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BLUF
My Inhouse Lawyer and an employed inhouse lawyer both provide embedded legal support, but they differ significantly in flexibility, cost structure and scalability.
An employed inhouse lawyer is a full-time or part-time employee and sometimes requires management and supervision, while My Inhouse Lawyer provides a more flexible, team-based legal solution without the overhead and commitment of employment.
The use of Legal AI/Tech is changing how much businesses need full-time inhouse lawyers. Routine tasks can be done through AI and this potential reduces the need for full or part-time employees and increases the interest in fractional options.
For many SMEs and growing businesses, My Inhouse Lawyer offers a more flexible, scalable and cost-effective way to access experienced inhouse legal support. It can also be a useful to engage My Inhouse Lawyer to baseline the legal needs of the business before hiring an employee
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Introduction
Hiring an employed inhouse lawyer has traditionally been the standard model for businesses needing ongoing legal support.
However, many companies do not need or cannot justify the cost and commitment of a full-time or part-time legal employee.
This page compares an employed inhouse lawyer with My Inhouse Lawyer to help businesses understand which model is the better fit.
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My Inhouse Lawyer vs employed inhouse lawyer
The table below compares My Inhouse Lawyer to employing an inhouse lawyer
Feature My Inhouse Lawyer Employed Inhouse Lawyer Engagement model Flexible, ongoing, supports projects too Full-time or part-time employee Management & supervision Not required, hit the ground running Often required Cost structure Monthly or flexible Salary + benefits + NIC + recruitment fees and management time Cost efficiency High for SMEs and growing businesses Lower unless fully utilised Legal AI/Tech Integrated Increasing Flexibility High Low Scalability High, backed by team and network Low, single hire Breadth of expertise Wide team + specialists + network One individual Continuity Resilient, team-based support Dependent on one employee Employment risk Low Higher, with employment obligations Project capability Yes Yes, but limited by one person’s capacity Commerciality High, business-focused Varies by individual Best for Businesses needing flexible, scalable embedded legal support Larger organisations with consistent, high-volume legal work In summary
As the use of Legal AI/Tech increases, many businesses don’t feel the need to employ an inhouse lawyer full-time. The fractional model is becoming increasingly relevant. My Inhouse Lawyer’s more evolved team-based model reduces the dependency on the knowledge and capacity of one individual
When is each option the right choice?
When My Inhouse Lawyer is the right choice
- You need ongoing legal support but do not need a full or part-time hire
- You want flexibility without long-term employment commitment
- You want someone who does not need management and supervision
- You want access to broader expertise than one individual can provide
- You need support for both day-to-day work and specific projects
- You want a more scalable resilient solution as your business grows
When an employed inhouse lawyer is the right choice
- You have a high and consistent volume of legal work that can’t be handled by Legal AI/Tech
- You need a dedicated full-time or part-time employee in the business
- You are a larger organisation with ongoing internal legal demand
- You are comfortable with the cost and obligations of employment
In conclusion
An employed inhouse lawyer can be the right choice for larger organisations with a consistently high level of legal work and low use of Legal AI or Tech.
However, for many SMEs and growing businesses, My Inhouse Lawyer provides a more flexible, scalable and cost-effective way to access experienced inhouse legal support.
By combining embedded legal support with broader expertise, specialist backup and greater flexibility, My Inhouse Lawyer removes many of the limitations associated with relying on a single employed lawyer.
Would you like to find out more? Book a discovery call
Updated on 19 May 2026
