A recent survey found that nearly one-third of corporate lawyers say their organization is very likely to switch law firms in the coming year, a resounding sign that legal department-law firm relationships are fraying. Recent legal department outrage over law firms’ plans to aggressively raise rates in 2023 are further straining those ties.

But it’s not all on the law firms, according to a range of consultants, general counsel, legal ops professionals and law firm lawyers, who say relationships often go awry because of poor communication by legal departments.