What Happens During the First Three Months With Fractional General Counsel?
A business considering Fractional General Counsel may understand the benefits of ongoing legal support but still have questions about how the relationship begins.
How are the initial monthly hours determined? When does the legal work start? How will the business know whether the initial capacity is appropriate?
At Delta Law, the first three months generally serve as an onboarding and calibration period.
The engagement begins with an initial scope and level of monthly capacity based on the company’s anticipated requirements. During the first three months, Delta Law begins addressing active contract matters while developing a clearer understanding of the company’s agreements, negotiation activity and recurring legal needs.
At the end of the onboarding period, Delta Law and the client can assess the engagement using actual experience and confirm whether the monthly hours and scope remain appropriate.
Why Is the Onboarding Period Three Months?
Contract activity can change from one month to another.
A company may have several significant customer agreements under negotiation during one month and a greater focus on supplier contracts or amendments during another.
A single month may not provide enough information to determine the company’s ongoing legal requirements.
A three month onboarding period provides a more meaningful opportunity to understand:
The types of agreements the company regularly handles.
The approximate volume of contract work.
The complexity of recurring agreements.
The amount of negotiation required.
The level of contract related advice the company uses.
The pace at which the monthly capacity is used.
The company’s expected legal requirements going forward.
The purpose is to develop an engagement structure based on the company’s actual contracting environment.
How Are the Initial Monthly Hours Determined?
Before the engagement begins, Delta Law discusses the company’s current contract activity and anticipated legal requirements.
This may include considering:
The types of commercial agreements the business regularly encounters.
The approximate number of active contract matters.
The complexity of those agreements.
The expected level of negotiation.
Current legal priorities.
Anticipated timelines.
Existing agreements or templates requiring attention.
Whether more than one business or related entity requires support.
Based on that information, Delta Law recommends an initial level of monthly capacity.
The initial hours provide a starting point. The onboarding period then allows the parties to determine whether that starting point reflects the company’s actual requirements.
Legal Work Begins During Onboarding
The onboarding period is not separate from the legal services.
Delta Law begins addressing prioritized contract matters once the engagement is established and the necessary documents and instructions have been provided.
Depending on the agreed scope, the work may include:
Reviewing commercial agreements.
Drafting contracts.
Preparing and reviewing redlines.
Negotiating contractual terms.
Reviewing amendments and renewals.
Advising on rights and obligations under existing agreements.
Providing contract related legal advice.
Improving contract templates where included in the scope and prioritized by the client.
The available hours represent reserved legal capacity rather than a predetermined number of completed contracts.
The amount of work completed will depend on the complexity of each matter, the number of negotiation rounds, the instructions required and the available monthly capacity.
Establishing the Working Relationship
At the beginning of the engagement, Delta Law and the client confirm how legal work will be handled.
This may include confirming:
The initial scope.
The starting monthly capacity.
The individuals authorized to provide instructions.
The primary client contact.
How contract matters will be submitted.
How the client will identify priorities.
How urgent matters will be communicated.
How the available capacity will be used.
A clear working structure helps legal matters proceed more efficiently and gives the client a consistent process for obtaining contract support.
Identifying Immediate Contract Priorities
A business may begin the engagement with several agreements or legal questions requiring attention.
The first step is to identify which matters are most important.
Initial priorities may include:
A customer agreement connected to an active transaction.
A supplier contract affecting operations.
A negotiation that has reached an important stage.
An agreement approaching renewal.
A proposed amendment.
A frequently used agreement requiring revision.
Advice concerning termination or another contractual right.
A new agreement the business requires.
The client identifies its business priorities, while Delta Law advises on the legal significance of the matters presented.
This helps direct the available capacity toward the agreements and decisions that matter most.
Developing Relevant Commercial Context
Effective contract advice requires an understanding of the transaction and the commercial relationship.
Through the legal work completed during onboarding, Delta Law develops context concerning:
The purpose of the agreement.
The value and importance of the relationship.
The responsibilities each party will perform.
The contractual positions important to the client.
The company’s negotiating leverage.
The operational effect of proposed terms.
The issues that regularly arise during negotiation.
The client’s approach to different categories of risk.
This context helps Delta Law provide advice that considers both the legal position and the broader commercial circumstances.
Understanding the Company’s Contracting Activity
During the first three months, recurring patterns may become clearer.
Delta Law may develop a better understanding of:
Which agreements arise most frequently.
Which contractual provisions require the most negotiation.
How complex the company’s agreements tend to be.
How many revision rounds are typical.
Which commercial relationships require greater attention.
What information is usually required from the client.
How much monthly capacity the legal work requires.
This knowledge allows future matters to be approached with greater continuity.
Previous negotiations, instructions and contractual decisions can provide useful context for later agreements.
Month One: Beginning the Relationship
During the first month, the focus is generally on establishing the working relationship and beginning the most important contract matters.
The client and Delta Law may:
Confirm the scope and starting capacity.
Identify the individuals authorized to provide instructions.
Establish how contract requests will be submitted.
Identify immediate priorities.
Begin reviewing, drafting or negotiating assigned agreements.
Develop initial context about the company’s contracting activity.
The precise work will depend on the client’s priorities and active matters.
Month Two: Building Continuity
During the second month, Delta Law continues addressing prioritized contract work while building greater familiarity with the company’s recurring requirements.
The work may include:
Continuing active negotiations.
Reviewing new agreements.
Drafting documents required by the business.
Advising on contractual rights and obligations.
Identifying recurring negotiation issues.
Applying relevant context from earlier matters.
The relationship becomes more efficient as Delta Law develops a better understanding of the client’s agreements and commercial priorities.
Month Three: Assessing the Ongoing Structure
During the third month, active legal work continues.
The parties can also begin assessing whether the initial scope and monthly capacity are appropriate for the ongoing relationship.
Relevant considerations may include:
The amount of capacity used.
The types of matters addressed.
The complexity of the work.
The frequency of negotiations.
The client’s expected future contract activity.
Whether important matters require additional capacity.
Whether the existing scope reflects the company’s actual requirements.
This assessment provides the information needed to confirm or adjust the engagement after onboarding.
The Process Remains Flexible
The onboarding period is not a rigid program with identical deliverables for every client.
One client may begin with several active customer negotiations. Another may require a new supplier agreement. Another may need advice concerning existing contractual obligations.
The work should reflect the company’s actual legal requirements.
The three month period provides a structured timeframe for beginning the relationship and evaluating the engagement without forcing every client into the same process.
Prioritizing the Available Monthly Capacity
The monthly capacity can be directed toward the matters that are most important to the business.
Priorities may change as:
New agreements arrive.
Negotiations progress.
Commercial deadlines change.
A significant amendment is proposed.
An important renewal approaches.
A customer or supplier issue develops.
Delta Law and the client can review priorities as required and determine how the available capacity should be allocated.
Evaluating the Monthly Hours
Throughout the onboarding period, the parties gain a clearer understanding of how the initial hours align with the work being requested.
The initial capacity may be appropriate where:
Priority matters are being addressed within suitable timelines.
The business has sufficient access to contract counsel.
The hours align with the company’s recurring workload.
The scope reflects the company’s primary contract needs.
Additional capacity may be appropriate where contract volume or complexity is greater than anticipated.
A lower level of capacity may be suitable where the company’s recurring requirements are less than originally expected.
The objective is to establish a level of support aligned with genuine business demand.
What Happens at the End of the Three Month Onboarding Period?
At the end of the onboarding period, Delta Law and the client can review the first three months of actual work.
The review may consider:
The amount of capacity used.
The types of agreements handled.
The level of negotiation required.
Recurring areas of legal demand.
Anticipated future contract activity.
The appropriateness of the existing scope.
Whether the monthly hours should be confirmed or adjusted.
The parties may decide to:
Continue with the existing capacity.
Increase the monthly hours.
Reduce the monthly hours.
Refine the scope.
Identify a substantial contract project requiring separate support.
The result is an ongoing engagement informed by actual experience rather than initial estimates alone.
The Value of the Onboarding Period
The first three months allow Delta Law and the client to build an effective working relationship while completing active legal work.
The onboarding period creates an opportunity to:
Establish clear communication.
Begin addressing important contract matters.
Develop relevant commercial context.
Understand recurring contract requirements.
Assess actual legal demand.
Confirm an appropriate ongoing structure.
The purpose is to build a sustainable Fractional General Counsel relationship that supports the company’s commercial contract needs.
Begin the Fractional General Counsel Process With Delta Law
Delta Law provides Fractional General Counsel services for businesses managing recurring commercial agreements and complex negotiations.
The first three months serve as an onboarding and calibration period during which active legal work begins and the parties assess the company’s actual requirements.
At the end of that period, the monthly capacity and scope can be confirmed or adjusted based on the work completed and the company’s anticipated needs.
Book a consultation to discuss your current contracting activity, expected legal workload and whether Fractional General Counsel may be appropriate for your business.
