In a significant moment for plaintiff attorneys, two of the legal industry’s leading eDiscovery platforms have made moves that will fundamentally reshape the economics of litigation by providing some Gen AI capabilities at no additional cost.
Relativity announced at its October 2025 Relativity Fest that starting in early 2026, its aiR for Review and aiR for Privilege generative AI solutions will be included in the standard RelativityOne package at no additional charge.
In response, Everlaw announced at its recent Everlaw Summit ’25 that its single-use EverlawAI Assistant features will also be available at no additional charge. Tasks related to Writing Assistant, Deposition Analyzer, and Single Document Review Assistant, and any AI feature not running in a batch across many documents will no longer consume AI credits.
At ILS, we’ve spent years fighting to level the playing field for plaintiff attorneys against well-funded defense firms. These announcements represent perhaps the most significant step forward in that mission that we’ve seen in a generation.
Why This Matters: The Economics of Discovery
Discovery technology has always been the great equalizer or the great divider in litigation. For too long, deep-pocketed defendants have been able to outspend plaintiff firms on document review, using the most advanced tools and armies of contract attorneys.
Until now, generative AI in eDiscovery has been priced at a premium. Firms had to weigh the cost of accessing cutting-edge technology against their case budgets and client resources. These costs created a two-tiered system in which large defense firms could deploy Gen AI freely, while plaintiff attorneys had to evaluate the cost versus reward on a case-by-case basis.
The credit-based pricing model created significant friction in adoption. Many firms hesitated to adopt Gen AI features because the costs of use were sometimes invisible per task, making it difficult to predict expenses. Attorneys worried about the financial consequences of making a mistake or running an inefficient query that would consume expensive credits. This fear of unpredictable costs meant that even firms with access to the technology often underutilized it, reserving Gen AI for the most critical tasks rather than integrating it across their workflows.
Of course, the underlying technology isn’t free for these platforms. Large language model credits come at a cost to Relativity and Everlaw, and these expenses will need to be recovered somehow. While the Gen AI features themselves will be included at no additional charge, firms should anticipate that overall platform fees will likely increase, with estimates suggesting a 5-15% rise in base subscription costs. However, this predictable pricing model is far preferable to the unpredictable, consumption-based approach. Firms can budget accordingly and use the technology freely without fear of runaway costs, ultimately making the investment more valuable despite the modest fee increase.
The Bigger Picture: Industry Transformation
This shift represents more than just cost savings—it signals a fundamental transformation in how legal technology serves justice.
Relativity’s transparency and decision to bundle rather than charge separately for AI products stand in contrast to many tech vendors that develop AI programs and then charge separately to generate revenue. This user-first approach recognizes that justice should not be tiered based on who can afford the best technology.
Early adopters of generative AI include organizations that currently spend significant resources on manual review for discovery projects, and firms that engage in areas such as mass tort, serial litigation, or product liability are likely to evaluate generative AI tools sooner rather than later.
What ILS Recommends
The most forward-thinking plaintiff firms will recognize that while free Gen AI access levels the playing field, it doesn’t eliminate competitive advantage. It shifts the source of that advantage.
As the nation’s preeminent plaintiff-only eDiscovery provider, we see this as a transformative opportunity. ILS supports leading platforms, including Everlaw, Relativity, Reveal, Merlin, iConect, and Nebula.
Here’s what we recommend:
- Adopt and integrate quickly: First movers gain experience advantages
- Train comprehensively: Understanding how to prompt and validate AI outputs maximizes value
- Partner wisely: Work with eDiscovery providers who understand plaintiff-side needs and can help optimize Gen AI deployment.
Conclusion: A Watershed Moment
The decision by Relativity and Everlaw to include advanced generative AI capabilities at no additional cost represents one of the most significant developments in legal technology in decades. For plaintiff attorneys who have long faced resource disadvantages against better-funded opponents, this is nothing short of transformative.
At ILS, we’ve built our business on leveling the playing field for the plaintiff bar. These announcements align perfectly with that mission. We’re committed to helping plaintiff firms maximize the value of these new capabilities, integrating them into efficient, effective eDiscovery strategies that help our clients win their cases.
The technology is now available. The cost barrier is removed. The only question is: How will you use this advantage?
ILS Consulting – Gain a Competitive Edge with Strategic ESI Consulting Customized for Your Case
When you work with ILS, our team of eDiscovery experts will assist you in early discovery negotiations designed to prevent these costly delaying tactics, support your motion practice, testify by affidavit and in court, attend discovery-related depositions with you, and help create a strategic discovery plan to litigate your case most effectively. Our consulting team is a well-known, trusted partner that never backs down from advocating for our clients’ positions. We will help ensure that your ESI protocols are designed for Plaintiffs’ interests and that you receive the defense data you need to win your case.
- Passionate, experienced attorneys and technical experts provide battle-tested strategic support and testimony from the outset as eDiscovery challenges and issues arise throughout the case.
- ILS consultants are available for ESI negotiations, meet-and-confers, motion support, testimony, and strategic guidance.
- As exclusive providers to the Plaintiffs’ Bar, our experience, insights, and skillfully utilized toolbox will save you time and money, helping you obtain the evidence that defendants want to deny you.
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