Outsourced legal support or an in-house lawyer
Legal outsourcing is not an automatic replacement for every internal department. It is effective when a company needs regular access to several legal disciplines but the workload does not justify a full in-house team. The comparison should include capacity, continuity, dispute experience, management time and the cost of additional specialists—not only the monthly fee.
| Criterion | Monthly legal outsourcing | In-house lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Workload | The agreed capacity is purchased and tracked | Fixed employment cost regardless of actual volume |
| Skills | The scope may combine contracts, disputes, debt, employment and corporate work | Depends on the experience of one employee |
| Continuity | Substitution and response standards can be set in the agreement | The company manages leave, illness and recruitment risk |
| Management | Instructions follow one channel and work is reflected in reports | Requires internal supervision and employment administration |
| Best fit | Regular but variable workload requiring several disciplines | Daily office presence and continuous operational involvement |
Services included
Advice and documents
- oral and written advice on Russian law;
- claims, responses, applications and procedural documents;
- document and mandatory-form review;
- practical legal positions for management.
Contracts and transactions
- contract drafting and review;
- negotiation of terms and risk allocation;
- basic counterparty and authority checks;
- support through signing and closing.
Disputes and debt recovery
- pre-action claims and debtor negotiations;
- claims, defences and appeals;
- representation in Russian arbitrazh and general-jurisdiction courts;
- enforcement support.
Corporate, employment and regulatory work
- corporate resolutions and registry changes;
- employment documents and disputes;
- responses to regulatory requests;
- representation during inspections within the agreed scope.
How the engagement starts
Monthly legal support plans
Start
- 4 oral consultations;
- 2 written consultations;
- up to 70 pages drafted;
- up to 70 pages reviewed;
- 4 qualified visits;
- 4 courier visits.
Standard
- 6 oral consultations;
- 3 written consultations;
- up to 140 pages drafted;
- up to 140 pages reviewed;
- 6 qualified visits;
- 6 courier visits.
Premium
- 8 oral consultations;
- 5 written consultations;
- up to 220 pages drafted;
- up to 220 pages reviewed;
- 8 qualified visits;
- 8 courier visits.
A qualified visit involves legal representation, a court or authority appearance, or negotiations. A courier visit is limited to filing, collecting or delivering documents.
Which companies benefit from outsourced legal support in Russia
The model suits Russian companies and individual entrepreneurs without an in-house legal team, businesses whose sole in-house lawyer needs support on disputes or complex transactions, and foreign owners operating in Russia who require Russian documents with clear English explanations. It is particularly relevant where supply, construction or service contracts, recurring claims, employment documents or regulatory requests generate a steady but variable workload.
If a lawyer must be present in the office every day or the workload continuously exceeds the selected plan, a dedicated or hybrid model may be more appropriate.
Questions to agree before signing
- included and excluded work;
- response times for routine and urgent instructions;
- how pages, consultations and visits are counted;
- who may instruct counsel and approve deliverables;
- confidentiality and original-document handling;
- court work and additional expenses;
- monthly reporting and unused capacity.
Frequently asked questions
Can the plan be tailored?
Yes. Advice, drafting, review, visits and dispute work can be combined around the company’s actual workload and recorded in the agreement.
Is court representation included?
It depends on the complexity, hearing schedule and plan limits. Documents, appearances and separately charged work are agreed before the project starts.
How are urgent instructions handled?
The engagement protocol defines the communication channel, urgency criteria and response standard, so critical and routine work do not compete without priority.
Is English-language support available?
Yes. Foreign owners and managers receive English explanations while Russian contracts, filings and court documents are prepared in the required local format.
We will review recurring work, disputes and expected capacity, then recommend a plan or tailored scope. Book a paid consultation.