Litigators know eDiscovery can be one of the most unpredictable line items in a case budget. One unexpected dataset, increased custodian counts, complex forensic collections, or intractable opposing counsel, and the numbers start to climb – fast.

Amid those complexities, there’s one resource legal teams can better leverage when it comes to driving efficiency: their paralegals. With the right tools and training, paralegals can play a key role in managing eDiscovery costs. 

eDiscovery Can Be Expensive, but it Doesn't Have to Be Wasteful.

The nature of litigation has shifted over the past decade. Case data now includes not just emails and PDFs, but cloud documents and short message data, including ephemeral collaborative workspace data from platforms like Slack, Teams, and WhatsApp. That means vastly more content to collect, more data to process, and significant decisions to make about what to review (and what to leave out).

Review might remain the most expensive phase of eDiscovery, but this is where a tech-literate paralegal can help with litigation support.

A Strategic Role in Litigation Support

Paralegals trained in eDiscovery platforms like RelativityOne or Everlaw are more than file managers, they are operational contributors who help attorneys make smarter, faster decisions. They help coordinate rolling productions, oversee privilege QC workflows, and serve as the daily point of contact for discovery vendors and contract review teams. 

In the hands of a tech-savvy paralegal, complex productions can become a repeatable, defensible process. And the impact on cost can be substantial.

For example, Proteus had a case involving a 700,000-document collection. Our team helped reduce the reviewable set by 84%, delivering over $600,000 in savings compared to traditional linear review. Imagine what would be possible if paralegals were able to assist in-house in executing and managing the tools that are key to staying on time and under budget.

When paralegals are equipped with the knowledge to support defensible AI workflows legal teams can reduce the number of documents requiring manual review by 40% or more. That means more accurate early case assessment, less rework, and a leaner, more focused review process. 

Perhaps more importantly, it means that the people doing the reviewing – contract attorneys or litigation associates – can spend their time on the documents that matter, not wading through irrelevant files. The result: better insight, fewer errors, and a budget that’s aligned with the merits of the case. 

This is why we suggest that law firms invest in paralegal training (and partner with a vendor that can work alongside their team) to turn paralegals into active participants in your cost control strategy. 

eDiscovery Doesn't Have to Blow the Budget

Law firms don’t need to cut corners to cut costs. With the right people, tools, workflows, and a paralegal who understands your eDiscovery platform, you are investing in cost-effective eDiscovery, and gaining a key stakeholder in the process.