10 Steps to a Smarter In-House Legal Budget

You are only 10 steps away from creating and implementing your legal budget. With just a little bit of careful planning - and our excel template - Legal Department budgeting has never been easier!

Xakia white paper for in house legal departments
legal budget

The Legal Department budget pain point

We know that when it comes to that time of year, preparing an annual Legal Department budget is a thankless task. You must find a way to come up with a spending plan that tries to account for the both knowns and unknowns associated with providing legal services to your organization. 

With a smart framework, however, compiling the budget can be more than tedium and guesswork – it can be a powerful and thoughtful process for shaping the department you want to run: Slick. Savvy. Streamlined. 

Budget season for corporate legal departments is a time of year when lawyers are expected to become both CPAs and clairvoyants. 

Sterling Miller, Marketo, Inc.

Setting up your Legal Department Budget

We have developed a 10-step process for creating a legal budget to ensure your in-house legal team will be the most valued in your organization:

  • How to account for the long-term strategy
  • Properly planning the largest budget category - outside spend
  • How to monitor your legal spend throughout the year

While every department, organization and accounting system are different, we have crafted this tool to provide you with a brilliant first draft for your discussions (and negotiations) with Finance. 

team meeting

10 Steps to a Smarter In-House Legal Budget

Get your budget up and running and optimize the efficiency and impact of your in-house legal team

think long term

Think long term

account for your people

Account for your people

legal budget spend

Plan for outside spend

fund your technology tools

Fund your technology tools

account for knowledge

Account for knowledge

document operating costs

Document operating costs

business unit contributions

Business Unit contributions

roll over expenses

Roll over expenses
Download your free guide and template now

Download your free 10 step guide to a smarter legal budget

This white paper includes 10 steps to ensure your legal budget will help you shape the department that is right for building your team.

This resource also includes a legal department budget template, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Complete the form and download the white paper to get started today.

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