Ad Hoc Legal Advice, Fractional Legal Support or Legal Counsel Ad Interim: What Do You Need?

Every legal question is different, and so is the answer. It is often wise to seek professional support, but it can be difficult to determine what kind of help you need when you are not entirely sure what you are looking for. And once you decide to seek support, you may face another question: what type of legal assistance is right for your situation? Ad hoc legal advice? Fractional Legal Support? Or a Legal Counsel ad interim?

Sometimes it can be difficult to see the wood for the trees. In this article, we therefore take you through the different types of legal support that your organisation can engage when facing legal issues or challenges. The type of advice you need depends on the specific situation your organisation is in, which is why it is important to understand beforehand what kind of support you are looking for.

Ad hoc legal advice

The most accessible way to obtain legal advice is through ad hoc legal advice. Ad hoc advice usually focuses on a single question and is ideal for a specific legal issue, individual question or one-off assignment. This could include, for example, a specific compliance question or finding a solution to a particular legal issue. This type of advice is generally short-term and focuses solely on the specific question or assignment at hand.

The main advantage is that it is flexible and accessible. There is no need to enter into a long-term commitment; instead, specialist legal expertise can be engaged as and when required. Where ad hoc advice is needed regularly, organisations can also opt for an ongoing advisory relationship, allowing them to raise questions whenever necessary at an agreed rate.

Which organisations is ad hoc advice most suitable for?

Ad hoc advice is particularly suitable for organisations that require support with specific or individual legal questions and issues. Specialist expertise can be engaged on a flexible basis to support the organisation where needed.

There are also different ways in which ad hoc advice can be arranged. Organisations may work on an hourly-rate basis, for example, but can also opt for a subscription structure or a prepaid retainer fee. Projective Group offers each of these structures, depending on your organisation’s needs.

Fractional Legal Support

When an organisation does not have one specific assignment or question but requires legal advice on a more structural basis, Fractional Legal Support can be a logical step up from ad hoc advice. Fractional Legal Support is a form of legal assistance in which a legal adviser is available for an agreed number of hours per week or month, depending on the organisation’s needs.

The advantage is that an organisation can receive ongoing legal support without having to employ a full-time in-house legal counsel. The agreed level of availability also makes the costs of legal support easier to anticipate, while the level of support can scale alongside the organisation where necessary.

The closer and more structured relationship between the adviser and the organisation also means that the adviser develops a better understanding of the organisation and its risk profile. As a result, relatively less time is required to get up to speed when new matters arise. This close working relationship also gives the organisation a regular point of contact for legal questions, supporting greater continuity.

Which organisations is Fractional Legal Support suitable for?

Fractional Legal Support is particularly suitable for organisations that regularly require legal assistance but not to such an extent that a full-time internal legal function is necessary. This could include, for example, medium-sized businesses, start-ups and scale-ups.

Legal Counsel ad interim

When an organisation requires substantial legal support on an ongoing basis, an internal Legal Counsel may be appropriate. However, a permanent legal function also requires a structural investment in both personnel and financial resources. But what happens when this need is temporary, or when an existing Legal Counsel is temporarily unavailable? In these situations, a Legal Counsel ad interim can provide a solution.

A Legal Counsel ad interim is an adviser who temporarily fulfils the role of Legal Counsel within an organisation. This is often used in situations where additional capacity or temporary personnel support is required. For example, an in-house Legal Counsel may need to be temporarily replaced due to illness, maternity or parental leave, or additional support may be needed to manage a temporary peak in demand for legal advice.

One of the advantages of engaging a Legal Counsel ad interim is that an organisation can obtain temporary yet intensive legal support while maintaining continuity in its operations and legal function. This can be particularly valuable when an organisation’s own Legal Counsel is unavailable or when there is a temporary increase in the need for legal support.

Due to the temporary nature of the role, it is important to make clear agreements in advance regarding the assignment, responsibilities and handover. This ensures that both the organisation and the Legal Counsel ad interim understand what is required within the agreed period and that continuity can be properly maintained.

Which organisations is a Legal Counsel ad interim suitable for?

A Legal Counsel ad interim is suitable for organisations experiencing temporary capacity gaps within their own legal department or facing a temporary peak in the need for legal advice.

Alternatives or complementary solutions?

Having discussed the different forms of legal support, it may seem as though an organisation has to choose just one. This is not necessarily the case. The different forms of legal support can complement each other and are often used alongside one another in practice, depending on the organisation and its specific needs.

For recurring and more structural legal matters, for example, Fractional Legal Support could be used, while ad hoc advice can be engaged alongside it for specific one-off questions where speed and specialist expertise are required.

Examples of legal support

It can sometimes be difficult to assess exactly what kind of legal support is needed. Identifying applicable legal requirements, monitoring changes to those requirements and explaining what they mean for an organisation are all examples of legal support. However, legal assistance can go much further than this. For example, an organisation may need advice on the licences it requires and the conditions it must meet to obtain or retain them.

Other, more practical forms of support may include reviewing agreements or terms and conditions, or providing assistance with complaints.

One thing is certain: legal issues and challenges come in all shapes and sizes. To provide effective support, it is therefore important that the legal assistance matches the specific issue and is tailored to the organisation’s needs.

Need support?

Is your organisation looking for ad hoc legal advice, Fractional Legal Support or a Legal Counsel ad interim? Or perhaps a combination of these services?

Projective Group can support you with all your legal questions. Our team of experienced and pragmatic consultants is ready to provide the type of support that best suits your organisation’s needs.

Need support? Feel free to get in touch with us for a no-obligation conversation.