An ongoing legal support agreement gives a business a framework for recurring legal work. For an international company operating in Bulgaria, the practical question is what the arrangement will cover and how the team will use it.
Before starting, discuss the following points with your lawyer. This is a planning checklist, not a model agreement or a statement that every engagement must use the same terms.
1. The business and the scope of support
Identify the company receiving advice, its activities in Bulgaria and the people authorised to give instructions. If your group has several entities, clarify which ones are included.
Describe the work you expect: reviewing customer and supplier contracts, preparing corporate documents, advising on commercial questions or assisting with negotiations. Include the languages in which your team and counterparties work.
A useful scope describes actual tasks. “Legal support for the business” leaves more room for uncertainty than a defined list of recurring needs.
2. Work that needs a separate agreement
Discuss how matters outside the regular scope will be handled. A property acquisition, a dispute or an unusually complex transaction may need separate instructions, a timetable and an agreed fee.
Clarify whether court proceedings, specialist tax advice, translations or external professional services form part of the engagement. Do not assume that an ongoing arrangement includes every service a business might need.
3. Instructions, documents and communication
Agree a main contact on each side and a way to submit requests. Each instruction should explain the business objective, the relevant documents and any deadline.
For contract reviews, provide the complete draft and explain which points have already been negotiated. For corporate matters, identify the entity and the decision or action being considered.
Discuss how urgent requests will be assessed and how competing priorities will be managed. The arrangement should reflect practical availability and the needs of your business rather than an assumed response-time promise.
4. Fees and additional costs
Remuneration is agreed individually with the client. Discuss how the agreed fee relates to the scope of work, how additional matters will be quoted and when invoices will be issued.
Clarify the treatment of external costs, such as filing fees, translations or work by other professionals. Where applicable, confirm how taxes are reflected in the quoted amounts.
The aim is a shared understanding of what the agreed remuneration covers and when a further discussion is needed.
5. Confidential information and documents
Agree how documents will be exchanged and who within your organisation should receive advice. Avoid sending sensitive material before the initial arrangements for the engagement have been discussed.
If several group companies or business partners are involved, explain their roles at the outset so that the lawyer can assess whether the proposed engagement is appropriate.
6. Reviewing and ending the arrangement
A business’s needs can change. Discuss when the scope should be reviewed, how changes will be agreed and what notice or handover arrangements will apply if the engagement ends.
A useful review considers the types of requests received, upcoming projects and whether the existing scope still fits the business.
Preparing for the first discussion
Start with a short outline of your Bulgarian operations, the legal questions that arise regularly and any immediate deadlines. This helps the initial conversation focus on a suitable scope of support and individually agreed remuneration.