Portugal’s lawyer population stalls for first time in 30 years
The number of lawyers in Portugal has stopped growing for the first time in more than three decades, according to a report published by Legau, a Portuguese legal artificial intelligence company. Titled A advocacia portuguesa em 2027 (Portuguese legal practice in 2027), the study describes an ageing profession with marked income disparities, and assesses the risks and opportunities that AI poses for Portuguese law.
Portugal had 36,458 registered lawyers in 2025. The profession more than tripled in size after 1990, then levelled off in 2023 and declined slightly in the following two years. One in five lawyers is aged 60 or older.
The report draws on data from the past two decades, compares Portugal with other European countries and sets out the main challenges and opportunities AI could bring to the sector. Legau was founded by two former lawyers and a software engineer.
Income gap between large and small practices
Almost all economic units in the sector (94.7%) are sole practitioners, with average annual turnover of around €31,800. At the other end of the market, the 30 largest law firms are estimated to have billed about €708 million in 2025, roughly one third of the sector’s turnover. That figure is a market estimate by Iberian Lawyer.
Some 58.1% of lawyers report gross monthly income from legal practice below €2,157, although 45% work more than nine hours a day. Women make up 57% of registered lawyers but are concentrated in the lower income brackets: 46% report earning less than €1,438 per month, compared with 28.7% of men.
Unmet legal needs and client acquisition
In a World Justice Project study, 81 out of 100 respondents had faced a legal problem in the previous two years, but only about 16 turned to a lawyer or professional service. Meanwhile, 27.6% of lawyers say they have great difficulty attracting clients.
Legau argues that this mismatch could be one of the main opportunities for Portuguese lawyers. In its view, AI could make economically viable legal services that are currently too expensive for many clients or not profitable enough for lawyers.
AI arrives in a profession yet to digitalise
Only 21.8% of lawyers surveyed in Portugal use case management software and 27.1% have a website. In France, Spain and Italy, between 55% and 62% of lawyers already report using generative AI, while usage in Portugal has not yet been measured.
If Portugal follows the pattern of its neighbours, most lawyers could start using AI before adopting basic office management tools. Legau considers that AI could widen the gap between large and small practices, but could also help narrow it, since a sole practitioner can now use tools that increase output without a proportional increase in staff. The report anticipates greater pressure on legal fees, alongside the chance for lawyers to develop new services and reach clients who currently cannot access legal assistance.
Luís Alves Dias, CEO and co-founder of Legau and a former lawyer, said: “AI is beginning to change how legal work is done. That brings challenges for lawyers, but also a real opportunity for those working alone or in a small practice. Competitive advantage may depend less on the size of the firm and more on each lawyer’s ability to apply their experience and knowledge with these tools.”
He added: “AI does not replace the lawyer’s experience, critical judgement or responsibility. But it can allow legal expertise to be applied in new ways. The opportunity is not just to do the same work faster: it is to provide better services, reach more people and create conditions for lawyers to have a more balanced professional life.”
Priorities for 2027 and methodology
The report closes with six areas of work for 2027, intended to help lawyers prepare for the changing sector. It runs to 91 pages and 58 figures, and draws on 68 sources published between 2005 and 2026, including the Ordem dos Advogados, INE, the Banco de Portugal, Pordata, CEPEJ and the World Justice Project. Income data come from the 2024 Portuguese Legal Practice Survey. It is an independent Legau initiative.
