Breaking Down eDiscovery Costs: What Law Firms Wish They’d Asked Upfront

For many legal teams, the final eDiscovery invoice can come as a shock. Despite months of planning, the legal discovery cost can exceed even the most generous budget – especially when surprise review hours, larger than expected data volumes, or inefficient workflows surface. 

But eDiscovery doesn’t have to be a budget-breaker. In fact, with the right knowledge and support, law firms and corporate legal teams can dramatically reduce costs without sacrificing speed and accuracy. 

At Array, we’ve partnered with law firms and corporate legal teams of all sizes to streamline the discovery process. Along the way we’ve identified the most common drivers behind skyrocketing costs – and we’ve developed strategies to help avoid them before they derail budgets. 

The Three Most Common Reasons eDiscovery Costs Spiral

1. Underestimating Data Volume (and Variety)

Today’s legal matters involve more than just emails and PDFs. Think chat messages, Slack and Teams channels, collaborative documents, cloud archives, mobile devices, and even social media content., The universe of ESI (electronically stored information) continues to expand – and with it, the challenge of managing it effectively.

When teams underestimate the sheer volume and variety of data at the outset of a case, the downstream impact is significant.  Too often, collection efforts are overly broad, pulling in unnecessary data that then needs to be processed and reviewed. That means more irrelevant files in the review set, more time wasted, and more costs passed along.  

It’s important to remember: every gigabyte matters.  Each additional gigabyte drives hosting costs, processing costs, and review costs. What may feel like “just a little extra” quickly turns into real budget creep. By clearly defining the data landscape upfront, legal teams can take a more targeted, defensible, and cost-conscious approach ensuring they're focused on the data that actually matters. 

2. Lack of eDiscovery Price Transparency

One of the biggest frustrations legal teams face is that not all providers price services the same way. While some offer predictable pricing models or tiered structures, others charge for every gigabyte, user, or project milestone – often without clearly outlining how costs accumulate. And without proactive reporting or cost projections, it is easy for budgets to get blindsided by unexpected charges. What starts as a manageable project can quickly balloon into an invoice no one saw coming.

That is why transparency matters. Clear communication about how costs are structured is essential. Legal teams deserve eDiscovery price transparency from their partners – before discovery begins, not after the invoice is delivered. 

3. Inefficient or Manual Review Processes

Document Review is where costs can really start to add up quickly – often 70% of total spend. It’s not always because of the documents themselves, but how the review is managed.  If documents aren’t prioritized effectively, workflows aren’t clear or the right technology isn’t in place, review hours can balloon quickly.

Even experienced review teams can lose time if the review platform isn’t configured properly or if the appropriate quality control checks are missing. Without smart batching, analytics, or automation, what could be a streamlined process turns into a costly time sink. 

What Law Firms and Legal Departments Wish They’d Known Earlier 

“A few extra hours upfront could have saved us weeks in review.” 

The biggest opportunity to reduce eDiscovery costs is at the start. Thoughtful early case assessment and project scoping – led by both legal and technical experts – sets a clear roadmap that reduces review hours, eliminates redundant work, and keeps the matter predictable and defensible. 

“We thought the flat rate included more than it did.” 

Many firms assume that a flat processing fee covers everything – but sometimes it only includes ingestion, not the culling, analysis, or exports that come later. Others are surprised to learn that user seats or active matters incur additional monthly fees. The takeaway: Always dig into the details. Ask for a clear breakdown of what’s included, and don’t be afraid to push back on ambiguous line items before they turn into surprise costs. 

“We needed a partner, not just a vendor.” 

When providers take a transactional approach, they often miss the bigger picture – the matter’s goals, risks, or deadlines. What clients need is strategic guidance. The right partner will help navigate complex issues like privilege calls, cross-border data, or emerging formats up front, turning what could have been a costly fire drill into a smooth defensible process. 

How to Take Control of Your eDiscovery Costs

Ask the Right Questions Early

• What’s included in the pricing model – and what’s not? 

• How do you handle increases in data volume or project scope? 

• What technologies and strategies are used to reduce review hours? 

Prioritize Project Scoping and Data Culling

The smartest way to cut eDiscovery costs is before review even starts.  Building a defensible strategy – using analytics, deduplication, and filtering techniques can dramatically shrink the data set, avoid processing what you don’t need, and keep only the information that actually matters for review. 

Choose a Provider Who Offers Clarity and Partnership

At Array, we believe eDiscovery should be transparent and predictable. That’s why we partner with legal teams to design smart workflows, configure platforms for maximum efficiency, and keep costs under control. Our project managers and technical experts provide regular updates and clear documentation – so you always know where your project (and your budget) stands.

Final Thoughts

eDiscovery will always be complex – but managing its cost doesn’t have to be. With the right planning, clear pricing, and the right support, legal teams can reduce surprises, eliminate inefficiencies, and drive better outcomes. 

At Array, we help our clients to align their discovery strategy with business goals – delivering efficiency, defensibility, and value at every step. 

Ready to take the guesswork out of legal discovery cost? Contact us to learn how Array can help your team reduce review hours, increase efficiency, and improve results.