Guidance

Crime processing dates

• From: Legal Aid Agency
• Part of: Payments and processing
• Published: 1 June 2014
• Last updated: 20 July 2017, see all updates
• Applies to: England and Wales

Check timescales for the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) to process your work (eg prior authority application, graduated fee claims).

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.

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

Crime applications

Current targets:

Applications and Appeals
90% within 2 working days

Work type	Current position (working days)
CRM14/15 - Application for legal aid	2 days
Administrative Interest of Justice Appeals	2 days

Very high cost cases and central fund claims - Criminal Cases Unit

Current targets:

All categories
90% within 20 working days

Work type	Current position (working days)
Audits	11 days
LGFS special preparation	18 days
AGFS special preparation	19 days

Criminal billing

Current targets:

Application for prior authority/applications to extend upper financial limit	Claims	LGFS & AGFS redetermination requests
90% within 5 working days	90% within 15 working days	90% within 30 working days

Work type		Oldest date of receipt by LAA of work now being processed
CRM4	Application for prior authority (disbursement)	2 days
CRM5	Application for prior authority (costs)	2 days
CRM7	Non-standard magistrates’ court claim	8 days
CRM18	Police station exceptional claim	9 days
LF1 (final)	Litigator graduated fee claim	10 days
LF1 (fixed)	Litigator graduated fee claim	6 days
LF1 (interim)	Litigator graduated fee disbursement	6 days
LF2	Redetermination request	20 days
AF1 (final)	Advocates fee	10 days
AF1 (fixed)	Advocates fixed fee	6 days
AF2	Advocates fee	29 days

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

The current position above is from the receipt of the claim to process completion and does not take into consideration the time taken for postage.

Using our online billing system

Crown Court Claims for Defence (CCD) will enable you to eradicate the additional postage delays in processing your claim and allow you to submit redetermination requests instantaneously.

You can also check on the progress of your claim on line at any time.

Document information

Published: 1 June 2014

Updated: 20 July 2017

+ full page history

1. 20 July 2017 Latest processing times published.
2. 12 July 2017 Processing times updated.
3. 7 July 2017 Dates updated.
4. 29 June 2017 Dates updated.
5. 14 June 2017 Dates updated.
6. 17 May 2017 Dates updated.
7. 12 April 2017 Dates updated.
8. 23 February 2017 Dates updated.
9. 8 February 2017 Dates updated.
10. 12 January 2017 Dates updated.
11. 6 January 2017 Dates updated.
12. 23 December 2016 Dates updated.
13. 15 December 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
14. 7 December 2016 Dates updated.
15. 24 November 2016 Dates updated.
16. 17 November 2016 Dates updated.
17. 9 November 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
18. 2 November 2016 Dates updated.
19. 27 October 2016 Dates updated.
20. 19 October 2016 Dates updated.
21. 12 October 2016 Dates updated.
22. 5 October 2016 Dates updated.
23. 28 September 2016 Dates updated.
24. 21 September 2016 Dates updated.
25. 19 September 2016 Dates format updated.
26. 14 September 2016 Dates updated.
27. 16 August 2016 Dates updated.
28. 8 August 2016 Dates updated.
29. 25 July 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
30. 4 July 2016 Dates updated.
31. 20 June 2016 Dates updated.
32. 7 June 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
33. 26 May 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
34. 9 May 2016 Dates updated.
35. 25 April 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
36. 18 April 2016 Dates updated.
37. 12 April 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
38. 31 March 2016 Crime processing dates updated.
39. 11 March 2016 Dates updated.
40. 7 March 2016 Dates updated.
41. 24 September 2015 Crime Processing Dates updated.
42. 4 September 2015 Crime processing dates updated.
43. 17 August 2015 Crime processing dates updated.
44. 5 August 2015 Crime processing dates updated.
45. 30 July 2015 Crime processing dates updated.
46. 13 July 2015 Crime processing dates updated.
47. 1 December 2014 Dates revised
48. 5 November 2014 Updated
49. 28 October 2014 Updated
50. 10 September 2014 New dates added
51. 5 September 2014 Dates updated.
52. 26 August 2014 Crime processing dates have been updated.
53. 26 August 2014 Telephone number changed.
54. 22 August 2014 Crime processing dates updated.
55. 1 June 2014 First published.

From: Legal Aid Agency

Part of: Payments and processing

Related guides: Apply for legal aid Legal aid: submit a litigator graduated fee claim online Claim for criminal legal aid work under graduated fee schemes Legal Aid Agency payments to providers