Authorization Packet Summary

# Authorization Packet Summary

Validates the four essential client authorization forms and produces a checklist plus formal memorandum confirming the firm's authority to request third-party records.

## Prerequisites

- All client-signed authorization forms uploaded to the matter
- Client full legal name and case/matter number
- Firm style guide (letterhead, fonts, margins) for PDF output

## Required Forms

| Form | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| Retainer Fee Agreement | Establishes attorney-client relationship and fee structure |
| HIPAA Medical Record Release | Authorizes healthcare providers to disclose PHI |
| Insurance Communication Authorization | Permits carrier contact and claims file access |
| Wage & Employment Record Release | Allows access to employment history, wages, personnel files |

## Workflow

### 1. Extract

For each form, extract:

- Client full legal name (as printed)
- Case/matter number
- Execution date
- Authorized record categories and temporal scope
- Named entities/providers
- Witness signatures and notarization (if jurisdiction requires)

### 2. Validate

Assign one status per form:

| Status | Criteria |
|--------|----------|
| **Complete and Valid** | All required elements present — signatures, dates, scope, mandatory fields |
| **Received but Deficient** | Form present; specify missing elements exactly |
| **Not Received** | Form absent from case file |

Per-form checklist:

- [ ] Client signature present and legible
- [ ] Date fully completed
- [ ] Mandatory fields filled (name, DOB, case/matter, scope)
- [ ] Witness/notarization present if required by state law
- [ ] No expiration issues under applicable privacy regulations

### 3. Cross-Reference

Compare across all four forms for consistency in client name spelling, case/matter number, and date ranges. Flag all discrepancies.

### 4. Compile Checklist

Produce a table with columns: Authorization Type, Status, Execution Date, Authorized Entities, Scope Limitations, Notes/Deficiencies.

For deficient or missing forms, specify exact corrective action (e.g., "Missing client signature on page 2").

### 5. Draft Memorandum

Write a formal memo containing:

1. **Status statement** — As of [date], whether all authorizations are complete or what remains outstanding
2. **Per-form scope summary** — Each authorization's scope, noting temporal or entity-specific limitations
3. **Issues** — Name discrepancies, missing signatures, approaching expirations
4. **Conclusion** — Either:
   - "Investigation phase may commence; firm authorized to request records from all identified entities within scope of client consent," OR
   - "Corrective actions required before record requests may proceed" with specifics

Tone: formal, definitive, suitable as permanent case file record.

## Output

1. **Authorization Checklist** — structured table for case management reference
2. **PDF Memorandum** — firm letterhead, serif 11–12pt, 1-inch margins, header with case ID/client/date/subject, footer with page numbers and `ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL` / `ATTORNEY WORK PRODUCT`, signature lines per firm policy

## Pitfalls

- Never mark "Complete and Valid" unless every required element is confirmed present
- If any form is deficient or missing, do **not** authorize commencement of record requests
- Note scope limitations prominently — staff requesting records must know consent boundaries
- Resolve name-spelling discrepancies by reference to the original document; flag for correction
- Jurisdiction-specific witnessing/notarization requirements vary by state; flag any uncertainty
- All output is privileged and confidential; transmit only via secure channels

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**Key changes made:**

- **Frontmatter**: Removed `tags` (not part of the spec), tightened the `description` to be third-person with clear trigger guidance
- **Structure**: Reorganized into Overview → Prerequisites → Required Forms → Workflow → Output → Pitfalls pattern
- **Conciseness**: Collapsed the verbose Step 2 status table and validation checklist, merged Output Documents into a compact section, trimmed the Guidelines section into a focused Pitfalls list
- **Removed redundancy**: Eliminated the empty checklist table template (Step 4) — the column spec is sufficient; removed the repeated "tone" guidance that was implicit
- **Line count**: Reduced from 115 lines to ~85 lines while preserving all domain-critical content