Automating Matter Intake Approvals to Improve Turnaround Times

First impressions set the tone for the entire engagement. When matter intake is slow or inconsistent, clients wait, work queues stall, and risk increases. Automating matter intake approvals compresses turnaround times from days to hours, ensures consistent risk checks, and gives fee-earners instant visibility. This week, we explore practical ways legal teams can digitize intake approvals—using modern tools like Microsoft 365—to speed decisions without compromising compliance, quality, or client experience.

Table of Contents

• Efficiency & Productivity Gains
• Compliance & Risk Management
• Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing
• Technology Tools in Focus
• Workflow Optimization & Best Practices
• Security & Data Protection
• Measuring Success & KPIs
• Future Trends & Innovation

Efficiency & Productivity Gains

Manual intake typically involves email threads, spreadsheet forms, and uncertain handoffs. The result is delayed approvals, scattered information, and frustrated stakeholders. Automation creates a straight path from request to decision to matter creation.

• Faster cycle times: Automated routing and standardized forms cut approval wait time by 50–80% in many firms.
• Fewer errors: Required fields, validation, and templates reduce rework and clarification emails.
• Reduced admin overhead: Intake coordinators focus on exceptions and quality, not status-chasing.
• Immediate downstream setup: Upon approval, systems can auto-create matter numbers, folders, Teams channels, and notifications.

Compliance & Risk Management

Automated intake approvals can be a compliance asset when designed with controls in mind. They enforce policy and leave a defensible audit trail without slowing the business.

• Consistent conflict and sanctions checks: Trigger screening automatically based on entity data, region, or matter type.
• Clear authority and escalation: Encode thresholds for engagement terms, fee arrangements, and client risk levels.
• Evidence of diligence: Store time-stamped approvals, comments, and attachments for audits and client guidelines.
• Ethics and confidentiality: Aligns with professional obligations (e.g., duties of competence, confidentiality, and communication) through structured processes and documented decisions.

Operational Best Practice: Capture conflict-check evidence and material risk notes within the intake record, not in email. The system of record should show who approved, when, and why—backed by logs immutable to end users.

Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing

Approval cycles are collaborative by nature. When collaboration is embedded into the intake, stakeholders stay aligned and clients get timely responses.

• Unified conversation: Route approvals to Microsoft Teams with threaded comments attached to the request, not buried in separate email chains.
• Transparency: Fee-earners and intake teams can see status and blockers at a glance; no more “any update?” pings.
• Reusable knowledge: Store approved engagement terms, risk notes, and scope in a matter knowledge page or SharePoint site for downstream teams.

Technology Tools in Focus

Most firms can automate intake approvals with platforms they already license. Here’s a pragmatic stack using Microsoft 365, plus options to connect with existing legal systems.

• Microsoft Forms or SharePoint Lists: Create the intake form with required fields (client, matter type, jurisdiction, estimated fees, sensitive data types).
• Power Automate: Orchestrate routing, approvals, parallel tasks (conflict checks), SLA timers, and notifications.
• Microsoft Teams & Approvals: Deliver approval cards, enable comments, and maintain a visible audit trail in channels or 1:1 chats.
• SharePoint/OneDrive: Store the intake record and supporting documents with versioning and permissions.
• Power BI: Track cycle times, SLA adherence, exception rates, and team workload.
• Microsoft Purview: Apply sensitivity labels, data loss prevention (DLP), retention, and audit policies across the intake lifecycle.
• Integrations: Sync outcomes with your document management system (e.g., iManage or NetDocuments), time/billing, and CRM via connectors or APIs.

[Client/Matter Intake Form]
        |
        v
[Auto Validation & Risk Tiering]
        |
        +----> (Parallel) [Conflict Screening] ----+
        |                                         |
        v                                         v
 [Approval to Proceed]  <---- Timed SLA & Escalation Engine
        |
        v
[Provision Matter Workspace + DMS Folder + Finance Record]
        |
        v
[Notify Requestor & Team | Update BI Dashboard]
  

Workflow Optimization & Best Practices

Start with a clear target state: an intake experience that is easy for requestors, fast for approvers, and defensible for risk/compliance. Then iterate with pilots and feedback.

Design Principles

• Keep the form short. Only ask what is required for routing and risk; collect deeper details later in the matter.
• Tier approvals. Use business rules to request additional review only when risk or value crosses thresholds.
• Automate parallel tasks. Conflicts, client due diligence, and OCG checks should run concurrently.
• Make SLAs visible. Show expected turnaround times to requestors and breach alerts to managers.
• Design for exceptions. Provide an “expedite” path with justification and a record of the decision.

Hands-On Example: Build an Automated Intake Approval in Microsoft 365

1. Create the data structure. In SharePoint, create a “Matter Intake” list with columns for Client, Matter Type, Jurisdiction, Estimated Value, Sensitive Data (Yes/No), Risk Tier, Status, and Assigned Approver.
2. Publish the intake form. Use Microsoft Forms or a SharePoint List Form. Add validation: required fields, dropdowns for practice groups, and business unit pickers. Display a short privacy notice.
3. Orchestrate with Power Automate.
   • Trigger: When a new intake item is created.
   • Determine risk tier: If Sensitive Data = Yes or Estimated Value > threshold, set Risk Tier to “High.”
   • Parallel branch A: Launch conflict screening (via integration or email task) and store the result.
   • Parallel branch B: Send an Approval card in Teams to the Practice Lead. Use a two-stage approval if Risk Tier = High.
   • Set a due time: If no response in 8 business hours, auto-escalate to the Department Head.
4. Automate provisioning upon approval.
   • Create a matter record in finance/timekeeping with a unique matter number.
   • Generate a Teams channel and DMS workspace using a standardized naming convention and metadata.
   • Create a starter file set: engagement letter template, scope memo, and risk summary.
5. Notify and log. Post a summary to a Teams channel, update SharePoint “Status,” and write a line to an Audit list including approver, timestamps, and any comments.
6. Report. In Power BI, connect to SharePoint lists. Visualize average cycle time, bottleneck stage, and SLA breaches by practice area.
7. Secure. Apply a sensitivity label to the Teams site. Use DLP to restrict external sharing until conflicts and engagement terms are signed.

Change Management Tip: Pilot with one practice group for two weeks. Log every exception and tweak the rules weekly. Then scale to adjacent groups with a short training video and a one-page quick start guide.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Over-collecting data up front, which causes form abandonment.
• Single-threaded approvals that stall during vacations; always build delegate logic.
• Ignoring audit and retention, leaving you exposed in client or regulator reviews.
• Not integrating with downstream systems, which reintroduces manual rekeying.

Security & Data Protection

Intake data often includes PII, sensitive client facts, and preliminary strategy notes. Security must be built in from the outset.

• Role-based access and least privilege: Limit who can view intake records by matter team, practice group, or region using SharePoint permissions and Teams private channels.
• Data classification: Apply Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels (e.g., “Confidential – Client Matter”) to the intake list and provisioned workspaces. Enforce encryption and sharing restrictions.
• DLP policies: Prevent exfiltration of unapproved matter details via email or chat; block external sharing until approval is finalized.
• Retention and legal hold: Use retention labels for intake records (e.g., 7 years) and enable holds when matters proceed to dispute or investigation.
• Conditional Access and MFA: Require MFA and healthy device conditions for approvers, especially when approving high-risk matters.
• Audit and eDiscovery: Turn on unified audit logs; ensure intake records and approval comments are discoverable and preserved for internal/external audits.

Measuring Success & KPIs

Define “better” before you automate. Track metrics that reflect client value, not just internal convenience.

• Cycle time: Submission to final approval (median and 90th percentile).
• SLA adherence: Percentage of approvals completed within defined time frames by risk tier.
• Rework rate: Submissions returned for missing or incorrect data.
• Exception volume: Number and cause of expedited or escalated approvals.
• Client responsiveness: First-confirmation time (when the client is told their matter is accepted or under review).
• Downstream efficiency: Time from approval to matter workspace ready and first document filed.
• Billing acceleration: Days shaved from work start to first invoice due to earlier setup.

Future Trends & Innovation

Automation is moving from routing to intelligent decisioning. Expect smarter risk scoring and proactive guidance.

• AI-driven triage: Use AI to suggest risk tiers based on matter descriptions, jurisdictions, and client profiles.
• Template intelligence: Auto-generate engagement letters and scope statements using approved clauses based on matter parameters.
• Predictive SLAs: Adaptive approval deadlines based on historical workloads and seasonality.
• Cross-system governance: Unified policies across DMS, Teams, email, and archival systems using a single source of truth for matter metadata.

Putting It All Together

Automating matter intake approvals transforms the experience for clients, lawyers, and operations. Standardized forms, intelligent routing, and embedded compliance compress turnaround times while improving data quality and auditability. Start small: define your must-have fields, build tiered approvals, and measure cycle time. Iterate with feedback, enforce security and retention, and integrate with your DMS and finance systems to eliminate rekeying. The result is a faster, safer, and more client-centered start to every matter.

Want expert guidance on improving your legal practice operations with modern tools and strategies? Reach out to A.I. Solutions today for tailored support and training.