How to cover a legal vacancy while you recruit

To cover a legal vacancy while you recruit, work out which tasks cannot stop, decide who can safely take them, and bring in interim cover for the rest. Brief the interim lawyer on the same scope you would give a permanent hire, tell them plainly how the search relates to their role, and plan the handover to the new person before the search closes. Give the cover clear responsibilities and a workable route for escalating decisions.

A vacancy is different from a planned leave. There is often no overlap, the departing lawyer's knowledge may be walking out of the door, and the end date is unknown because it depends on a search. That uncertainty shapes every choice below.

Start by naming the gap

Write down three things before you pick a solution.

• What the role actually did. Not the job description, but the work: the matters, the recurring questions, the stakeholders who relied on that person.
• What has to continue. Anything with a deadline, a regulatory edge or a revenue consequence.
• What can wait. Work that can be deferred after checking deadlines, consequences and stakeholder agreement. Do not assume that a policy or clean-up project can wait.

If the lawyer is still in the building, capture knowledge now. A short matter list with status and next dates, a list of the outside firms and who manages them, and notes on any open commitments will save far more time than it costs. If they have already left, ask whoever worked with them most to help rebuild the picture.

Your options, compared

Redistribute internally. Fast and cheap on paper. The risk is that colleagues who could do the work in theory have no spare capacity in practice. Ask who has real hours, not who has the skill.

Use outside counsel. Good for specialist or one-off matters. For recurring work, assess the firm’s capacity and familiarity with the business alongside the cost of embedded support. Compare cost, availability and how well the firm already knows your business.

Bring in interim senior counsel. A defined-term lawyer, whether full-time or part-time, takes over the day-to-day flow while the search runs. This works best when the role is clear and the lawyer can start when needed. We help teams bridge legal vacancies with dedicated full-time secondments or part-time Fractional InHouse support.

Hire a recruiter for the permanent role. This is a separate decision from interim cover. The interim lawyer does not replace the search, and the search does not solve the next three months.

You can combine interim coverage, outside specialists and permanent recruitment if each has a clear role and budget.

If one provider offers both interim and permanent

Some providers offer interim talent and permanent recruitment under one roof, and that can be convenient. It also raises questions you should ask before you sign.

• Is the permanent search exclusive, and if so, for how long?
• If you already have a recruiter with an exclusive mandate, how does the interim engagement avoid stepping on it? Raise this at the start so nobody is surprised.
• If you want to hire the interim lawyer permanently, what is the conversion fee and how does it change over time? Our conversion fee decreases with time in the engagement. We explain the applicable terms up front; make sure the mechanism is in your agreement.
• What happens if the match does not work? Ask how a replacement is handled and who bears the cost.
• Who controls the candidate relationship once the interim lawyer is on site?

We also offer permanent legal recruitment. Interim work can help clarify the role before the permanent search starts.

Be honest with the interim lawyer

The interim lawyer needs to know what they are being asked to do and what is likely to happen at the end. Say clearly whether the role may become permanent, and be careful not to promise it. Conversion depends on budget, approvals and the outcome of the search, and none of those are in the lawyer's control or yours alone. A realistic message is that you would be glad to consider it if the fit is right and the role is approved, with no commitment either way.

Also be clear about the interim period itself. If the search might finish in two months or in six, agree how the engagement can be extended, shortened or ended, so that neither side is trapped.

Protect continuity

A short list of habits keeps the work moving.

• Give the interim lawyer access to systems, shared drives and the matter list on day one.
• Introduce them to the people who rely on that seat most.
• Agree what they can decide, what they raise with you, and what escalates.
• Keep a simple weekly check-in so problems surface early.
• Keep a running log of decisions and changes, because it will become the permanent hire's handover.

Assess the interim lawyer against the work and decision-making responsibilities in the brief, including when they should seek specialist support.

Plan the handover to the permanent hire

Overlap gives the permanent hire a chance to ask questions about live work and recent decisions. Plan and budget for it where feasible. Where overlap is not possible, the interim lawyer should leave a written handover: open matters and status, decisions taken, template or process changes, and contacts.

Discuss exit and extension options early, including notice, costs and availability. Confirm any continuing role separately when the remaining work and budget are clear.

Budget and approvals

Check which budget the cover can come from. Some teams fund interim support from the outside counsel budget rather than from headcount, which can matter when hiring is limited. Others need different approvals. Ask finance and HR what applies to contractors before you promise a start date.

Checklist before you brief the market

1. What work must continue, and what can wait?
2. Who is capturing knowledge from the departing lawyer, and by when?
3. Is the need full-time or part-time, and for how long?
4. How does interim cover fit with the permanent search or any recruiter?
5. What are the conversion terms, and do you want that option?
6. What access does the interim lawyer need on day one?
7. How will the handover to the permanent hire work?
8. Who approves the spend?

If you would like help scoping interim cover, tell us about the gap.

Working alongside an existing recruiter

Interim support can coexist with a permanent recruiter when both agreements allow it. Before introducing candidates, check exclusivity, candidate ownership, introduction periods, placement and conversion fees, and any restrictions on direct approaches. Agree in writing who handles the permanent search, who manages interim capacity and how overlapping candidates will be handled. Do not assume a flexible engagement overrides the current recruiter agreement.

Temp-to-perm versus hiring directly

Temp-to-perm provides a period of working together before a permanent decision, if the lawyer wants that option and the terms allow it. It may bring capacity sooner while the role is clarified, but involves interim fees, possible conversion fees and the risk that the lawyer is unavailable or unwilling to convert. Direct hiring commits to a permanent role sooner and may avoid duplicate searches, but offers less observation of day-to-day fit before employment. Compare time to useful capacity, total costs, sustained demand and candidate expectations. Agree conversion and notice terms before making an offer; neither route guarantees fit.