Last reviewed 27 September 2026
A lawyer can only be as precise as the documents allow. Missing an amendment, a later email or the version that was actually signed can change the answer entirely, and chasing papers piecemeal slows everything down.
The lists below set out the documents commonly requested for the kinds of commercial work a business lawyer handles: contract drafting and negotiation, disputes, regulatory questions and company secretarial matters. Not every item will apply, and your lawyer may ask for others.
This is general information to help you prepare, not legal advice. If you are unsure whether something is relevant, it is usually better to include it and let the lawyer decide.
For every matter
Start with the basics: the full legal name and registered number of your company, the names of the other businesses or people involved, and a short written timeline of what has happened with dates. A one page summary in your own words is often more useful than a long email chain on its own.
Note any deadline you are aware of, such as a date in a letter, a contract renewal or notice period, or a hearing or filing date. Put these at the top so they cannot be missed.
Contract reviews and negotiations
Provide the latest draft in an editable format, plus any earlier versions if the terms have moved. Include the heads of terms or proposal the draft was based on, any standard terms referred to within it, and schedules, order forms or statements of work that sit alongside the main agreement.
It also helps to list your commercial priorities: the points you must win, the points you would trade and anything the other side has already said it will not accept. That lets the review focus on what matters to the deal rather than every clause equally.
Disputes and claims
Gather the signed contract and every variation, the invoices, purchase orders and delivery records, and the correspondence that shows what each side said and when. Include any letter before action, formal demand or court papers you have received, together with the envelope or email showing the date of receipt.
Keep originals safe and do not delete or tidy up emails, messages or files that may be relevant. Documents that help your position and documents that do not may both need to be disclosed if a claim goes to court, so preserving everything is important.
Regulatory questions
Bring any correspondence from the regulator or enforcement body, your current policies and procedures on the subject, risk assessments, training records and relevant incident logs. If the question relates to marketing or product information, include copies of the material exactly as it was published or distributed.
Where the issue arises from a specific event, a factual account written soon afterwards by those involved is valuable, but share it with your lawyer before circulating it more widely.
Company secretarial work
For changes to directors, shareholders or share capital, provide the current articles of association, any shareholders' agreement, the statutory registers if you keep them, recent confirmation statements and the details of the proposed change. For share issues or transfers, include the names, addresses and number and class of shares involved.
If board or shareholder approvals have already been given, bring the minutes or written resolutions. If they have not, your lawyer can explain which approvals are needed and prepare them.
Key points
- Always include company details, the other parties and a dated timeline.
- Send the signed or latest version of every document, plus amendments.
- Put known deadlines at the very top of your summary.
- Preserve all emails and files in a dispute; do not delete anything.
- For company changes, bring the articles, any shareholders' agreement and registers.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I send documents before the first meeting?
- Where possible, yes. Sending key documents in advance lets the lawyer use the meeting to discuss the issues rather than read papers for the first time.
- What if I cannot find the signed version of a contract?
- Send the latest version you have and explain that the signed copy cannot be found. Emails confirming agreement and conduct since signing can also show what was agreed.
- Are screenshots of messages acceptable?
- They are a useful start, but keep the original messages and devices too, because the full context and metadata may be needed later.
- Is this checklist legal advice?
- No. It is general information to help you prepare. Your lawyer may ask for different documents depending on your matter.