The Holyrood administration is being urged to agree that Westminster's proposed method for staging an independence referendum is the "preferred route".
Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said he hoped talks with First Minister Alex Salmond could reach agreement on this.
The UK Government insists Holyrood does not have the legal power to organise a binding vote on independence and has suggested using a section 30 order to temporarily increase its powers to enable this to happen.
The Scottish National Party administration in Edinburgh has said it has no problem in principle with using a section 30 but rejects the "strings" the UK Government has attached to it. The issue will be raised when Mr Moore and Mr Salmond meet in Edinburgh on Monday.
The Scottish Secretary said he will "open talks on how we can deliver a legal, fair and decisive referendum for the people of Scotland".
He went on: "I think it would be helpful on Monday if we can agree that both governments regard the section 30 order as the preferred route to a legal referendum. There would still be a number of issues to discuss and resolve but it would send a strong signal that both governments want to work together to make sure the referendum is legal.
"It would be good to agree in principle that, if we can sort out the detail, a section 30 order approved by both parliaments is what both governments are aiming for."
Mr Moore said "good progress" on the ballot had been made in recent weeks, adding: "Both governments agree that we want a referendum that is free from legal dispute and that produces a result that everyone accepts."
He added: "We have already come too far to revert to referendum that could land us all in the courts."
A spokesman for Mr Salmond said: "As we have consistently said, the Scottish Government have no difficulty with a section 30 order. The key point which the UK Government need to commit to is that the terms of the referendum must be decided in Scotland, not by Westminster."
