How to Build a Legal Document Request and Approval Workflow

Streamline your legal document process from request to approval

In this guide, you’ll create a Legal Document Request & Approval Workflow that lets employees or clients submit requests, routes them to the legal team for review, and issues approved copies or contracts automatically.
You’ll use logic, connected forms, and automated notifications to replace back-and-forth emails with a clean, trackable system.

📘 Learn more: Create your first form, app, or portal in a flash

Step 1: Create your document request form

From your workspace, click + New → Form, or choose a ready-made Contract generation with memory forms template.
You can also use Magic Create, try this prompt:

“Legal document request form with requester details, document type, purpose, and urgency level.”

Add fields such as:

• Requester name and department
  
  
• Email address
  
  
• Document type (NDA, Partnership Agreement, Employment Contract, etc.)
  
  
• Purpose of request
  
  
• Urgency level (Low / Normal / High)
  
  
• Supporting files or notes
  
  

💡 Tip: Use dropdowns for document type to standardize responses and automate routing.

📘 Learn more: How to create a form

Step 2: Apply logic for automatic routing

Go to Settings → Logic → On submit and create rules to route requests based on urgency or type.

Examples:

• If @document_type = “NDA” → send to legal-contracts@company.com
  
  
• If @urgency = “High” → tag @priority = “Urgent” and notify legal@company.com
  
  

You can also add Show/Hide logic to display relevant fields depending on the document type.

📘 Learn more: How to add advanced logic to your form

Step 3: Notify the legal team automatically

Under Settings → Notifications, add conditional email notifications so requests reach the right reviewer.

Example message:

Subject: New legal request: @document_type from @requester_name

Body:
A new document request has been submitted.

• Requester: @requester_name (@department)
  
  
• Type: @document_type
  
  
• Purpose: @purpose
  
  
• Urgency: @urgency
  
  

Please review in the Legal Dashboard.

📘 Learn more: How to send and receive conditional email notifications

Step 4: Add a review fields for legal approval

Add admin-only fields:

• Requester name
  
  
• Document type
  
  
• Purpose
  
  
• Uploaded files
  
  

Then add fields for the legal team to complete:

• Assigned reviewer
  
  
• Approval status (Approved / Needs revision / Rejected)
  
  
• Comments or revision notes
  
  
• File upload for final approved document
  
  

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Step 5: Automate approval responses

Once the legal team updates the status in the review form, use On update logic to notify the requester automatically.

Examples:

• If @status = “Approved” → send “Document approved” email with file attached
  
  
• If @status = “Needs revision” → send “Please review comments” email
  
  

📘 Learn more: What is on update logic and how it works

Step 7: Generate and attach finalized documents

When approval is given, generate a PDF template that includes dynamic data such as:

• Requester name
  
  
• Document type
  
  
• Approval date
  
  
• Reviewer’s name
  
  
• Legal notes
  
  

Attach it automatically to the approval email or store it in your database for recordkeeping.

📘 Learn more: How to create PDF templates to turn responses into documents

Step 8: Build a centralized legal dashboard

Go to Results → Dashboard and visualize your request pipeline.
Add:

• Table view: All requests with status and reviewer
  
  
• Bar chart: Requests by document type
  
  
• Kanban board: Requests grouped by approval stage
  
  
• Pie chart: Urgency breakdown
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to showcase charts based on form responses

Step 9: Create a secure legal portal

Convert your setup into a Legal Operations Portal so both requesters and legal team members can access the workflow easily.
Add pages like:

• Submit a new request — main form
  
  
• My requests — filtered view showing user’s submissions
  
  
• Legal review — form restricted to legal users
  
  
• Dashboard — overall tracking for admins
  
  

Enable Login/Sign-up to protect confidential data and ensure only authorized users can view or edit submissions.

📘 Learn more: How to create a portal and manage users access

Pro tips

• Add autosave: Allow users to save drafts for complex legal requests.
  📘 Learn more: How to auto save incomplete responses and let users resume later
  
  
• Integrate with Google Sheets or Slack to notify your team instantly when new requests arrive.
  📘 Learn more: How to add integrations on Formaloo
  
  
• Track reviewer performance: Filter your dashboard by reviewer name to see workload and turnaround times.
  
  

Example scenario

An employee submits a request for a new NDA.
Logic routes the submission to the Contracts team.
A legal reviewer marks it as “Approved” in the Legal review form and uploads the signed NDA.
The requester receives an automated email with the approved document attached, and the dashboard updates in real time to show the request as completed.

📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic, automations, and AI

FAQ

1. Can I add e-signature fields to the final document?
Yes, include a Signature field in the review form or PDF template.

2. Can I restrict access to confidential requests?
Absolutely, use user roles to allow only specific legal team members to access sensitive data.
📘 Learn more: How to create and assign user roles in your portal

3. Can I integrate this with our contract management system?
Yes, connect via Zapier, Make, or API to push approved contracts directly into your document storage or CMS.

Your legal workflow, now fully automated

You’ve built a complete legal document request and approval system that saves time, standardizes review, and keeps everything secure and trackable.
Next, expand it into a Legal Operations Portal with templates, FAQs, and compliance checklists.

📘 Learn more: How to customize your portal with your brand identity

Last updated November 2025

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