7 Legal Workflow Examples to Handle Tasks With Less Effort

What Is a Legal Workflow?

A legal workflow is a clear, repeatable process used to handle legal tasks from start to finish. It lays out the exact steps needed to complete something, like drafting a contract, onboarding a client, or preparing for litigation.

Each step is organized in a specific order, so everyone involved knows what to do, when to do it, and who’s responsible for it.

If your team often runs into confusion, delays, or missed deadlines, chances are your workflow could use some structure. A good legal workflow helps reduce back-and-forth communication, avoid duplicate work, and keep important tasks from falling through the cracks.

You might already follow certain steps without realizing it. But putting those steps into a formal process (written down and shared) makes things more consistent and easier to manage. It also helps when training new team members or working with different departments.

Whether you’re managing a legal team or running your own practice, having a reliable workflow in place helps you stay organized and focused.

Why Does a Good Legal Workflow Matter?

A good legal workflow makes work easier for legal professionals, improves client satisfaction, and brings consistency to your law firm or legal practice. Here’s what separates a good workflow from a bad one:

• Clear steps – Each task has a specific order, so no one’s guessing what comes next.
• Assigned roles – Everyone knows their responsibilities, which cuts down on delays and miscommunication.
• Built-in deadlines – Deadlines keep things on track and help avoid last-minute stress.
• Repeatability – The same process works every time, no matter who’s handling it.
• Easy to follow – Whether you’re onboarding a new employee or coordinating across departments, the workflow should be simple enough to follow without confusion.
• Trackable progress – You should be able to check in on where things stand at any time.

For legal professionals, the right workflow means less time managing routine tasks and more time focusing on clients. 

For the law firm, it means better results, fewer errors, and smoother collaboration. For clients, it means faster responses, fewer delays, and a better experience overall.

What Is the Role of Legal Workflow Automation Software?

Legal workflow automation software helps law firms and legal professionals run their daily operations with less manual work and fewer errors.

It takes those repeatable legal processes, like client intake, document review, or approvals, and automates them. Let’s break down how it helps across different parts of a legal practice:

Speeds Up Routine Tasks

If you’ve ever spent half your day chasing down signatures or waiting on someone to review a document, you know how much time routine work can eat up.

In the legal industry, those small tasks pile up fast. Legal practice management software helps take that weight off your plate by handling repetitive steps automatically.

With an automated workflow, things like sending client intake forms, sharing legal documents, or assigning approvals happen without constant follow-ups. You don’t need to check in or worry if something was missed; the system already handled it.

For example, when your legal department gets a request for an NDA, the software can send a pre-filled version, assign it to the right reviewer, and notify the client once it’s ready to sign.

This setup helps reduce administrative tasks and allows legal professionals to focus on the work that really matters.

Keeps Everyone on the Same Page

In any legal team, it’s easy for wires to get crossed. Someone assumes a document went out, but someone else is still editing it, leaving the client waiting.

With legal workflow software, you don’t need to chase updates or rely on memory. The system shows you exactly where things stand, but without the back-and-forth.

Legal document automation also helps eliminate repetitive data entry, which means fewer errors and less wasted time. When everyone works from the same source, client communication becomes much smoother.

Reduces Errors

When everything is handled manually, it’s easy to miss something important. Automated workflows help prevent those slip-ups by keeping the process consistent every time.

For instance, during a settlement review, the software can guide the document through each stage—drafting, approval, and final sign-off—without relying on someone to remember the next step. If a task is delayed or skipped, it’s flagged early. That kind of structure makes it easier to catch issues before they turn into problems.

Tracks Progress in Real Time

It’s frustrating not knowing what’s been done and what still needs attention. Legal workflow automation fixes that by giving you a clear view of the entire process.

For example, you can check if a contract is still being reviewed or see if a client form has been submitted, all without having to send a message or make a call.

Everything updates as the work moves forward. That means fewer delays and less time spent chasing information. It also helps teams stay on schedule, since nothing gets buried in email threads or forgotten along the way.

Real-World Examples of Legal Workflows

Legal workflows show up in almost every part of a law firm or legal practice. From the first client call to the final signature on a document, there’s usually a routine set of steps behind it.

When those steps are organized, everything runs more smoothly, both for legal professionals and their clients. Let’s take a look at a few real-world legal workflow examples that are used every day:

1. Client Intake Workflow

Getting a new client on board shouldn’t feel like a scramble, and a solid intake workflow takes that chaos off your plate. With the right automation tools, you can turn a scattered onboarding process into something simple and repeatable.

Here’s what a clear client intake workflow usually looks like:

• An initial inquiry comes in through phone, email, or your website
• Your intake form is sent to collect basic info and legal needs
• A conflict check is run to avoid potential issues
• Background details are reviewed so you’re prepared
• Consultation is scheduled at a convenient time
• The client file is created and stored in your system

When this process runs smoothly, it saves time, reduces stress, and helps you respond faster. That matters, especially when clients expect quick answers and clear communication. It also keeps your team focused on legal services that count toward billable hours.

Fixing intake doesn’t take much, but the payoff for your legal practice can be big. It’s a small change that sets the right tone from the start.

2. Contract Review Workflow

Reviewing contracts is a regular part of legal work, but it can quickly become time-consuming and repetitive, especially when the process isn’t clear. If your team is still juggling files over email or tracking edits in long threads, it’s probably slowing you down.

A contract review workflow helps keep things organized, reduces back-and-forth, and gives everyone a clear process to follow. Here’s how a typical workflow looks:

• Contract request is submitted by a team member or client
• It’s assigned to a legal professional for review
• The document is reviewed and flagged for changes
• Feedback is shared with the other party for discussion
• The final version is approved and signed by all parties
• The contract is archived for easy access and record-keeping

This structure not only helps manage expectations; it also cuts down on non-billable tasks like tracking edits or sending reminders.

Tools like Percipient take this even further. Its AI-powered contract review process combines software with expert legal input. The platform helps flag clauses, suggest edits, and organize contract data so your document management stays clean and reliable.

3. Litigation Case Workflow

Litigation work involves strict timelines, detailed documents, and coordination across teams. Without a clear process, it’s easy for things to slow down or get disorganized.

In contrast, a structured litigation workflow helps manage the case from intake through trial, allowing your team to stay focused and work efficiently. Here’s a typical flow:

• Case intake and issue identification to outline the key facts
• Legal research and document gathering to support your position
• Drafting of a complaint or response based on the case strategy
• Filing with the court according to jurisdiction rules
• Preparation for discovery and depositions to build the case
• Court dates scheduled and tracked to avoid missed deadlines

This type of workflow removes the guesswork and helps reduce repetitive tasks. With legal workflow automation tools, each stage can be tracked, updated, and assigned without relying on manual reminders.

Teams that automate legal workflows in litigation save time and avoid unnecessary delays. It also allows legal professionals to spend more time on strategy and legal analysis, instead of managing scattered tasks. This is one of the clearest legal workflow automation examples with measurable impact.

4. Billing Workflow

Billing may not be the most exciting part of legal work, but it plays a big role in how smoothly a firm operates. A messy billing process leads to missed hours, delayed invoices, and frustration on both sides.

A clear workflow, supported by billing software and legal automation, helps fix that by reducing manual tasks and keeping everything consistent.

Take a look at how a typical billing workflow is set up:

• Time is recorded as legal work is completed
• Entries are reviewed to make sure billing rules are followed
• Invoices are created using billing software based on recorded time
• Invoices are sent to clients with clear breakdowns
• Payments are tracked and updated in the system
• Follow-ups are sent for any unpaid balances

Legal automation makes this process smoother by removing repetitive work. Instead of manually entering the same details or chasing down timesheets, everything is tied together in one system.

One of the key benefits of legal workflow tools is that they help your team focus less on admin work and more on legal services. A sound billing process also improves client satisfaction; clear invoices and consistent communication make payment faster and easier.

5. Task Management Workflow

In a busy legal environment, it’s easy to lose track of who’s doing what and when. From reviewing documents to handling client emails, small steps can get missed without a clear system.

A task management workflow helps legal teams organize their work, stay on schedule, and shift focus from time-consuming tasks to more strategic ones.

Here’s how the workflow typically looks:

• Tasks are created and assigned based on case or project needs
• Deadlines are set and tracked within the system
• Progress is updated as work moves forward
• Tasks are flagged if delayed or pending approval
• Completed tasks are reviewed and marked as done

Manual processes like sending reminders or checking status updates can easily slow things down. That’s where legal automation software steps in. Automated systems handle routine follow-ups, track deadlines, and send alerts. This frees up your team to focus on higher-level legal work.

6. Document Review and Approval Workflow

If your team is tracking changes through long email threads or editing the wrong version, it’s probably time to clean up the process.

A document review and approval workflow lays out each step clearly:

• A draft is uploaded to a shared platform
• A reviewer is assigned and notified automatically
• Edits and comments are added in one place
• Revisions are finalized and approved
• The final version is saved and stored for future access

With legal automation, the steps move without constant check-ins. Tasks are routed to the right people, feedback is tracked, and no one’s left wondering what’s next.

7. Document Filing and Organization Workflow

Every legal team handles documents, but not every team handles them well. When files end up in random folders or get saved under names like “final_final3.docx,” it slows everything down and makes collaboration harder than it needs to be.

A good document filing workflow might look like this:

• Files are named using a clear format tied to the case or client
• Documents are saved in the right folder the first time
• Smart tags or labels make searching faster
• Access is limited or shared based on who needs it
• Older documents are archived once a matter is closed

With legal automation, some of these steps happen automatically. Files can be sorted and named as they’re uploaded, which helps cut down on manual processes and reduces mistakes.

When this workflow is in place, you don’t waste time tracking down missing files or asking someone to resend a document. You know where everything is, and so does everyone else.

Maximize Your Contract Workflow With Percipient

Contract review takes time, especially when your team is stuck handling every detail manually. Percipient helps simplify that process by pairing AI-powered contract redlining with expert human review.

It’s not just software. It’s a service built around your workflow, with legal professionals adding context and confirming the AI’s suggestions.

Percipient isn’t a full contract management platform, and it’s not a self-serve tool. Instead, it fits alongside your existing systems, improving speed and accuracy without adding extra steps. You get support where it matters most without having to rebuild how you work.

For law firms focused on contract management, strategic tasks, and cutting down on repetitive work, Percipient offers a smarter way forward. Book your discovery call today.

FAQs About Legal Workflow Examples

What are the five steps of the workflow?

Most workflows follow five basic steps: start the task, assign responsibility, complete the work, review or approve the result, and close the task. In legal settings, these steps help teams manage routine administrative tasks, reduce confusion, and stay organized throughout the process.

What is the workflow of a lawyer?

A lawyer’s workflow varies depending on the matter, but it often includes gathering client information, reviewing relevant laws, preparing or reviewing documents, managing communication, and tracking progress. Clear workflows help reduce human error and allow lawyers to stay focused on the most important legal matters.

What is a workflow with an example?

A workflow is a repeatable series of steps used to complete a task. For example, a contract review workflow may include receiving a draft, checking terms, marking changes, getting approval, and filing the final version. Tools that support law firm automation help make these steps faster and more consistent.

What are the three basic workflow management practices?

Three key practices are: documenting each step clearly, assigning the right people to the right tasks, and using tools to monitor progress. This helps teams access documents easily, stay on track, and keep tasks like document creation and timely payments from being delayed.