Dependant eligibility is the same either way: a spouse and unmarried children under 21 may seek L-2 status, and a spouse in valid L-2S status is employment authorized incident to that status. What changes is the sequence, since the family's steps follow the principal's case.
Match the family's steps to the chosen sequence
Because the two routes place the individual assessment at different points, the family's preparation may need to be ready at a different time. Decide early whether dependants travel together, and confirm each person's own documentary needs with counsel. If the route changes late, revisit the family's arrangements rather than assuming their part of the plan is unaffected by the employer's decision.
Add one further household point that route uncertainty makes sharper: agree what the family does if the route changes late. Because the individual assessment sits at a different point depending on the path taken, a switch can move the family's steps by weeks and can change what has to be ready when. Rather than re-planning under pressure, write down in advance which household commitments would need revisiting under each route and who makes that call.
Hypothetical example: a LIMS configuration specialist's household prepares dependants' documents to be ready at the earlier of the two possible points rather than the later, which costs nothing beyond some earlier paperwork and removes the scramble entirely when the employer changes its approach in the eighth week.