Contract Review & Drafting, Document Management, Instructional, Tutorial

Using Microsoft Teams Approvals for Legal Document Sign-Off

Posted on by Jeff Kirksey
05
Apr

Legal documents—such as contracts, settlement agreements, NDAs, and client engagement letters—often require internal review and formal approval before execution. Microsoft Teams offers a built-in Approvals app that enables legal teams to automate and track sign-offs directly within collaborative chats or channels.

This tutorial explains how to create, manage, and audit approval workflows for legal documents using Microsoft Teams Approvals, enhancing accountability and compliance in your practice.

Step 1: Access the Approvals App in Teams

  1. Open Microsoft Teams.
  2. In the left-hand sidebar, click Apps > Approvals.
  3. Click New Approval Request.

✅ Legal Tip: Use Approvals to replace informal email confirmations with auditable workflows.

  1. Title the request (e.g., “Review and Sign – Real Estate Purchase Agreement”).
  2. Add recipients (e.g., partner-in-charge, associate, client services).
  3. Add Details outlining what needs review (e.g., “Please review and approve by COB Friday for client delivery”).
  4. Attach the document (Word, PDF, etc.) from your device or OneDrive.
  5. Click Send.

🧾 Use Case: Submit contracts, client letters, or compliance forms for internal sign-off.

Step 3: Review Approvals and Respond

  1. Approvers receive a Teams notification.
  2. Click Approve or Reject with optional comments.
  3. You can track the status in the Sent tab of the Approvals app.

🛡️ Compliance Tip: Keep all approvals centralized for potential audits or client queries.

Step 4: Automate Approvals Using Power Automate (Optional)

  1. Open Power Automate.
  2. Create a flow with trigger: “When a file is added to a SharePoint folder”.
  3. Add action: “Start and wait for an approval”.
  4. Set up the flow to:
    • Notify attorney-in-charge
    • Wait for approval
    • Move file to an “Approved” folder if successful

🔁 Productivity Tip: Streamlines document workflows for routine approvals like engagement letters.

Step 5: Export Approval History for Compliance

  1. Go to the Approvals app > Sent or Received.
  2. Click on an approval and print or export the history for your records.
  3. Attach it to your matter file in SharePoint or your DMS.

🗂️ Retention Tip: Preserve approval metadata to support version control and audit trails.

Conclusion

By using Microsoft Teams Approvals, legal professionals can manage document workflows with greater transparency and efficiency. It ensures legal documents are reviewed, signed off, and archived in compliance with firm policy.