Intake Workflow Template
A template for mapping request types, routing rules, owners, and status steps.
Use this template as a starting point for defining how each type of legal request moves from intake to completion. Fill in the steps, owners, and approval gates that apply to your department, then adjust as request patterns change.
How to Use This Template
Start with your highest-volume request types — the categories that make up most of what legal actually receives. For each one, define the four elements below. You don't need every request type mapped on day one; a handful of common types covers most departments' volume.
1. Request Type
Name the category of request this workflow applies to — NDA, commercial contract, employment question, compliance review, and so on.
2. Steps
List the stages this request type moves through, in order — review, drafting, internal approval, external counsel review, signature, closeout.
3. Owners
Assign a specific person or role to each step. Avoid leaving any step unassigned or shared across multiple people.
4. Approval Gates
Mark where sign-off is required before the request can move to the next step, and who has authority to clear it.
Workflow Mapping Template
Copy this structure for each request type your department handles regularly.
| Step | Description | Owner | Approval Required? | Status Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [e.g., Initial review] | [Role or name] | [Yes / No] | [e.g., New] |
| 2 | [e.g., Document collection] | [Role or name] | [Yes / No] | [e.g., In Progress] |
| 3 | [e.g., Drafting] | [Role or name] | [Yes / No] | [e.g., In Progress] |
| 4 | [e.g., Internal approval] | [Role or name] | [Yes / No] | [e.g., Waiting on Approval] |
| 5 | [e.g., Signature / closeout] | [Role or name] | [Yes / No] | [e.g., Completed] |
Worked Example: NDA Request
Here's the template filled in for a standard, low-risk NDA request — one of the most common high-volume request types.
| Step | Description | Owner | Approval Required? | Status Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Request received and categorized as standard NDA | Paralegal | No | New |
| 2 | Standard template generated automatically | Paralegal | No | In Progress |
| 3 | Counterparty edits reviewed against fallback positions | Paralegal, escalate to counsel if outside fallback | Only if outside fallback | In Progress |
| 4 | Final version routed for signature | Requester | No | Waiting on Signature |
| 5 | Signed NDA filed and request closed | Paralegal | No | Completed |
A note on scope
Not every request type needs five steps or an approval gate at every stage. A standard NDA and a commercial contract negotiation shouldn't follow identical templates — map each request type on its own terms rather than forcing everything into one shape.
Want this automated instead of maintained by hand?
mot-r Q triggers pre-configured workflows automatically at triage, assigning steps, owners, and approval gates by request type, with status visible in real time in mot-r Ops — no spreadsheet to keep updated.
For more on the concepts behind this template, see Legal Intake Workflows, or return to the Legal Intake Resource Center for the full guide.
Ready to modernize your legal intake?
Whether you're exploring legal intake software, redesigning your legal front door, or simply looking for a better way to manage legal requests, we'd be happy to learn about your current process and discuss how mot-r can help.