Self Help Resources are the tools, guides, templates, and playbooks that enable business users to resolve routine legal issues without needing direct lawyer involvement. They are designed to handle the repeatable, low-risk, high-frequency matters that otherwise consume disproportionate legal team time.

This station is about scaling legal support. It recognises that not every legal issue requires a lawyer - but every legal issue does require a solution. By equipping the business with well-designed self-help resources, the legal team can reduce its operational burden, improve turnaround times, and focus its attention on higher-value work.

Self Help Resources are not about pushing legal work onto the business. They’re about smart enablement - giving business users the confidence and tools to act within clearly defined boundaries. GLS helps legal teams design self-help resources that are simple, safe, and aligned with the Group Legal Policy - ensuring that business autonomy doesn’t come at the cost of legal risk.

This station is a major free kick for legal team productivity. It’s one of the fastest ways to reduce inbound demand, improve business satisfaction, and demonstrate legal’s strategic value.

The scope of the Self Help Resources station includes:

◼️Legal Playbooks: Step-by-step guides for handling common legal scenarios

◼️Template Libraries: Pre-approved documents for routine legal tasks

◼️FAQs & Decision Trees: Tools to help users determine when legal input is needed

◼️Policy Summaries: Simplified versions of key legal policies for business use

◼️Interactive Tools: Digital forms, checklists, and workflows for common requests

◼️Training Materials: Resources to educate business users on legal basics

◼️Usage Protocols: Clear rules on when and how self-help tools should be used

◼️Feedback Mechanisms: Channels for users to suggest improvements or flag issues

In GLS legal ops speak – the Self Help Resources is considered a “Foundational” resource within the process ecosystem of an in-house legal team.

The Foundational Resource is a CRE that is responsible for determining the overall performance capabilities of a “critical” legal function. If it is not optimised, the function can never be optimised. 

The best practice features of the Self Help Resources station are as follows:

◼️GLP Alignment: All resources reflect the Group Legal Policy and approved legal positions

◼️User-Centric Design: Resources are written in plain language and structured for ease of use

◼️Template Governance: Templates are reviewed regularly and updated as needed

◼️Digital Accessibility: Resources are available via a central platform or intranet

◼️Usage Analytics: Tracks which resources are used, how often, and by whom

◼️Training Integration: Resources are supported by training and onboarding materials

◼️Legal Oversight: The legal team retains control over content and boundaries

◼️Feedback Loops: Business users can suggest improvements and report usability issues

The Self Help Resources station delivers the following value to the Business:

◼️Faster Turnaround: Routine legal issues are resolved without delay

◼️Reduced Bottlenecks: Legal team is no longer a blocker for low-risk matters

◼️Improved Business Confidence: Users feel empowered to act within safe boundaries

◼️Cost Avoidance: Reduces reliance on external counsel for basic tasks

◼️Operational Agility: Business units can move faster with legal guardrails in place

◼️Scalable Support: Legal services grow with the business without increasing headcount

◼️Reduced Inbound Demand: Fewer routine queries and requests

◼️Improved Focus: Lawyers spend more time on strategic, high-value work

◼️Enhanced Credibility: Legal is seen as enabling, not obstructing, business activity

◼️Better Resource Allocation: Legal effort is directed where it matters most

◼️Template Evolution: Resources improve based on user feedback and legal updates

◼️Faster Onboarding: New business users learn how to engage with legal effectively

The Self Help Resources station is essential for:

◼️General Counsel

◼️Heads of Legal Operations

◼️Legal Team Leads

◼️Legal Knowledge Managers

◼️Legal Technology Leads

A legal team operating without a Self Help Resources framework will face a wide range of inefficiencies including:

◼️High Inbound Volume: Lawyers spend time answering repeatable, low-risk queries

◼️Slow Business Execution: Routine matters are delayed waiting for legal input

◼️Underused Templates: Business users don’t know what’s available or how to use it

◼️Low Legal Visibility: Legal is seen as reactive and inaccessible

◼️Poor Resource Allocation: Legal effort is wasted on tasks that could be self-served

◼️Fragmented Advice: Business units receive inconsistent guidance

The Self Help Resources station strongly leverages technology. It benefits from:

◼️Knowledge Platforms: To host and distribute resources

◼️Interactive Tools: Digital forms, checklists, and workflows

◼️Search & Retrieval Engines: To make resources easily discoverable

◼️Usage Analytics Dashboards: To track engagement and identify gaps

◼️Integration with Legal Ops Systems: To link self-help tools with request and approval workflows