Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Content Assessment: Alternative Reality? Winter 2022 eDiscovery Pricing Survey Results

Information - 97%
Insight - 93%
Relevance - 95%
Objectivity - 100%
Authority - 95%

96%

Excellent

A short percentage-based assessment of the qualitative benefit of the semi-annual eDiscovery pricing survey winter 2022 results, as conducted and published by ComplexDiscovery.

Editor’s Note: Initiated in the winter of 2019 and conducted seven times during the last three years with 581 individual responses, the semi-annual eDiscovery Pricing Survey provides a mechanism for legal, business, and information technology professionals in the eDiscovery ecosystem to share and understand current pricing trends on selected collection, processing, and review tasks.

The currently ongoing worldwide pandemic has significantly influenced the eDiscovery ecosystem in areas such as the delivery of services, the pulse rate of investigations and litigation, and the frequency of mergers and acquisitions. The pandemic has also impacted the economics of eDiscovery pricing. This new survey may be useful for understanding that impact.


The Winter 2022 eDiscovery Pricing Survey

The eDiscovery Pricing Survey is designed to provide insight into industry pricing through the lens of 12 pricing questions answered by legal, business, and information technology professionals operating in the eDiscovery ecosystem. The non-scientific and non-comprehensive survey questions are focused on general pricing for a specific selection of collection, processing, and review tasks. The survey is not designed to be all-inclusive but designed to provide a general overview of the pricing landscape for study, consideration, and use by individuals and organizations with both a direct and indirect interest in the economics of eDiscovery.

Survey Results

The winter 2022 survey response period was initiated on November 17, 2021, and closed on November 27, 2021. This was the seventh eDiscovery pricing survey conducted by ComplexDiscovery. This winter’s survey was highlighted directly via email and indirectly via social media.  The current survey had 63 respondents.

While individual respondent answers to the pricing survey are confidential, the anonymized aggregate results for the 12 pricing questions of the multiple-choice survey are published below without commentary. These results highlight eDiscovery pricing on selected collection, processing, and review tasks as seen by survey respondents in the winter of 2022.


eDiscovery Pricing Survey Questions 

n=63 Respondents ↑

Collection Pricing

1. What is the per hour cost for a collection by a forensic examiner?

  • Less than $250 per hour. 9.5% ↓
  • Between $250 and $350 per hour. 63.5% ↓
  • Greater than $350 per hour. 4.8% ↓
  • Do not know. 19.0% ↑
  • Alternative pricing model for per hour costs. 3.2% ↓
1 - Collection Pricing - Per Hour Cost for a Collection by a Forensic Examiner - Winter 2022

2. What is the per device cost for a collection by a forensic examiner?

  • Less than $250 per device. 9.5% ↓
  • Between $250 and $350 per device. 22.2% ↓
  • Greater than  $350 per device. 41.3% ↓
  • Do not know. 22.2% ↑
  • Alternative pricing model for per device costs. 4.8% ↓
2 - Collection Pricing - Per Device Cost for a Collection by a Forensic Examiner - Winter 2022

3. What is the per hour cost for analysis and expert witness support by a forensic examiner?

  • Less than $350 per hour. 12.7% ↓
  • Between $350 and $550 per hour. 54.0% ↓
  • Greater than $550 per hour. 11.1% ↑
  • Do not know. 19.0% ↑
  • Alternative pricing model for per hour costs. 3.2% ↑
3 - Collection Pricing - Per Hour Cost for Analysis and Expert Witness Support from a Forensic Examiner - Winter 2022

 Processing Pricing

4. What is the per GB cost to process electronically stored information based on volume at ingestion?

  • Less than $25 per GB. 34.9% ↑
  • Between $25 and $75 per GB. 34.9% ↓
  • Greater than $75 per GB. 6.3% ↑
  • Do not know. 6.3% ↓
  • Alternative pricing model for per GB costs. 17.5% ↓
4 - Processing Pricing - Per GB Cost to Process ESI Based on Volume at Ingestion - Winter 2022

5. What is the per GB cost to process electronically stored information based on volume at completion of processing?

  • Less than $100 per GB. 38.1% ↑
  • Between $100 and $150 per GB. 25.4% ↓
  • Greater than $150 per GB. 4.8% ↓
  • Do not know. 7.9% ↓
  • Alternative pricing model for per GB costs. 23.8% ↓
5 - Processing Pricing - Per GB Cost to Process ESI Based on Volume at Completion of Processing - Winter 2022

6. What is the per GB per month cost to host electronically stored information without analytics?

  • Less than $10 per GB per month. 34.9% ↑
  • Between $10 and $20 per GB per month. 41.3% ↓
  • Greater than $20 per GB per month. 6.3% ↑
  • Do not know. 7.9% ↑
  • Alternative pricing model for per GB costs. 9.5% ↓
6 - Processing Pricing - Per GB Cost Per Month to Host ESI without Analytics - Winter 2022

7. What is the per GB per month cost to host electronically stored information with analytics?

  • Less than $15 per GB per month. 33.3% ↑
  • Between $15 and $25 per GB per month. 34.9% ↑
  • Greater than $25 per GB per month. 11.1% ↑
  • Do not know. 7.9% ↓
  • Alternative pricing model for per GB costs. 12.7% ↓
7 - Processing Pricing - Per GB Cost Per Month to Host ESI with Analytics - Winter 2022

8. What is the user license fee per month for access to hosted data?

  • Less than $50 per user per month. 15.9% ↓
  • Between $50 and $100 per user per month. 52.4% ↓
  • Greater than $100 per user per month. 6.3% ↓
  • Do not know. 7.9% ↑
  • Alternative pricing model for user license costs. 17.5% ↑
8 - Processing Pricing - User License Fee Per Month for Access to Hosted Data - Winter 2022

9. What is the per hour cost of project management support for eDiscovery?

  • Less than $100 per hour. 0.0% ↓
  • Between $100 and $200 per hour. 65.1% ↑
  • Greater than $200 per hour. 23.8% ↓
  • Do not know. 4.8% ↑
  • Alternative pricing model for per hour costs. 6.3% ↓
9 - Processing Pricing - Per Hour Cost of Project Management Support for eDiscovery - Winter 2022

Review Pricing

10.  What is the per GB cost to conduct predictive coding as part of a technology-assisted review during the document review phase of eDiscovery?

  • Less than $75 per GB. 25.4% ↑
  • Between $75 and $150 per GB. 11.1% ↓
  • Greater than $150 per GB. 4.8% ↑
  • Do not know. 19.0% ↓
  • Alternative pricing model for per GB costs. 39.7% ↓
10 - Review Pricing - Per GB Cost to Conduct Predictive Coding in a Technology-Assisted Review - Winter 2022

11. What is the cost per hour for document review attorneys to review documents during the review phase of eDiscovery?

  • Less than $25 per hour. 1.6% ↓
  • Between $25 and $40 per hour. 28.6% ↓
  • Greater than $40 per hour. 49.2% ↑
  • Do not know. 14.3% ↑
  • Alternative pricing model for per hour costs. 6.3% ↑
11 - Review Pricing - Per Hour Cost for Document Review Attorneys to Review Documents - Winter 2022

12. What is the cost per document for document review attorneys to review documents during the review phase of eDiscovery?

  • Less than $0.50 per document. 4.8% ↑
  • Between $0.50 and $1.00 per document. 25.4% ↓
  • Greater than $1.00 per document. 30.2% ↑
  • Do not know. 25.4% ↓
  • Alternative pricing model for per document costs. 14.3% ↑
12 - Review Pricing - Per Document Cost for Document Review Attorneys to Review Documents - Winter 2022

Background Information

13. In which geographical region do you primarily conduct eDiscovery-related business?

  • North America – United States. 88.9% ↑
  • North America – Canada. 3.2% ↓
  • Asia/Asia Pacific. 3.2% ↑
  • Europe – United Kingdom. 3.2% ↑
  • Europe – Non-UK. 1.6% ↑
  • Middle East/Africa. 0.0% ↓
  • Central/South America. 0.0% ↓
13 - Survey Respondents by Geographic Region - Winter 2022

14. Which of the following segments best describes your business in eDiscovery?

  • Software and/or Services Provider. 42.9% ↑
  • Law Firm. 39.7% ↓
  • Corporation. 7.9% ↓
  • Consultancy. 6.3% ↓
  • Media/Research Organization/Educational Association. 3.2% ↑
  • Government Entity. 0.0% ↓
14 - Survey Respondents by Organizational Segment - Winter 2022

15. What area best describes your primary function in the conduct of your organization’s eDiscovery business?

  • Legal/Litigation Support. 74.6% ↑
  • Business/Business Support (All Other Business Functions). 22.1% ↑
  • IT/Product Development. 3.2% ↓
15 - Survey Respondents by Primary Function - Winter 2022

Trend Notes

  • ↑ Increase from last survey.
  • ↓ Decrease from last survey.
  • = No change from last survey.

Past eDiscovery Pricing Surveys

Additional Research

Source: ComplexDiscovery

 

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