EVATT AI: The Faster, Smarter AI Software for Lawyers in Australia

By Ashley Edgar

In today’s rapidly evolving legal landscape, AI software for lawyers is becoming indispensable. From case law research to drafting contracts, artificial intelligence is transforming how legal professionals work. Major players like Legora, Lexis+ AI, Thomson Reuters CoCounsel, and Smokeball AI are all vying for attention in the legal tech arena. However, EVATT AI – an Australian-founded platform – is quickly outshining these competitors by working faster and smarter to deliver a better product in less time. In this post, we’ll explore how EVATT AI stands apart and why it’s poised to lead the future of AI legal research in Australia.

The Rise of AI-Powered Legal Research in Australia

Law firms across Australia (and globally) are embracing AI legal research tools to enhance efficiency and accuracy. Top firms like Ashurst and Gilbert + Tobin have integrated generative AI for tasks such as research and contract analysis, while MinterEllison uses AI to expedite discovery. This industry shift underscores a simple truth: legal professionals must leverage AI to stay competitive. Yet, not all AI solutions are created equal. The market ranges from large legacy providers to nimble startups. Enter EVATT AI, a homegrown solution founded in 2024 by Ashley Edgar in Perth. EVATT AI was built to make lawyers’ lives easier, and it’s doing so by beating the big players at their own game – delivering cutting-edge capabilities with agility and at a lower cost.

Meet EVATT AI – Built for Lawyers, Powered by Innovation

EVATT AI is an AI-powered legal research assistant designed specifically for common law jurisdictions like Australia. Built using the world’s most advanced AI models and trained on vast legal datasets, EVATT offers a suite of features that streamline legal work. Lawyers using EVATT AI are already saving significant time:

• Advanced Legal Research: EVATT AI has access to over 45 million cases and statutes, spanning Australia, the U.S., UK, Canada, India, New Zealand and more. You can ask complex legal questions in plain English and get pinpoint-accurate answers backed by strong, citable evidence in seconds. No more wading through endless search results – EVATT provides direct, evidence-based answers from relevant cases and legislation. Every answer comes with linked citations to ensure verifiability and reduce the risk of “AI hallucinations.” This precision and depth of knowledge often outpaces what legacy platforms provide, especially for Australian-specific queries.

• Document Drafting in a Flash: From commercial leases to NDAs, EVATT’s generative AI can draft complex legal documents in a fraction of the time it used to take In fact, many standard documents can be produced in one-tenth the time it would take manually. According to EVATT’s metrics, it improves drafting efficiency by 4×, enabling lawyers to turn out high-quality drafts in minutes, not hours. The AI doesn’t just spit out generic text – it drafts tailored documents that you can then easily refine, with the peace of mind that the content is grounded in relevant legal precedents and language.

• Rapid Document Review: Need to review a client’s contract or analyze a new case file? EVATT’s AI can summarize and analyze documents within seconds, highlighting key points and potential issues. It’s like having an intelligent paralegal on call 24/7. This review capability is lightning fast and incredibly accurate, supercharging tasks like due diligence, discovery, or case prep. EVATT AI users report finishing research and review tasks 15× faster than before, freeing up hours in the day.

• Security & Confidentiality: In the legal field, confidentiality is paramount. EVATT AI uses custom encryption technology to safeguard your data. All queries and documents stay secure and private, preserving client-attorney privilege. Unlike some generic AI tools, EVATT is built with law firm security needs in mind – you can leverage AI’s power without worrying about sensitive information leaking or being used to train outside models.

The net result of these features? Time savings of 2+ hours per day for the average lawyer. By automating research and drafting, EVATT AI lets you focus on high-value work like strategy, advocacy, and client interaction. It’s an AI legal assistant that actually understands the nuances of Australian law and delivers results you can trust. Now, let’s see how EVATT stacks up against other well-known legal AI solutions.

EVATT AI vs. Legora: Agility Beats Scale

Legora is a high-profile AI platform for lawyers that has garnered attention (and substantial venture capital). The Stockholm-born company (formerly known as Leya) recently raised an $80 million Series B, valuing it at $675 million. Legora positions itself as a “collaborative AI workspace” for large law firms, promising to help teams review documents, research, and draft with precision at scale. It’s trusted by some top global firms and focuses on features like tabular contract review, team-wide AI integration, and a Microsoft Word add-in for drafting within your workflow.

Where EVATT AI shines brighter is in its focused innovation and speed. While Legora has the backing of big investors and targets BigLaw enterprise deals, EVATT AI has stayed lean and laser-focused on product excellence. This agility means EVATT rolls out new features and improvements faster, without red tape. For example, EVATT was built and launched in under a year, leveraging the latest GPT-based technology and legal data sources quickly – meanwhile, larger competitors often undergo lengthy development cycles and bureaucracy.

For an Australian lawyer, EVATT’s local training and expertise offer an edge. Legora’s platform is impressive, but as a globally marketed tool it may not be as deeply tuned to Australian law. EVATT AI was trained on Australian cases, statutes, and journals from day one, ensuring it truly understands local precedents and terminology. When you ask EVATT AI a question about, say, High Court decisions or NSW legislation, it responds with contextually relevant answers that a more generalized tool might miss. This jurisdictional nuance is crucial – and it’s something EVATT delivers inherently as a product “made in Australia for Australian lawyers.”

Finally, consider accessibility and cost. Legora’s massive funding and enterprise focus suggest a high price tag and a target market of only the largest firms. EVATT AI, by contrast, is unfunded and independent, which allows it to offer a more affordable solution. It’s designed to democratize AI for all legal professionals, from solo practitioners and small firms to big firms – not just those with huge tech budgets. In short, against Legora’s scale and funding, EVATT counters with nimble innovation, local expertise, and a value proposition that doesn’t require a Fortune 500 budget.

EVATT AI vs. Lexis+ AI: Breaking Free from Legacy Systems

Lexis+ AI is the entrant from one of the oldest names in legal research, LexisNexis. Backed by a vast proprietary database of case law and secondary sources, Lexis+ AI integrates generative AI (built on multiple large language models, including GPT) into the traditional Lexis research platform. It can perform AI-powered legal research, generate summaries, draft documents, and even provide linked case citations. Essentially, Lexis is infusing AI into its legacy system to help lawyers get answers faster and draft more efficiently – a significant move for such a legacy provider.

EVATT AI’s advantage here lies in its fresh approach and freedom from legacy constraints. Whereas Lexis+ AI must layer new AI tools on top of decades-old databases and systems, EVATT was built from the ground up as an AI-driven platform. This means EVATT’s user experience is often more seamless and intuitive for modern workflows. Instead of conducting keyword searches and then invoking an AI assistant, EVATT lets you simply ask questions or request a draft in one go. The platform handles the heavy lifting by searching relevant law and generating an answer or document in natural language.

Another key difference is responsiveness and continuous improvement. LexisNexis is a large corporation; its AI enhancements will evolve, but likely at a measured pace and with conservative risk management (appropriate for a big company). EVATT AI, as a startup, is pushing updates rapidly and incorporating user feedback from Australian lawyers in real-time. For example, if users need EVATT to be better at a niche area of Aussie law, the team can quickly fine-tune the system. That kind of nimbleness is harder for a behemoth like Lexis.

Content coverage is also worth noting. Lexis+ AI is powerful, especially given LexisNexis’ exclusive content and editorial materials. However, EVATT AI isn’t far behind – it has aggregated millions of legal documents and authorities across jurisdictions. With 45 million+ cases and statutes in its knowledge base, EVATT provides comprehensive research coverage for Australia and other common law countries. And because EVATT is source-agnostic, it can pull from a blend of public databases and partner sources to ensure no stone is unturned. In practice, this means that for many research questions, EVATT will yield an answer that’s just as on-point as one from Lexis – and often faster, due to the direct Q&A style.

Finally, let’s talk cost and flexibility. Lexis+ AI will likely come as a premium add-on to an already expensive Lexis subscription. Large firms might afford that, but smaller practices might find it cost-prohibitive. EVATT AI is positioning itself as a cost-effective alternative. By avoiding the heavy overhead of legacy systems, EVATT passes savings onto users. You get cutting-edge AI legal research tools without needing a large firm’s budget. This lowers the barrier to entry for solo lawyers or boutique firms to leverage AI in their practice – leveling the playing field that legacy providers long dominated.

EVATT AI vs. Thomson Reuters CoCounsel: Nimble Assistant vs. Corporate Giant

Thomson Reuters made headlines by acquiring Casetext (developer of the AI tool “CoCounsel”) for $650 million in 2023. Now Thomson Reuters CoCounsel is being rolled out as a “professional-grade” generative AI assistant integrated with the Westlaw and Practical Law ecosystem. CoCounsel – powered by GPT-4 – is designed to handle tasks like document review, legal research memos, contract analysis, and more, all backed by Thomson Reuters’ authoritative content and strict security measures. In essence, it’s Thomson Reuters’ answer to AI, combining its vast legal database (Westlaw) with cutting-edge AI capabilities.

It sounds impressive – and it is – but EVATT AI holds its own and even outpaces CoCounsel in key ways. First, consider innovation speed. EVATT AI’s development team has been sprinting ahead, adding features like multi-jurisdiction support, real-time document drafting, and advanced Q&A well ahead of some incumbents. Thomson Reuters, after acquiring Casetext, has massive resources, but also more layers to navigate for product changes. EVATT’s single-minded mission to build “the best AI lawyer” means updates and improvements happen weekly, not annually.

Second, localization and focus. Thomson Reuters’ strength is its integration with Westlaw – but Westlaw’s Australian coverage (while strong) is only part of its global product. CoCounsel’s initial focus has also been in the U.S. market (Casetext’s home turf) and even in adjacent fields like tax and accounting AI. EVATT AI, on the other hand, is laser-focused on what Australian and common law lawyers need right now. It was trained on every statute in every Australian jurisdiction, key cases from all levels of court, and even local legal commentary. That means EVATT often understands the context of an Australian legal question instantly, without needing to sift through irrelevant U.S. or UK materials. It “speaks Aussie legalese” fluently – something a global tool might not fully replicate.

Another area is user experience and integration. Thomson Reuters CoCounsel is being embedded into existing TR products and even tools like Microsoft 365. While that integration is useful for firms already in that ecosystem, it can also be overwhelming if you’re not a Westlaw power user. EVATT AI provides a clean, straightforward interface accessible via the web (and coming to integrations as needed) without requiring you to overhaul your workflow. In other words, EVATT can slot into your practice with minimal friction – whether you use traditional databases or not.

And of course, cost is again a differentiator. CoCounsel, tied to Westlaw and other premium TR services, will not come cheap. Large firms might bundle it into their Westlaw contracts, but smaller firms could be left out. EVATT AI is committed to affordable pricing. By operating independently and efficiently, EVATT doesn’t have to charge an arm and a leg. Australian lawyers get access to AI legal research and drafting power without excessive subscription fees. It’s the difference between a massive corporate solution and a nimble, value-driven tool – and many find the latter aligns better with their needs and budgets.

EVATT AI vs. Smokeball AI: Specialized Excellence vs. All-in-One Platforms

Smokeball is a well-known Australian legal practice management software, and they’ve recently added AI features to their product. Smokeball AI (including their AI assistant “Archie”) is embedded in the platform to help with tasks like information gathering, drafting client emails, summarizing matter files, and automating form filling. Smokeball even offers integration with an AI legal research tool called Habeas for finding Australian case law and precedents. In short, Smokeball’s approach to AI is to weave it into the daily workflows of managing a law practice, primarily to boost productivity within their software’s ecosystem.

EVATT AI differs by being a specialist in legal research and document drafting, rather than a general practice management tool. If your goal is powerful legal research, deep understanding of case law, and speedy drafting, EVATT is purpose-built for that – you don’t need to adopt an entire practice management system. Many small firm lawyers in Australia might already have a practice management solution they like (or they manage fine without an elaborate one). EVATT AI can plug into any practice as a standalone AI legal research assistant, regardless of what billing or case management software you use.

In terms of capabilities, EVATT’s focus allows it to go much further in research and analysis. Smokeball AI’s “Archie” can answer questions about your active matters and summarize communications, but it’s not searching 45 million cases or drafting a complex contract from scratch. Smokeball’s integrated research (via Habeas) shows that even practice management vendors recognize the need for specialized AI research tools – and EVATT is at the forefront of those specialized tools. In fact, EVATT’s breadth of 45+ million legal sources and its fine-tuned legal reasoning engine means it can often find answers and precedents that a more limited tool might miss. It uses natural language processing to understand nuanced legal questions (e.g., “What’s the latest High Court authority on duty of care for auditors in Australia?”) and returns directly relevant, cited answers. That kind of advanced legal intel is EVATT’s bread-and-butter.

Another consideration is cost and flexibility: Smokeball is a comprehensive platform with a corresponding comprehensive price, usually geared towards firm-wide use. EVATT AI offers flexible plans (including free trials and likely pay-as-you-go options) so that you can dip your toe in AI research without a large commitment. Because EVATT isn’t bundled with unrelated features, you’re paying specifically for the research/drafting capability – often at a lower cost than an all-in-one software suite.

In summary, Smokeball AI is great for firms looking to enhance their internal operations with AI, but EVATT AI excels as a dedicated legal research and drafting expert. It’s the difference between a multitool and a precision instrument – and for lawyers who need the best answers fast, the precision instrument wins every time.

Passing the Savings to You: Better Tech, Better Value

One of the most compelling advantages of EVATT AI is value for money. The platform’s philosophy is that emerging legal tech should empower lawyers of all stripes, not just the mega-firms. EVATT’s lean startup model (no extravagant funding rounds or bloated overhead) means it can deliver top-tier AI capabilities at a fraction of the cost that legacy providers or heavily funded startups charge. The savings from not having a huge corporate structure or investor pressure are passed directly to you, the lawyer.

Consider the alternatives: Large incumbents like LexisNexis or Thomson Reuters often bundle their AI into premium subscriptions, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars annually for a firm. New VC-backed darlings like Legora or Harvey AI (another heavily funded competitor) have valuations in the hundreds of millions, which eventually must be justified through revenue – often via high pricing or enterprise contracts. EVATT AI breaks this mold. As an independent Australian company, its goal is to offer cutting-edge AI tools without the exorbitant price tag. Whether you’re a solo practitioner in Perth or a mid-size firm in Sydney, you can afford to integrate EVATT into your practice and start reaping the benefits immediately.

Importantly, EVATT’s affordability doesn’t mean you sacrifice quality – you’re getting a solution built on the same or better AI technology that powers the big players. (In fact, EVATT leverages state-of-the-art GPT-based models and augments them with legal-specific training.) You’re simply not paying for extras that you don’t need. It’s a win-win: work faster and smarter, without breaking the bank.

Conclusion: A New Era of Legal AI, Led by EVATT

The competition in AI for legal services is fierce, but EVATT AI is proving that a focused, fast-moving startup can out-innovate and out-deliver even the biggest names. Australian lawyers now have access to a world-class AI legal research tool developed in their own backyard – one that understands the local law, moves at startup speed, and prioritizes user needs over corporate agendas.

Whether it’s EVATT vs. Legora (agility over massive funding), EVATT vs. Lexis+ (modern AI-native design over legacy add-ons), EVATT vs. CoCounsel (tailored local insight over one-size-fits-all global solutions), or EVATT vs. Smokeball AI (specialized excellence over broad but shallow tools), the trend is clear. EVATT AI is working faster & smarter than the competition, and it shows in the product’s performance and the value delivered to lawyers.

For legal professionals in Australia, now is the time to embrace AI not just from the well-known giants, but from innovative players like EVATT that are pushing the envelope. By doing so, you’ll be leveraging technology that can save hours a day, boost your productivity, and enhance the quality of your work – all while knowing you’re supported by a platform that’s on the cutting edge of legal AI.

Experience the EVATT AI difference and join the new wave of lawyers who are practicing law with greater efficiency, accuracy, and confidence. As Ashley Edgar (EVATT’s founder) envisioned, EVATT AI truly is about “Making Lawyers’ Lives Easier.” The future of legal research and drafting has arrived – and it’s Australian, affordable, and astonishingly powerful.

For more information or to try EVATT AI yourself, visit evatt.ai and connect with Ashley Edgar on LinkedIn. Embrace the future of law practice today.