residualGet paid for the know-how you've already written down.
AI companies are paying law firms for years of intake and conflict checks, precedents, billing workflows and internal email. Privileged client content stays out. We check if yours qualify, introduce you to the right buyer and stay with you until you're paid.
Two minutes. No access to your systems. Nothing upfront.
What law firms like yours can earn.
It depends mostly on how many lawyers, paralegals and support staff you have, and how many years of records you keep.
Our market estimate for a US company with 8–12 years on its tools, built from three buyers' published pricing. Staff means lawyers, paralegals and support staff. Not an offer: the buyer sets the price after review.
Recent deals
Five years of workpapers, reconciliations, financial models and tax files.
Workpapers, client service workflows, templates and internal communications.
The agency's operational record, anonymised before delivery.
No law firm has published a deal yet. These are the closest published comparisons from other professional-services firms in 2026, as reported by the firms that did them. Not independently verified. Owners aren't named.
What buyers pay for at a law firm
AI has read the statutes and the case law. It has almost never seen how a firm actually opens, staffs, drafts and bills a matter.
Intake and conflict checks
How an enquiry becomes a matter: who gets searched, what gets flagged and why some work is turned down. Almost none of this is public.
Lives inClio, Intapp, intake forms, email
Precedents and drafting rounds
How the firm's own templates get drafted, marked up and improved over years of use, and the reason behind each change.
Lives iniManage, NetDocuments, Word
Engagement, billing and matter management
How work gets scoped, priced, staffed and billed, and what happens when a matter runs over budget.
Lives inClio, Aderant, Elite 3E, email
Know-how notes and internal Q&A
How associates ask, and partners answer, the practical questions no textbook covers. Exactly what legal AI needs to learn.
Lives inTeams or Slack, KM pages, email
Your clients and team are never named.
Before anything is delivered, an independent firm swaps every name, contact detail, address and reference number for a consistent placeholder. The work stays readable. The people in it don't.
To: Michael Strand (partner)
Re: Conflicts, new matter 24-0817, Corvane Logistics
Searched Corvane Logistics, Pell Freight and directors Owen Pell and Dana Hart. One hit: Dana Hart was the opposing party in matter 21-0388, closed 2022. No current conflict, but policy needs your sign-off before we open. Fee estimate $85,000. Call me on 617-555-0142.
To: [Partner_02] (partner)
Re: Conflicts, new matter [MATTER_ID], [Client_14]
Searched [Client_14], [Party_03] and directors [Person_21] and [Person_22]. One hit: [Person_22] was the opposing party in matter [MATTER_ID_2], closed 2022. No current conflict, but policy needs your sign-off before we open. Fee estimate $85,000. Call me on [PHONE].
To: Corporate group
Re: Precedent update: SPA template v7, limitation of liability
After the Brightwell Foods deal, our starting position moves from a cap at 100% of the purchase price to 50%, with a separate cap for tax claims. Marked-up version on iManage at CORP-PREC-0331. Questions to Sean Doyle, ext. 4417.
To: Corporate group
Re: Precedent update: SPA template v7, limitation of liability
After the [Client_08] deal, our starting position moves from a cap at 100% of the purchase price to 50%, with a separate cap for tax claims. Marked-up version on iManage at [DOC_ID]. Questions to [Associate_12], ext. [EXT].
To: Daniel Osei (partner)
Re: Matter 23-1142, Halvorsen Marine, budget at 82%
Billed $61,400 of the $75,000 estimate. Discovery is running about 30 hours over plan, and the engagement letter requires notice to the client at 80%. A draft notice to Erik Halvorsen, 900 Harbor Way, Seattle, is ready for your review.
To: [Partner_05] (partner)
Re: Matter [MATTER_ID], [Client_22], budget at 82%
Billed $61,400 of the $75,000 estimate. Discovery is running about 30 hours over plan, and the engagement letter requires notice to the client at 80%. A draft notice to [Contact_17], [ADDRESS], is ready for your review.
Illustrations; all names are made up. Before you sign anything, you see the method and a de-identified sample of your own records.
Nothing upfront. You only pay if a deal completes.
Our success fee is agreed privately, in writing and under a mutual NDA, before we introduce you to anyone. No deal, no fee.
Four steps. About five hours of your time.
Check if you qualify
2 minutesTalk to us
20 minutesMeet the buyer
1 callSign and get paid
8–16 weeksLaw firms with years of decisions in writing.
- 30+ lawyers, paralegals and support staff, now or at your peak
- 3+ years on the same email and practice-management tools
- Work run in writing: email, matter notes, Teams or Slack
- Privileged client files can be kept apart from the firm's own records
- US or UK, mostly in English
Privileged client content is left out by default, and you don't need it to qualify. Operating, winding down or closed: all can qualify.
Questions owners ask us
What about privileged and confidential client files?
Left out by default. Buyers license the firm's own operational record: intake, conflicts, engagement and billing workflows, precedents and internal know-how. Anything privileged or under a client confidentiality obligation stays out, and you approve the scope in writing.
Does this fit our professional-conduct rules?
Rules differ by jurisdiction, so check with your own ethics counsel or compliance officer before you sign. You see the scope, the de-identification method and a sample of your own records early, so they have everything they need to review.
Will clients, opposing parties or other lawyers be named?
No. Names, addresses, phone numbers, emails and matter numbers are replaced with consistent placeholders before anything is delivered, and you approve a sample of your own records first.
Who counts toward the 30 staff?
Everyone whose work is in writing: partners, associates, paralegals, assistants, and business teams such as billing, conflicts and IT.
What does it cost?
Nothing upfront. If a deal completes, you pay our success fee, agreed in writing under a mutual NDA before any introduction. No deal, no fee.
Find out in two minutes if your records qualify.
Check if you qualifyOr email hello@joinresidual.com.