At most businesses, unmanaged print costs amount to 1–3% of an organization’s total revenue. But if your print costs aren’t tracked at your firm, that might be a conservative estimate, because law firms rely on printed documents more than most industries. Court filings, discovery materials, contracts, exhibits, and client records all require hard copies — often on tight deadlines.

The challenge is that, at many firms, print costs are harder to see, harder to explain, and harder to control than they should be. And when costs aren’t visible, they quietly chip away at law firm profitability. So in this blog, I’ll explore how print affects your bottom line — and what you can do about it.

Unmanaged Print Costs Really Add Up 

Most law firms already have some level of print management in place. Devices are leased or purchased, supplies are ordered, and someone is responsible for calling a repair tech when something breaks.

What’s often missing is a clear picture of your total print spend.

The majority of print-related costs tend to be scattered across:

• Hardware and lease agreements
• Toner, ink, and paper
• Maintenance and emergency service calls
• Staff time spent troubleshooting or rerouting jobs
• Redundant or underused devices

Individually, these expenses may not raise red flags. Collectively, they can create budget uncertainty that impacts profitability — especially during periods of high case volume.

Print Interruptions Affect Billable Time

If you’re interrupted for 15 minutes just five times a day, that’s more than an hour of lost time. In a legal environment — where billable hours drive revenue — those small disruptions add up.

When printers are unreliable or poorly matched to demand:

• Attorneys and staff waste time waiting, rerouting jobs, or finding alternatives
• Administrative teams get pulled into printer issues instead of supporting casework
• Deadlines become more stressful than they need to be

None of this shows up neatly on an invoice, but it shows up in lost focus, context switching, and reduced efficiency. Over time, that friction affects how much billable work a firm can realistically handle.

And considering that the average lawyer’s hourly rate is between $162 and $392, printer disruptions are more than just annoying. They represent real, measurable revenue leakage.

Unpredictability Creates Additional Law Firm Profitability Issues 

Legal print volumes are rarely consistent month to month. Trials, discovery, onboarding new clients, and large filings can all cause sudden spikes in printing. That variability is normal in legal work — but the financial impact of it shouldn’t be a surprise.

When print environments lack oversight and planning, variability turns into unpredictability.

Without predictable print spend:

• Costs fluctuate unexpectedly, making it harder to forecast expenses
• Budgeting becomes reactive, rather than something you can plan around
• Allocating document costs by matter or department becomes more difficult, which can affect pricing accuracy and internal reporting

The issue isn’t that printing increases during busy periods. It’s that many firms don’t have a reliable way to anticipate how much it will increase, why, or where those costs are coming from.

Law firms don’t necessarily need the lowest print costs possible. What they need is print spend that’s explainable, consistent, and aligned with how the firm actually operates. That level of predictability supports better forecasting, more accurate pricing decisions, and fewer financial surprises that quietly erode profitability.

Print Security Lapses Can Also Eat Into Profits 

Print security is often thought of as a compliance or IT issue, but it also has a financial dimension.

Unsecured print environments can lead to:

• Reprints of misplaced or unclaimed documents
• Time spent correcting avoidable errors
• Risk exposure that can result in reputational damage

For law firms handling sensitive client information, reducing these risks isn’t just about protection — it’s about avoiding costly distractions and downstream consequences that affect profitability.

When Outsourcing Makes More Financial Sense

Expert print management can address all of the issues I just outlined, but it’s not the right solution for every business.

I’d recommend looking into it, though, if any of the following sound familiar:

Total Print Costs Are Difficult To Estimate or Explain

If leadership asks what printing costs the firm each month — or how those costs break down by location, department, or matter — and the answer requires guesswork or multiple spreadsheets, visibility is likely limited.

Expenses Fluctuate Significantly From Month to Month

Print volumes naturally rise during trials, discovery, or large filings. But if those fluctuations regularly result in unexpected invoices or budget overruns, it can make forecasting and pricing work more difficult than it needs to be.

Supplies and Services Are Reactive Instead of Planned

Running out of toner, dealing with emergency repairs, or scrambling to reroute print jobs during deadlines introduces unnecessary stress and downtime — especially when printing is business-critical.

Printer Management Is Tacked on to Someone’s “Real” Job

In many instances, IT teams are stuck handling printers. But IT time is expensive, and could be better spent on other things. Plus, when IT or administrative staff are responsible for printers on top of their primary roles, issues tend to get addressed only after they disrupt work.

That means your printers probably aren’t getting the maintenance they need, which means you’ll experience more print disruptions.

You’re Not Sure How Your Equipment Is Being Used

If it’s difficult to understand which devices are heavily used, which are underutilized, or how print supports specific workflows, it’s hard to make informed decisions about equipment, budgets, staffing, or growth.

Managed Print Services: The Law Firm Profitability Solution That Sometimes Goes Overlooked 

A good Managed Print Services provider brings a lot more to the table than just taking care of repairs and maintenance.

They’ll start with an initial print assessment to understand exactly what’s happening today — and what it’s costing your firm. But that’s just the starting point in terms of the actual ROI you’ll receive. That’s why managed print services is one of those rare services that tends to help pay for itself — especially in businesses with high print volumes like law firms.

If you’re curious how your current print environment may be impacting law firm profitability, a simple first step is getting a budgetary quote. You can request one from us below.

Of course, it’s not the full picture, as managed print service providers aren’t all the same. Just like with legal services, you tend to get what you pay for. But don’t worry — you don’t have to become an expert in what we do to make a good decision. We’re always happy to run the numbers for you on what you’d pay versus what you'd likely save. Just ask!