Picture this: You finally get a week off after months of being flat out.  The out-of-office is on. You're hiking somewhere remote.

And then your phone buzzes – repeatedly.

• Contracts you normally review. Questions only you can answer. Decisions stuck in limbo.
• In too many legal teams – especially small ones – when the Head of Legal steps away, the work grinds to a halt. That’s not resilience. That’s a red flag.
• Succession planning isn’t just about preparing for a senior lawyer to leave. It’s about building a legal function that can thrive even when key people aren’t in the room. It’s about capability, not dependency. And in today’s volatile, budget-tight world, it matters more than ever.
• Succession planning isn’t just about preparing for a senior lawyer to leave. It’s about building a legal function that canthrive even when key people aren’t in the room. It’s about capability, not dependency. And in today’s volatile, budget-tight world, it matters more than ever.

The solo counsel trap: You = single point of failure

• Many in-house lawyers - particularly in team teams - wear every hat. Contracts, data protection, employment issues, ESG queries, board reports. You name it.
• But when one person becomes the linchpin foreverything, continuity takes a hit.
• Decision-making stalls in their absence.
• Knowledge lives in inboxes or in their head.
• Knowledge lives in inboxes or in their head.
• The business loses trust in Legal’s ability to support them reliably.
• It’s a risk few legal leaders talk aboutopenly. But burnout, job changes and even short-term absences (maternity,illness, secondments) all happen. If there’s no one ready to step in, the consequences are real – commercially, reputationally and culturally.

Why this isn’t just a “big team” issue

You don’t need a ten-person team to plan for succession. In fact, small or solo functions have the most to gain.

Succession planning in this context is lessabout titles and more about:

• Codying know-how -Templates, playbooks and process docs that mean others can pick up the slack
• Empowering the business - Enabling colleagues to self-serve on low-risk, repeatable issues (like NDAs or standard clauses)
• Building a bench - Whether it's training junior team memvers, looping in the COO on legal escalations, or using trust external partners who know your business.
• The aim? If you disappear tomorow, Legal doesn't.

Start simple: Three practical steps

• You don't need a full-blown org chart to get started. Here's how to futureproof your legal function in a lean, low-fuss way:

1. Document the essentials

If you’re hit by a bus (or just lucky enough to be on a beach), what would someone else need to keep the wheels turning?

Start with:

• A list of recurring legal tasks and who owns them
• Templates or playbooks for common workflows (e.g. how to review a commercial contract)
• Key contracts and business relationships you manage
• Even a simple shared document can make a huge difference

2. Train up your allies

Who else in the business could handle a sliceof legal responsibility? Sales Ops owning NDAs? HR sending out standard employment contracts?

Invest time in upskilling them. Give them thetools, guardrails and confidence to act. And check in regularly.

3. Use flexible support to plug the gaps

You don’t need to build your own team overnight. But you do need backup.

That might be:

• A Fractional GC to cover during parental leave.
• A contract lawyer on standby for peak periods.
• A legal partner who already knows your systems and culture

The goal is to ensure Legal remains operational – even if you’re not.

‍Real strength is shared strength

• Succession planning isn’t about replacing yourself. It’s about making sure the value you deliver to the business is resilient, repeatable and scalable.
• It’s a mindset shift: from being the hero, to building a function that’s bigger than you.
• Because true legal leadership isn’t about holding the fort. It’s about making sure the fort holds – with or without you.