Guidance

Civil processing dates

Check timescales for LAA to process your work (for example, civil applications and bills).

From:
Legal Aid Agency
Published
1 June 2014
Last updated
31 March 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

Summary of processing timescales

Information will be updated on a weekly basis and the current position will be the oldest date as of Friday the previous week.

(Last updated 24 March 2026)

Current targets:

Civil applications Civil amendments Civil bills Very high cost case plans and correspondence (family cases exceeding £25,000 using single counsel*)
85% processed (end-to-end) in 20 working days (excluding the most complex cases) 75% processed (end to end) in 20 working days (excluding the most complex cases) 95% of complete and accurate bills within 20 working days 95% within 20 working days

We continually aim to turnaround applications and bills as soon as possible and strive to deliver performance under our current set targets.

Civil applications

We are currently receiving high levels of intake following restoration of our civil systems. Please only contact the Customer Service Team if your work is outside of the date below or you have a hearing in the next 48 hours.

The oldest date represents the current turnaround time for applications that require a full means and merits assessment. Applications without a means assessment, or those cases where the client receives a passported benefit, will take approximately 6 days less time to process. The oldest date does not take into account applications where the LAA is waiting for a response to a request for further information

Work type Current Processing Date
Applications (inc means assessments) 9 February 2026
Amendments 12 February 2026
Prior Authorities 30 March 2026
Appeal 18 March 2026
Discharge 16 March 2026
Means re-assessments 20 March 2026

Please note that Prior authorities should be submitted via a ‘Prior Authority Task’ not an ‘Amendment Task’ the dates above will depend on how the Prior Authority is submitted.

Civil Applications and Exceptional & Complex Cases are distinct teams with separate workstreams. Each operates under different KPIs and oldest date metrics. Please find below the latest update regarding Exceptional & Complex Cases.

ECCT applications

The percentage of cases older than the current processing date includes ongoing matters, where further information has previously been requested by ECCT

ECCT Work type Current Processing Date Backlog % Older Than Current Processing Date
ECC emergency applications 23 March 2026 30.2%
ECC Substantive Applications 19 February 2026 20.1%
ECC Amendments 30 January 2026 5.4%
ECC Appeals 22 January 2026 16.9%
ECC Case Plans 11 February 2026 4.8%
ECF Work type Current Processing Date Backlog % Older Than Current Processing Date
ECF New Applications 25 September 2025 3.0%
ECF Amendments 12 November 2025 4.8%
ECF Reviews 24 July 2025 7.3%

Civil bills

Please remember to submit your CCMS Outcome promptly to avoid payment delays as these timescales for CCMS claims reflect those claims that have already had their ‘outcomes’ reported and finalised. Civil news: submitting case ‘outcomes’ and prompt payments

Work type Current Processing Date
Court Assessed 17 March 2026
Fixed fee 19 March 2026
Hourly rate 17 March 2026

FAS and POA claims we are processing within 4 working days and in most cases 2 to 3 working days

Please allow a further 5 – 9 days for payment to be received.

For further performance information please see the Government Performance Platform.

High Cost Family

Work type Current Processing Date
Single Case plan 06 March 2026
Two Case plan 09 March 2026
Correspondence 24 March 2026

(*) Please note case plans which fall into the following categories of law fall into the 2 Counsel workstream; Child Abduction, FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) and FMPO (Forced Marriage Protection Order)

For more information on the LAA’s current contingency measures please see here www.gov.uk/guidance/legal-aid-agency-cyber-security-incident

Updates to this page

Published 1 June 2014
Last updated 31 March 2026 show all updates

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