How to Cancel Westlaw in 2026
Updated February 2026 • Difficulty: Hard • $100-400+/month
🚨 Westlaw contracts auto-renew with 60-90 day notice requirements. Miss the window and you're locked in for another year at $1,200-4,800+. Check your renewal date immediately.
Find Your Renewal Date
Check your original contract or contact your Thomson Reuters account representative. You need to send written cancellation notice 60-90 days before the renewal date (check your specific contract).
Cancel by Phone
- Call 1-800-328-4880 (Thomson Reuters)
- Ask to speak with your account representative
- State you want to cancel your Westlaw subscription at the end of the current term
- They will offer discounts — decline if you've decided
- Request written confirmation with the exact termination date
Follow Up in Writing
After calling, send a formal cancellation letter via email to your account rep AND via certified mail to Thomson Reuters. Written documentation is critical — verbal cancellations are harder to enforce.
Free & Cheaper Alternatives
- Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) — free case law search, surprisingly comprehensive
- Casetext / CoCounsel — AI-powered legal research, much cheaper than Westlaw
- Fastcase — free with many state bar memberships (check your bar association)
- CourtListener (RECAP) — free federal court opinions and filings
- Law library access — county law libraries offer free Westlaw terminals
- LexisNexis — competitor, sometimes cheaper (get a quote before your Westlaw renewal)
✅ Bar members: Check if your state bar includes Fastcase or Casemaker in your membership. Many bars provide free legal research as a member benefit — you may already have access you're not using.
💰 Annual Cost
Westlaw: $1,200-4,800+/year
Casetext: $65-110/month ($780-1,320/year)
Fastcase (via bar membership): $0
Google Scholar: $0
💡 Tip: Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your Westlaw renewal. Contact 2-3 competitors for quotes before your renewal date — even if you stay with Westlaw, having competitor quotes gives you negotiating leverage for a lower rate.