The Rising Cost of eDiscovery in Mid-Sized Litigation — And What Law Firms Can Actually Do
Over the past few years, something interesting has been happening in litigation. Cases that would have once been considered “mid-sized” or even “small” are starting to carry the kind of eDiscovery costs we used to associate with major litigation.
Not because the matters are more complex. But because the data is.
More emails. More texts. More chats. More platforms. More vendors. More moving parts.
At Sovereign Discovery, we hear this from law firms and in-house teams every week: “We’re spending more on discovery than we ever planned, and we’re not even in a bet-the-company case.”
So let’s break it down in plain language.
Why eDiscovery Costs Are Rising
Ten years ago, most data in a case came from emails, shared drives, and a few devices. Now, it’s a completely different world.
Today’s typical case includes:
Email and network drives
Microsoft Teams and Slack chats
WhatsApp and text messages
Cloud storage like Dropbox and OneDrive
Collaboration tools like Asana or Google Workspace
Each platform creates its own data type. Each one needs to be collected, processed, reviewed, and produced the right way.
And here’s the reality:
More data doesn’t just mean more storage. It means:
More processing time
More review hours
More hosting fees
More vendor decisions
On top of that, vendor pricing has become more complicated.
Some charge per GB.
Some per user.
Some per case.
Some per month.
Some for processing. Some for hosting. Some for exports.
This creates confusion and makes it harder for firms to predict costs. And when you can’t predict costs, it’s hard to budget. When it’s hard to budget, margins start to suffer.
This is why smaller and mid-sized litigation matters are starting to feel “heavy” — financially, operationally, and mentally.
Insource, Co-Source, or Simplify?
When costs start rising, firms usually consider three options.
1. Insource everything
Some firms think: Let’s build everything in-house.
This gives more control, but it also means higher upfront costs, more staff, more tools, and ongoing training. For many mid-sized firms, this becomes hard to sustain.
2. Co-source with a partner
This is becoming a more popular option.
You keep control over strategy and client relationships, while a specialized partner supports you on the technical and operational side.
At Sovereign Discovery, this is where we see the most value.
Law firms don’t need more software — they need support, experience, and flexibility.
3. Move to simpler, fixed-fee models
Instead of getting lost in variable pricing, some firms are shifting to clear, fixed-fee structures.
This brings predictability. You know what you’ll pay. Your client knows what they’ll pay. And there are fewer surprises.
What we often tell clients is this:
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach.
But there is a smarter approach.
And smarter starts with understanding your data, your real needs, and your internal capacity — before you throw more tools or money at the problem.
Closing
Mid-sized litigation is changing.
Data is growing. Costs are rising. Pressure is increasing.
But firms don’t need to face it alone.
At Sovereign Discovery, our goal is simple:
Help law firms and corporations stay in control of their data, their costs, and their cases.
Not with buzzwords.
Not with overcomplicated solutions.
Just real support, real people, and real experience.
If you’re feeling the pressure from rising discovery costs, we’re always open to a conversation.
Because sometimes, clarity is the most valuable deliverable.