Legal Client Intake Form Template
A free legal client intake form template for law firms and solo practitioners. Covers client details, matter summary, conflicts check, fees, and consent. No signup required.
What is a contract management checklist?
A contract management checklist is a structured tool that guides a law firm or legal team through every stage of the contract lifecycle - from initial request and drafting through to execution, ongoing obligations, and final closure. It ensures nothing is missed at any stage and creates an auditable record of every decision made during the contract process.
The template
Contract Management Checklist Template
CONTRACT MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST
Firm name:
[Your law firm name]
Contract reference:
[Contract ID]
Date opened:
[Date]
Responsible attorney:
[Name]
Paralegal assigned:
[Name]
Contract type:
- Master Services Agreement (MSA)
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
- Services agreement
- Employment agreement
- License agreement
- Asset purchase agreement
- Lease agreement
- Other:
STAGE 1 - CONTRACT INITIATION
- Client or requesting party identified
Name:
- Counterparty identified
Name:
- Business purpose of contract documented
Purpose:
- Target signing date confirmed
Date:
- Governing law preference confirmed
Jurisdiction:
- Conflict of interest check completed
Result:
No conflict - proceedPotential conflict - refer to partnerConflict confirmed - decline
- Approved template selected
Template used:
- Matter opened in practice management system
File number:
- All initiation items complete
Signed off by:Date:
STAGE 2 - DRAFTING
- Parties correctly identified and named
- Recitals drafted - background and purpose
- Term and commencement date inserted
- Scope of services or subject matter defined
- Fee, payment, and billing terms inserted
- Governing law and jurisdiction confirmed
- Dispute resolution clause included
- Indemnity and limitation of liability inserted
- Confidentiality and NDA provisions included
- Intellectual property ownership addressed
- Termination rights - for cause and for convenience - included
- Force majeure clause included
- Representations and warranties included
- Notice provisions included
- Entire agreement clause included
- Draft reviewed internally before sending
First draft completed:
Date:Completed by:
- All drafting items complete
Signed off by:Date:
STAGE 3 - REVIEW AND NEGOTIATION
- Draft sent to counterparty
Date sent:
- Counterparty comments received
Date received:
- Issues list created - open issues tracked:
Issue 1:
Position:
Status:
OpenAgreedEscalated
Issue 2:
Position:
Status:
OpenAgreedEscalated
Issue 3:
Position:
Status:
OpenAgreedEscalated
Issue 4:
Position:
Status:
OpenAgreedEscalated
- Indemnity caps reviewed and agreed
- IP ownership agreed
- Termination for convenience agreed
- Governing law agreed
- Managing partner briefed on:
- Open issues
- Firm's risk position
- Client's stated risk tolerance
- Revised draft produced after negotiation
- All negotiation items resolved
Date:Attorney:
- All review items complete
Signed off by:Date:
STAGE 4 - EXECUTION
Pre-execution checks:
- Final version approved by responsible attorney
- Final version approved by client
- Counterparty final version confirmed
- Execution method confirmed:
- Wet signature
- Electronic signature
- Deed - requires witnessing
Signature blocks checked:
- All parties correctly named in signature blocks
- Authorised signatories confirmed for all parties
- Date fields correct and complete
- All schedules, annexures, and attachments attached and referenced
Execution:
- Contract signed by client
Date:Signatory:
- Contract signed by counterparty
Date:Signatory:
- Fully executed copy saved to file
- Copies distributed to all parties
- Executed contract logged in contract register
- All execution items complete
Signed off by:Date:
STAGE 5 - ONGOING CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
Key dates and obligations:
Contract commencement date:
Contract expiry date:
Renewal date:
Renewal notice required by:
- Calendar reminders set for:
- Renewal notice date
- Contract expiry date
- Key milestones and deliverables
- Payment dates
Ongoing obligations:
Obligation 1:Due:
Obligation 2:Due:
Obligation 3:Due:
- Performance monitoring in place
- Client updated on contract status
- Any variations documented in writing
Variations:
Variation 1:DescriptionDate
Signed:
YesPending
Variation 2:DescriptionDate
Signed:
YesPending
- Disputes or issues arising:
- None
- Yes - describe and action taken:
STAGE 6 - CONTRACT CLOSURE
Reason for closure:
- Contract term expired naturally
- Terminated by client
- Terminated by counterparty
- Terminated by mutual agreement
- Settled - settlement amount: $
- Other:
Post-closure checklist:
- Final obligations confirmed as met
- Final invoice issued and paid
- All executed documents filed and archived
- Client notified of closure
- Post-contract review completed:
What went well:
Issues encountered:
Template updates recommended:
Yes - describe:No
Records management:
- Retention period confirmed:
- General commercial - 7 years post-close
- Real estate - [specify]
- Employment - [specify]
- Other:
- Destruction date set:
- File archived - location:
- Matter closed in practice management system
SIGN-OFF
Checklist completed by:
Name:Date:
Reviewed by (supervising attorney):
Name:Date:
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What this template covers
Contract initiation
client, counterparty, purpose, governing law, conflict check, template selection
Drafting
all core clauses including parties, term, scope, fees, indemnity, IP, termination, governing law
Review and negotiation
issues list with position and status, managing partner brief, risk position
Execution
pre-execution checks, signature blocks, authorised signatories, copies distributed
Ongoing management
key dates, renewal notices, obligations, performance monitoring, variations
Contract closure
reason for closure, post-closure checklist, post-contract review, records retention and destruction date
Sign-off
completed and reviewed by
How to use this template
Open the checklist at first client instruction
Complete the header and Stage 1 as soon as the contract request comes in - before any drafting begins.
Run the conflict check before drafting
A conflict of interest at contract level must be cleared before any work commences on the matter.
Use the issues list in Stage 3 throughout negotiation
Log every open issue as it arises. Brief the managing partner on any issue where the firm's risk position is unclear before agreeing a position.
Complete all pre-execution checks in Stage 4
Check every signature block before sending for execution. An incorrectly named signatory or a missing authorisation can invalidate the contract.
Set calendar reminders immediately after execution
Renewal notice dates and key obligation dates must be entered into the firm's calendar before the executed contract is filed.
Complete Stage 6 and note template improvements
After closure, record any issues encountered and whether the firm's standard template should be updated. This is how templates improve over time.
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