Designed change
The designed process would make the required documents, instructions and approval visible before a matter changes stage.
Illustrative scenario combining common practice needs. Software shown is a suggested stack.
Agree what ready means
The proposed workflow would identify the information and decisions needed to enter each significant stage. The team would agree which items require a document, which require client instructions and which need a lawyer's approval. The checklist would reflect the actual work rather than every feature available in the software.
Allow a considered exception
Where the responsible lawyer decides work should proceed with something outstanding, the design would record the reason and assign the follow-up. A visible exception would accompany the matter into its next stage. This preserves professional judgement while making the unfinished dependency available to everyone who needs to act on it.
The practical lesson
A stage should communicate a state of readiness that the team understands.