Choosing the right legal resourcing model: Secondments or Structured Teams
As legal teams face increasing complexity, volume and scrutiny, resourcing decisions have become more nuanced and strategic. Cost pressure, increasing workloads, and higher expectations from the business mean that the question is no longer simply “Should we outsource?”
Instead, in-house teams are asking: “Which resourcing model best fits the work we need to deliver and the value we want to create?”
Secondments and Structured Teams each play an important role in how legal teams scale support. Understanding where each model works best is key to building a legal function that can flex and grow without compromising quality, control or cost.
Understanding the Different Models
Structured Teams are fully managed legal teams that operate as an extension of your in-house function.
They are designed for organizations that need ongoing, scalable support, without the rigidity of permanent hiring or the transactional nature of traditional outsourcing.
They are:
• Embedded into your systems, processes and workflows·
• Managed through clear governance and delivery oversight
• Built to flex with demand
• Designed to preserve knowledge and continuity
Rather than sending work “out”, Structured Teams bring capability in, with the structure and management needed to support consistent, high-quality delivery.
Secondments
Secondments provide immediate access to experienced legal professionals who can embed directly into a team and contribute from day one.
They work well when:
• Additional capacity is needed quickly
• Specialist expertise is required
• The work is time-bound or project-based
For some teams, managing multiple secondees or ongoing demand can create operational overhead, prompting consideration of more structured delivery models.
When Structured Teams add the most value
Structured Teams are most effective when:
• Work is ongoing or high-volume
• Multiple stakeholders need alignment (Legal, Sales, Procurement)
• Quality, speed and consistency are equally important
• Budget predictability and transparency matter
• Leadership wants visibility and defensible reporting
They provide a middle ground between outsourcing and individual resourcing, combining flexibility with structure and accountability.
What In-House teams are choosing in 2026
Increasingly, legal teams are moving away from binary choices, hire or outsource, and instead adopting hybrid, managed models that give them the best of both worlds.
Structured Teams offer:
• Control without overhead
• Scale without compromise
• Flexibility without chaos
The question for 2026 isn’t “Should we outsource?” it’s “What model best supports our team, our business and our risk profile?”
Get in touch with us to discuss what option works best for you and your team!