sensitive data is exposed.

Will AI replace lawyers in contract drafting?

No. AI accelerates first drafts and automates routine edits, but it does not replace legal expertise. Lawyers remain essential for interpreting context, negotiating terms, and making final decisions. The best tools act as drafting assistants, reducing manual work while keeping lawyers in control.

Disclaimer: We wrote this article in Q3 2025. The information was based on our own online research and we were not able to manually test each tool or provider. The information is provided for educational purposes only and a reader should consider the specific requirements of their business when evaluating providers. This research is reviewed every six months. If you would like to request an update, feel free to contact us at