Legal Help Request Guide

Prepare a clear request for legal support This example uses fictional Northstar Services to show how employees can organize a request before submitting it. Use the approved legal intake route for your organization; the relevant team and guidance may vary by issue, location, and jurisdiction. This page helps prepare a request—it does not determine legal coverage or provide legal advice. Recognize the kind of help you may need These are illustrative intake families, not links or decisions about whether a matter is covered. Contracts and commercial terms A supplier, customer, or partner agreement needs review. A proposed change affects an existing business commitment. Workplace and employment matters A manager needs guidance on a workplace matter requiring legal review. A proposed employment action or communication needs review. Claims, disputes, or formal notices The organization has received a claim, demand, or formal notice. A disagreement may require a coordinated response. Privacy and information use A project proposes a new use or sharing of personal information. A partner or customer asks about information handling or rights. Corporate and governance matters A proposed action involves a board, entity, or governance record. A business change may affect corporate records or authority. Gather the context that helps the team assess the request Share enough to identify the question and its timing; use the organization’s approved confidential submission route for sensitive material. State the business question Describe the decision or review you need, why it matters, and what outcome would help the work move forward. Separate known facts from assumptions. Name the project, transaction, or work activity. Ask a specific question instead of only saying “please review.” If you are unsure which category fits, say so. Identify people, organizations, and location Name the business units and external organizations involved, plus the location or jurisdiction relevant to the work. Do not assume that a headquarters-based route applies everywhere. Use work-relevant names and roles for the people involved. Identify the countries, states, or other locations relevant to the matter, if known. Flag any uncertainty about the applicable jurisdiction. Note dates and organize supporting material List known milestones and external deadlines, including where each date came from. Gather the relevant draft, notice, correspondence, or background record, and explain what each item shows. Include the date and source of any stated deadline. Share relevant versions and label them so the current draft is clear. Use only the approved submission route for confidential or sensitive documents. Worked example: a supplier agreement review Illustrative coordination example from fictional Northstar Services Request summary: “Northstar’s regional procurement team is preparing a renewal with a supplier operating in two countries. We need review of the proposed changes to data-sharing terms before the business decision scheduled for 18 October. The supplier sent a marked-up draft on 2 October; the project team is unsure which country’s requirements apply.” Context gathered: the current agreement and marked-up draft are identified by version; the supplier and internal business owner are named; both relevant locations are stated; the requested review is limited to the proposed data-sharing terms; and the project decision date is distinguished from any legally defined deadline. Why this is useful: the question, parties, locations, dates, and supporting documents are visible at a glance. The employee then submits this prepared material through the organization’s approved confidential legal intake route. Preparation alone does not send a request or establish that a deadline, route, or legal outcome has been confirmed. Separate preparation from submission Use the real, approved intake destination for your organization; this page does not provide a submission link. Choose a likely issue family Use the category summaries above to describe the request. If more than one category may apply, name each relevant aspect rather than guessing at coverage. Prepare the request context Write the business question, involved parties, locations or jurisdictions, key dates, and requested decision or review. Identify supporting material and its version. Check the approved route and submit Use your organization’s confirmed legal intake destination and its confidentiality instructions. If the destination or the right local route is unclear, ask the Legal and Compliance owner or your manager to direct you before sending sensitive material. Keep the handoff clear After submitting through the approved channel, follow that channel’s instructions for any follow-up. Do not treat this guide as confirmation of receipt, assignment, approval, or response timing. Confidentiality and urgent dates Send sensitive documents only through the organization’s approved confidential route. Do not place sensitive details in a general-purpose channel unless the organization’s approved guidance explicitly says to do so. If a notice, contract, or other source states a deadline, include its exact wording, date, and source in your prepared context. If the date is close, unclear, or could affect a response, use the approved urgent escalation instructions for your organization. This guide does not define legal deadlines or an escalation service level. Owner: Legal and Compliance owns the local intake guidance. Ask that owner to clarify the appropriate route when a matter spans teams or jurisdictions. Review the guidance when intake routes, responsibilities, or jurisdiction-specific instructions change.