Monthly burn reports separate signal from noise. These seven line items appear repeatedly as waste — not malpractice, but misaligned incentives.
- Duplicate document review — same corpus, new vendor, no protocol.
- Prestige partner on procedural hearings — when a senior associate suffices.
- Chronology wars — 400-page timelines counsel will not use at trial.
- Expert shopping — three drafts to hear what you already believe.
- Motion practice without settlement leverage — interlocutory spend that does not move the corridor.
- Brand-new e-Discovery stack mid-case — migration cost > savings.
- Settlement delay premium — one more deposition after a reasonable band.
AI can accelerate review — it can also accelerate bad decisions if nobody owns the budget model.