Project Offers are offers made by multiple different service providers to clients to undertake the tasks required to complete an add-on. For example, if you wanted to set up a company in the UK, you would receive Project Offers from service providers in the UK who can assist with this task.
When do you receive a Project Offer?
Project Offers are only available to clients via the Legal Nodes Online Portal once onboarding has been completed.
Why do you receive multiple offers within one Project Offer?
As we have many different vetted, highly-qualified, and professional service providers working with us, often you will receive more than one Project Offer from a service provider for a given task.
Learn more about comparing Project Offers from different service providers.
Understanding different Project Offers statuses
As your offer goes through different stages, it is assigned different statuses, which are:
Offer is prepared by VLO
Approve your offer
Offer is prepared by VLO
Your suggested Legal Projects can be found in your Legal Nodes account. You can request your VLO to begin working on one of your projects. Some simple Legal Projects don't require anything more than a few tasks performed by your VLO.
For complex Legal Projects, additional support from service providers in the Legal Nodes Network may be required. Here's how it works:
You pay 1 credit for your VLO to research the task in detail and assess necessary add-ons
Your VLO consults with suitable service providers who can assist with the project
The VLO prepares a Project Offer for you, including:
Costs and delivery estimates
At least one suitable service provider option
This process constitutes the "Offer is prepared by VLO" stage. You do not need to do anything at this stage. Your VLO usually prepares your offers quite quickly, within 48 hours. However, it can take longer depending on the service providers that your VLO is contacting. For very complex Legal Projects, your VLO may take additional time to ensure that the task details are clear and the estimates are as accurate as possible and will always keep you informed of when you can expect to receive a Project Offer.
Approve your offer
When your Project Offer has this status, it requires action from you. This means you have received your Project Offer from your VLO on the Legal Nodes Online Portal and need to review and approve it. If you've received multiple offers from different service providers, you'll need to review all of them and select your preferred option. This can all be done within the single Project Offer window.
What’s contained in a Project Offer?
The title and description of the Project Offer
A chat for you and your VLO to discuss anything about the offer
Tabs to switch between providers who have prepared offers for you.
Tasks, listed in rows, with estimated delivery times.
Costs for your VLO’s tasks, in credits.
Prices from the service providers, in USD.
Understanding task details within Project Offers
Tasks are split between Legal Nodes tasks, performed by your Virtual Legal Officer, and Provider tasks, performed by your provider.
Each task has:
A name
A profile picture of the person performing the task: either your VLO or the service provider.
A task status. At this stage, this will always be set as “To do”.
An estimate of delivery, outlining how many days are required to complete the task.
A price in credits for tasks performed by VLOs.
A price in USD for tasks performed by service providers.
Learn more about how to compare Project Offers from different service providers.
What's the difference between a VLO task and a service provider task?
Both Virtual Legal Officers (VLOs) and service providers perform tasks within a project, but there are key differences:
VLO Tasks:
Billed using credits on the Legal Nodes Online Portal.
Often involve simple legal tasks (e.g., providing templates, basic research) or project management.
Each plan includes monthly credits (4 for Growth Plan, 5 for Support Plan) that must be used within the month.
Additional credits can be purchased if needed.
Service Provider Tasks (Add-ons):
Billed directly by service providers to clients via Legal Nodes.
Involve qualified services, such as legal opinions from lawyers or tax analysis by consultants.
All tasks are clearly labeled in each Project Offer, showing who performs the task, estimated costs, expected delivery time, and any expected deliverables. This transparency allows you to see exactly what you're paying for and what to expect from each task.
Why do we include time and cost estimates?
We provide estimates for both VLO credits and add-on costs to ensure transparency and help you better understand the scope of your project. These estimates allow you to:
Anticipate the duration of tasks
Plan your budget more effectively
Compare different service provider offers
Our estimates are generally accurate, but it's important to note that project scopes can sometimes change. When you agree to start a project, if there are any changes to credit usage or service provider costs, we will notify you as soon as possible. This approach helps you:
Stay updated on project costs
Maintain control over your legal budget
Manage expectations for all parties involved
This estimation model is more advantageous than standard hourly billing, as it provides clearer cost projections for both VLO work and service provider tasks. By offering this level of detail and flexibility, we aim to give you the information you need to choose the Project Offer that best suits your unique business needs.
Chat with your VLO about your Project Offers
A key feature of our Project Offers tab is the dedicated chat with your Virtual Legal Officer, available while viewing your offers. This chat allows you to discuss your offers in detail, including questions about time and cost estimates, service providers, or specific project tasks.
Approve your Project Offer
Once you’ve decided which Project Offer you wish to accept, simply click “I accept this offer” to confirm your choice.
What happens after you’ve approved a Project Offer?
Your VLO will receive a notification indicating which Project Offer you've selected. They'll then get to work confirming everything with your chosen provider so that work can begin as soon as possible.
The next step for you will be to make the necessary payments:
Pay the service provider fees via the Legal Nodes Online Portal.
Pay for any additional VLO work attached to the Legal Project using credits on the Legal Nodes Online Portal.
If needed, purchase additional credits on the portal to cover VLO tasks.
Once all payments have been made, you won't need to do anything else.
You can anticipate receiving updates about your Project commencing within a couple of days. Typically, your VLO will be in touch quite quickly. However, please be aware that our service providers are situated around the globe, so occasionally it may take a little longer for us to get started on your Projects when working with large time differences.
Important Note: The information provided on this page is applicable to clients on our latest plans. If you started a plan with Legal Nodes before September 2024, please contact your VLO for support via your Legal Nodes account or email help@legalnodes.com for assistance tailored to your specific plan.