Two-thirds of workers bypass legal channels to keep business moving

Legal delays often extend far beyond the legal department, slowing broader business operations and contributing to lost revenue, according to recently released research from Streamline AI, a leading AI operating platform for in-house legal teams. In fact, 55% of business professionals said a legal delay has caused a deal to slip or be lost in the past 12 months. On top of that, 80% said they have zero to moderate visibility into the status of their legal requests.

“Legal has become one of the most connected functions inside the enterprise, but many organizations still treat it as a rubber stamp rather than a business partner,” said Kathy Zhu, CEO and co-founder of Steamline AI. “When organizations improve how work flows between legal and the rest of their business, they help the business move faster and execute more effectively.”

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While demand for legal support has increased as businesses have grown, legal operations have been slower to adapt. As organizations become more cross-functional, delays in legal increasingly affect revenue, hiring, product launches, procurement and other business priorities.

Two-thirds of respondents occasionally bypass formal legal channels

The report found that 63% of business professionals wait four or more business days for a standard contract review, with prolonged turnaround times potentially prompting employees to circumvent legal review processes or seek alternative ways to keep business moving. Meanwhile, 66% of business professionals said they occasionally bypass formal legal channels to keep projects moving, and 52% said they view legal primarily as a checkpoint that slows business momentum or, in some cases, an outright bottleneck.

The impact of legal delays varied significantly by industry, with software and SaaS organizations reporting the highest rates of revenue affected by legal delays and 85% of respondents saying delays had caused deals to slip or be lost. Meanwhile, financial services organizations reported the longest contract review times and healthcare organizations reported the lowest visibility into legal requests.

The findings underscore the need for organizations to modernize legal operations and improve visibility across teams. By streamlining legal workflows, businesses can reduce bottlenecks, strengthen collaboration and keep critical priorities moving forward.