ℹ️ Phase 2 of 4 — Module setup / Risk Assessments
You are setting up Risk Assessments. If your firm is not using Risk Assessments, skip this article and move to the next module in Phase 2, or go straight to Phase 3.
Risk Assessment setup is different from the other modules in Phase 2. Rather than configuring everything yourself, this is a collaborative process: you prepare your existing risk assessment template and share it with the Legl team, and they build it into the platform ready for your firm to use. Your job in this phase is to get the right materials together and make a few key decisions upfront, so the build goes smoothly and your team is ready to start running assessments on day one.
Once your template is live, fee earners can complete a client risk assessment in Legl without leaving the platform.
Before you start
You need admin permissions to configure Risk Assessment settings and manage templates.
This setup involves working with your Legl Launch Manager. Before starting, confirm with them that your Risk Assessment build is scheduled and that you know the deadline for submitting your template materials.
Legl provides a built-in SRA template library as a starting point. You can use one of the pre-built templates and customise it to your firm's risk appetite without starting from scratch. Ask your Launch Manager to confirm which template is most appropriate for your firm.
Involve your compliance lead or MLRO before finalising the template — they are usually the person who owns the risk assessment process.
What to prepare
Before your Legl Launch Manager can begin the build, you need to share the following:
Your existing risk assessment form — this can be a Word document, Excel file, or any format your firm currently uses. If you have separate forms for client risk and matter risk, share both.
Your scoring logic — explain how your current form calculates a risk rating (for example, how scores add up to Low / Medium / High). If this is not documented, write a brief description of the logic before submitting.
Your reassessment triggers — how often clients should be reassessed, and whether any specific events trigger a reassessment (for example, a change in matter type or a PEP match).
Your escalation contacts — who should be notified when a high-risk result is returned. This is usually the MLRO or a compliance lead. Confirm this person's email address before submitting.
Step-by-step guide
Step-by-step guide
Gather your existing risk assessment form(s) and scoring logic. If your firm does not currently have a documented risk assessment process, speak to your MLRO before proceeding — Legl can build the template, but you need to define the questions and scoring.
Send your materials to your Legl Launch Manager. Include: the form, the scoring logic, reassessment frequency, and escalation contact email(s).
While the template is being built, configure your Risk Assessment settings in Legl. Go to Settings and select Risk Assessments. This section is only visible to admin users.
Set your escalation alert email. This address receives a notification when any assessment returns a high-risk result.
Configure your reassessment reminder period. This is how long after an assessment is completed before a reassessment reminder is triggered. Set this to match your firm's policy.
Review the manual override setting. This controls whether fee earners can manually change a risk rating after the system calculates it. Discuss with your compliance lead whether to allow this before enabling it.
Once the Legl team confirms your template is built, review it in the Risk Assessments section before going live. Test it on a sample client to check the scoring returns the expected result.
ℹ️ Important information
Only admin users can access Risk Assessment settings and manage templates.
The build process typically takes a few days once your materials are submitted. Allow time for a review cycle before your go-live date.
Risk assessment templates can be updated after go-live, but changes affect all future assessments. Notify your team before making changes to a live template.
You can archive templates that are no longer in use. Archiving removes them from the active list but cannot be undone — in-progress assessments based on an archived template can still be completed.
Source of Funds information is automatically pulled into risk assessments where your template includes Source of Funds questions. This feature is live for all firms but requires the relevant questions to be mapped in your template. Ask your Launch Manager to confirm whether this is configured for your template.
Before you move on
You have submitted your risk assessment materials to your Launch Manager.
You have configured your escalation alert email and reassessment reminder period in Risk Assessment settings.
You have agreed your manual override policy with your compliance lead.
Your template has been built, reviewed, and is ready for go-live.
ℹ️ Further guidance
ℹ️ Next steps
If you have other modules to configure, return to your Phase 2 module list.
When all your modules are ready, move on to Launch Phase 3: How to add and manage users.