News story

Crime news: advocates’ claim receipts to stop 1 June 2016

Confirmation of receipt for Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme claims ends on 1 June 2016.

We will no longer be providing confirmation of receipt for AF1 and AF2 forms under the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) starting on 1 June 2016.

Instead, advocates now have the option of tracking the status of claims submitted electronically.

This follows the introduction of the online AGFS billing application, ‘Claims for Crown Court Defence’ (CCD). If you wish to sign up to submit your AGFS bills online through the CCD application, use the link below to the Crime Billing Online FAQs for instructions on how to gain access.

Benefits of online billing with CCD

  • simplifies AGFS billing, including evidence submissions
  • avoids postal delays
  • reduced postage and printing costs
  • online messaging and instant notifications from processing teams
  • track the progress of your AGFS bill through real time status updates
  • wet signatures no longer needed

Further information

Criminal legal aid processing: applications and digital systems – to find out more about online AGFS billing and download a ‘Crime Billing Online FAQ’ document

crowncourtdefence@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk – for email enquiries about the Crime Billing Online project

advocates-fee@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk – for all other email enquiries relating to the AGFS Scheme

Published 10 May 2016