After having three children, her IT specialist husband Craig Chapman designed software that allowed her to do her job from home. It gives her and five senior consultants who have joined her the flexibility many traditional law firms do not offer.

The reduction in overheads means the freelancers can provide the same service to corporations, including banking and finance institutions, at a lower cost.

"They get the partner-level expertise at almost half the hourly rate," Mrs Chapman said.

"Our consultants are across Australia and all work from home on an hourly basis. The model is really good because you can scale up and down when you are busy."

A new Law Society of NSW commission of inquiry has found the legal profession needs to respond to growing demand for cheaper legal services.

It also needs to be more efficient in its use of digital technology. The Law Society report released on Tuesday night suggests that the "just, quick and cheap" mantra from section 56 of the Civil Procedure Act is more likely to be achieved through embracing technology.

"Consumers across the market for legal services are increasingly seeking value for money and expecting lawyers to be competent users of technology," the report says.

The Future of Law and Innovation in The Profession report says digital disruption has the potential to create cheaper legal services that have been out of reach of middle-income Australians.

"Lawyers are expensive because they provide a Rolls Royce service to the few, thereby underservicing the community as a whole because their fees are out of reach of the majority of the population," the report says.

The report identifies a range of online legal services, including a divorce lawyer and Mrs Chapman, as examples of "virtual firms" providing cheaper advice.

Law schools are also advised to equip students with skills to meet future demands for innovation in legal technology.

Dr Philippa Ryan, a barrister and lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Law, is about to start teaching a new subject on digital disruption.

"We've now introduced an elective Disruptive Technologies and the Law and that is being delivered for the first time this year," she said.

Students are also required to address the way technology is changing the legal profession as part of the core subject on civil practice.

"Clients now expect law firms to design aps to deliver or solve their legal problems. It is a big part of business now," Dr Ryan said.

She said new legal services could help plug the gap in providing the services to people who until now could not afford them.

"I think we have a younger generation of law graduates who are far more interested in access to justice and social justice than necessarily climbing the corporate ladder and making lots of money," she said. "They can also imagine a life in which they can work from home and be with their kids."

Big firms such as BHP would still probably use more-expensive top-tier law firms and in-house lawyers.

Technology is also helping lawyers analyse hundreds of thousands of documents.

Law Society president Pauline Wright said new technologies could make it easier for people to access legal services.

"The Law Society can play a critical role in addressing unmet legal need and helping the profession to upskill," she said.

Past president Gary Ulman said the commission of inquiry interviewed more than 100 professionals within and outside the legal profession for its report.

"Our inquiry aimed to not only investigate key trends shaping our industry, but also develop practical recommendations to help future-proof our profession," he said.

Mr Ulman said a key recommendation contained in the report was to establish a Centre for Legal Innovation Projects to help the profession embrace new and emerging ideas and technologies.

Society chief executive Michael Tidball said the Commission of Inquiry had produced a body of work never seen before in Australia, offering a way forward in response to emerging issues in the profession.

"Through extensive research and stakeholder engagement, the society's Future Committee has been successful in producing a report which will help guide the future of our profession for many years to come," he said.