The role requires following precise formatting rules under attorney supervision, so the employer wants to see that you can handle conflicting instructions without escalating unnecessarily or silently violating a written standard.
Explain your decision hierarchy: written style guide first, then a clear written clarification request, then a default that protects the firm's standard. Show you document your choice and leave an audit trail.
Start by acknowledging the attorney's instruction verbally so they feel heard, then say plainly that you will flag the conflict before touching the document. Explain that your default is always the written style guide, because it is the agreed standard for that client or court, and verbal instructions can be lost or misremembered. Say that you would send a short, polite written clarification, for example an email or a chat message, stating the specific rule from the style guide and the attorney's verbal instruction, then asking which one should prevail. Frame it as protecting the attorney, not questioning their authority, by noting that you want to avoid a rejected filing or a client complaint. If you cannot reach the attorney, explain that you would follow the written style guide and leave a clear note in your tracking log or email thread documenting the conflict, the date you tried to clarify, and the choice you made. This creates an audit trail that covers you and the firm. In a Philippine BPO or legal support setting, this also shows you understand that courts and clients enforce strict formatting, and that a misstep can cost time and money. Keep your tone respectful and solution oriented, using Taglish only lightly if the interviewer does, but keep the substance professional and precise.
A common mistake is to say, 'Sige po, susundin ko na lang yung sinabi ni Attorney,' even when it conflicts with a written guide. Instead say, 'I will check the written style guide, flag the conflict, and ask for confirmation in writing before changing the template.'
Situation
In my previous role as an intake and document assistant for a small immigration law firm, an associate told me to use single spacing for a client letter, but the firm's client communication guide required one-and-a-half spacing.
Task
I needed to prepare the letter the same afternoon without silently guessing which rule to follow, while avoiding repeated back-and-forth with the associate.
Action
I checked the written style guide first and noted the exact section that required 1.5 spacing. Then I sent a short Teams message to the associate: 'I have two format instructions for this letter, your single spacing and the client guide's 1.5 spacing. I will use 1.5 spacing as the default unless you confirm single spacing by 3 p.m., because that guide is the current template.' I also prepared the body in a way that would only require a global style change if she confirmed single spacing. When she did not reply by the deadline, I sent the letter in 1.5 spacing and added a comment in the file for the reviewing attorney.
Result
The reviewing attorney thanked me for not changing the firm's default style, and the next week the firm updated its internal policy to say VAs should follow the written style guide when verbal instructions conflict and the attorney is unavailable.
When instructions conflict, confirm in writing against the written authority, and set a reasonable default instead of guessing.
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