For large and established churches
The Church Legal Review
A confidential, attorney-led review of your church's legal foundation, done before the next stage of growth rather than after a problem.
Why churches ask for one
Churches rarely outgrow their mission. They outgrow their paperwork. Bylaws written for a launch team still govern a church of thousands. Pastor agreements were signed before the books, the broadcast and the second campus. Entities get added without the agreements between them.
Most of it stays invisible until a board vote, an IRS question, a dispute or a transition tests it. A Legal Review finds it while you still choose the timing.
What we review
Eight areas, read against how your church actually operates today.
Governance, bylaws and board
Whether your bylaws, board structure and decision authority match how the church actually operates.
Entities, campuses and tax-exempt status
How campuses, schools, foundations and LLCs are structured, and whether filings and exemptions are current.
Pastor and executive agreements
Employment terms, outside income, intellectual property and transition provisions for senior leaders.
Compensation and housing allowance
Whether compensation is approved by an independent body with documentation, and housing allowances are designated in advance.
Intellectual property and media rights
Who owns sermons, books, music, courses and media, and whether your names and marks are protected.
Contracts, vendors and property
Key agreements, renewal terms, signing authority, leases and facility use.
HR, staffing and child safety
Handbook, classification, termination practices, volunteer screening and reporting procedures.
Insurance and risk
Coverage gaps, including sexual abuse and molestation coverage, and how incidents are handled.
What you receive
Written findings
What we found, area by area, in plain language.
A prioritized roadmap
What to address first, who owns it, and what it involves.
A board-ready summary
A short version your board can act on.
Your options
Project work, ongoing outside counsel, or your own team carries the roadmap forward. There is no obligation to engage us further.
How it works
A few hours of your leadership's time, then your written report in about six weeks.
- Request Tell us about your church through the form below.
- Fit call Regan replies to arrange a short call to understand your situation and agree the scope.
- Engagement agreement A fixed fee, scope and schedule in writing. Our attorney-client relationship begins here.
- Document intake We send a checklist and a secure way to share documents.
- Review A few hours with your leadership team, on site or by video.
- Written report About six weeks later, you receive your findings and roadmap, and we walk your leaders through them.
Who should take part
- Senior pastor
- Executive pastor
- Board chair
- Finance lead
- HR lead
What we will ask for
- Articles of incorporation, bylaws and amendments
- Board minutes and resolutions from recent years
- Organization chart and a list of related entities
- Pastor and executive agreements and compensation approvals
- Employee handbook and HR policies
- Volunteer screening and child-safety materials
- Insurance policies
- Key contracts, leases and intellectual property registrations
Questions
Who is the Legal Review for?
Churches of 2,000 or more in weekly attendance, and churches five to ten years in that are adding campuses, entities, staff or media.
How long does it take?
A few hours of your leadership team's time, on site or by video. Your written report follows in about six weeks.
What does it cost?
A fixed fee, set out in the engagement agreement before we begin.
Does it replace our CPA, auditor or insurance broker?
No. We work alongside them where their work touches ours.
Is it confidential?
Once the engagement agreement is signed, yes. Before then, please do not send confidential information through the website. We will set up a secure way to share documents after signing.
Do you handle litigation?
No. Our work is proactive counsel. If a dispute becomes litigation, we help you find and work alongside litigation counsel.
Request a Legal Review
Tell us about your church. Regan reads every request and will reply to arrange a short call if it looks like a fit.
Submitting the form below does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential information.
Tell us about your church
In your message, please include your average weekend attendance, how long the church has been established, your number of campuses, and what prompted you to reach out.
Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential information.
