​The Department of Justice (DoJ) officially launched the Funding Scheme for LawTech Solution Subscription by the Hong Kong Legal Sector (Scheme) today (November 3). The Scheme aims to encourage the Hong Kong legal sector to enhance their capability to adopt lawtech to fortify Hong Kong's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre. Eligible applicants can now apply to the Hong Kong Bar Association and the Law Society of Hong Kong for funding. The deadline for application is January 29, 2027.
      
     The Scheme, launched by the DoJ, is a policy initiative under the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address. The Scheme will be managed by the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association, including approving applications and releasing funding. Sole practitioners or Hong Kong law firms with no more than five partners, and barristers with no more than seven years of call are eligible for application.
      
     Eligible applicants can select suitable services from the designated list of lawtech service providers. The list covers a variety of lawtech services provided by 14 local, Chinese Mainland and overseas service providers, including legal research, document generation and drafting, workflow management and hearing support. The Scheme operates on an actual-expense reimbursement basis, providing funding for each eligible applicant up to $20,000 for a one-year subscription of the services.
      
     The application process is simple and consists of four steps:
      
     (1)    Eligible applicants select a service provider from the list and obtain a written price quotation;
      
     (2) Eligible applicants submit their applications to their respective legal professional bodies (i.e. the Hong Kong Bar Association or the Law Society of Hong Kong);
      
     (3) The relevant legal professional body will notify the applicants of the result in writing. Upon receiving the approval notification, the applicant can subscribe to the selected designated service; and
      
     (4) Eligible applicants submit proof of subscription and payment to their respective legal professional bodies to apply for reimbursement.
      
     To ensure the effectiveness of the Scheme, lawtech service providers under the Scheme will provide transparent price lists, as well as ongoing technical support and training.
      
     The Deputy Secretary for Justice and Chairman of the Consultation Group on LawTech Development, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said that promoting the use of lawtech is a key policy initiative of the DoJ. Since last year, the DoJ has hosted five rounds of the LexGoTech Roundtables, receiving extensive feedback from the sector, academics, and the relevant stakeholders regarding the adoption of lawtech and the development of the legal sector. Furthermore, the DoJ notes that small and medium-sized law firms, as well as junior barristers, are particularly concerned about the financial burden of adopting lawtech tools. The Scheme is launched to respond to the needs of the sector.
      
     Noting that small and medium-sized law firms currently account for about 88 per cent of all Hong Kong law firms, while barristers with less than seven years of call make up about one-third of the total practicing barristers, Dr Cheung said that the Scheme will help lower the barrier for them to adopt lawtech, thereby enhancing the overall competitiveness of Hong Kong's legal sector.
      
     Dr Cheung added that the Hong Kong LawTech Fest 2026 will be held during the Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 (November 4 to 6). Designated service providers under the Scheme will participate in the LawTech Exhibition and conduct live demonstrations at the Insight Stage. He urged members of the sector to register for and attend the Hong Kong LawTech Fest 2026 to learn about the practical applications of lawtech.
      
     Relevant information, including Scheme details and application guidelines, has been uploaded to the dedicated webpages of the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association. Interested applicants are welcome to browse the webpages.

Ends/Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:30

NNNN