Internal Budget Approval Workflows in Brightflag give your team added oversight by routing internally created budget requests for review before they’re added to a matter. This ensures high-value matters receive the right level of approval while routine requests move forward without delay.
👉 If you’re working with vendor-submitted budgets, see Budget Requests – All You Need to Know
What Is a Budget Approval Workflow?
A Budget Approval Workflow is an automated rule that determines:
Who reviews an internal budget request: either the Internal Matter Lead or the Department Head
When approval is required: only for budgets that exceed a set threshold amount
Which department this applies to: workflows can be refined by department
With workflows in place, your team can be confident that the right person reviews internal budgets that cross important spend thresholds.
How Workflows Are Configured
Workflows are set up and managed by your Brightflag administrator. Each workflow includes:
One approver: either the Internal Matter Lead or Department Head
Threshold rules: approvals are triggered only for requests above the defined amount
Department-level conditions: workflows can differ by department, allowing for tailored oversight
✅ Workflows run automatically whenever an internal budget request meets the configured conditions.
Submitting an Internal Budget with an Approval Workflow
Create a new matter budget as usual.
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If your request is over the department’s threshold, Brightflag automatically routes it to the designated approver.
The approver receives an email notification.
The approver reviews the request in-app via: Matter Management → Budget Requests.
You can see the status of the budget (pending or approved) on the budget tab in the Matter Details.
The requester will receive an email notification once the budget is approved or rejected.
💡 If your request doesn’t meet the threshold, it is instantly applied to the matter without requiring approval.
Tracking Approvals
On the Budget Requests page, you can view:
Current status (pending, approved, rejected) – filtered by default to pending
Submitter and reviewer details (Internal Matter Lead or Department Head)
History with export – timestamps for all actions taken
This visibility ensures you always know exactly where your internal budget request stands.
FAQs
Does this apply to vendor-submitted budgets?
No. Vendor-submitted budgets follow a different process. See Budget Requests – All You Need to Know.
What happens if the requester and reviewer are the same person?
The budget is automatically approved.
What happens if an internal budget is rejected?
The requester will be notified and can revise the budget before resubmitting.
Who can set up or change workflows?
Only Brightflag administrators with the correct permissions. Administrators can also approve or reject budgets if required.
How do I enable this feature?
Contact your Customer Success Manager to discuss enabling Matter Budget Workflows and setting up the rules.
What happens if the Department Head or Internal Matter Lead changes?
Existing budget requests are automatically reassigned to the new Department Head or Internal Matter Lead. Note: they will not receive an email notification.
What happens if the department or matter associated with the budget changes?
The budget request will not be reassigned. Please reach out to your administrator for assistance.
Need Help?
If you’d like to set up Budget Approval Workflows for internal budgets or adjust your department’s threshold, please contact your Customer Success Manager.