Review and handoff

When a client completes their checklist, the work shifts to your team. The review step is where you confirm the submission is complete, check that everything is correct, and either approve it or send it back with specific requests for changes.

Handled well, the review takes five minutes. Handled poorly — or not handled at all — it creates the post-submission silence that makes clients wonder if their files were received.

Understanding checklist instance states

Every checklist instance moves through a defined set of states:

Not sent: The instance has been created but the invitation has not been sent to the client yet.

Invited: The invitation has been sent. The client has not yet opened the portal link.

In progress: The client has opened the portal and completed at least one step. Not all required steps are finished.

Submitted: The client has completed all required steps and submitted the checklist. This is the trigger for your internal review.

Awaiting changes: You have sent a change request to the client. They are back in the portal addressing the requested items.

Approved: Your team has reviewed the submission and approved it. The engagement is ready to proceed.

Closed: The instance is archived. Closed instances are visible in search but do not appear in the active queue.

What the internal review covers

When a submission arrives, the reviewer should check:

Completeness

• Are all required fields filled in?
• Are the uploaded documents the right type and clearly readable?
• Is the signature present on the engagement agreement?
• Is the payment confirmed (if applicable)?

Accuracy

• Does the contact information look correct and complete?
• Does the matter description or scope summary match what was agreed in the proposal?
• Are the uploaded documents the ones that were requested, or did the client upload something unrelated?

Usability

• Can the working attorney or account manager begin work with what is here, without asking additional questions?
• Are there any unusual notes or flags from the client that need to be addressed before kickoff?

How to approve a submission

From the checklist instance view:

1. Review each section and its submitted content using the Review tab
2. If the submission is complete and correct, click Approve
3. Choose whether to send the client an approval confirmation (recommended) or approve silently
4. Add an optional internal note about the submission for your team's reference
5. The instance status changes to Approved and the relevant team members receive a notification

The approval confirmation sent to the client should confirm what was received and explain what happens next. The default template can be customized in Settings → Notifications → Approval message.

How to request changes

If something is missing or incorrect:

1. Click Request changes
2. Write a specific message to the client explaining exactly what needs to be corrected. Name the specific fields or documents. Do not send a vague "please review your submission."
3. Optionally highlight the specific field(s) that need attention — these will be marked for the client when they re-enter the portal
4. Click Send request

The client receives an email notification that their submission needs attention. When they re-open the portal, they see the fields you highlighted and your message. After addressing the issues, they resubmit and the instance returns to Submitted state for your review.

Important: Each change request loop adds time. If a submission routinely requires two or three rounds of changes, the checklist instructions are probably not clear enough. Review the field instructions for the problem step and rewrite them to prevent the same issue with the next client.

The internal handoff after approval

Approving a submission does not automatically start work. There is usually an internal handoff step between "approved" and "work begins":

1. The intake owner approves the submission
2. The working attorney, accountant, or project lead is assigned
3. The assigned person confirms they have received the package and have what they need
4. Work begins

This handoff step is often where delays occur. The common failure: the submission is approved, but the working team member is not explicitly notified or assigned. They find out about the new matter when the client calls to ask why nothing has started.

To prevent this:

• Use the Assign to field on the instance to route the submission to the responsible team member immediately on approval
• Configure the notification settings so the assignee receives an alert when a submission is assigned to them
• Define a clear SLA for the internal handoff: e.g., "Approved submissions must have a working team member assigned within one business day."

Using internal notes

The internal notes section on each instance is visible only to your team — not to the client. Use it to:

• Record context from a sales or discovery call that is relevant to the engagement
• Flag unusual aspects of the matter for the working team member
• Document why a change request was sent and what the client responded
• Note who reviewed the submission and when

Internal notes are searchable from the dashboard and are included in the activity history of the instance.

Bulk review from the dashboard

When you have multiple submissions in the Submitted queue:

1. Go to Checklists → Dashboard
2. Filter by status: Submitted
3. Sort by submission date (oldest first is standard for queue management)
4. Open each instance, review, and approve or send a change request

For high-volume periods (end of quarter for accounting firms, busy litigation seasons), consider setting a team SLA for review turnaround and using the dashboard filter to see how many submissions are pending by assigned reviewer.

Continue with

• Client portal — understand the client experience from their perspective
• Add your team — set up reviewers and approval routing
• Payment requests — manage the payment step in your workflow