Guidance

Legal aid guidance

General information including on costs assessment and remuneration for civil and crime matters.

Published 1 June 2014
Last updated 6 December 2019 — see all updates

• From: Legal Aid Agency

• Applies to: England and Wales

Civil

Narrative and guidance: legal aid (PDF, 577KB, 28 pages) details certain aspects of legal aid such as:

• prior authorities (including authorities for counsel and experts in Children Act cases)
• funding for cases outside England and Wales

Paying for your civil legal aid (PDF, 591KB, 6 pages) helps clients with civil legal problems.

Evidence requirements for private family law matters guidance (PDF, 855KB, 31 pages)

Lord Chancellor’s guidance

Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO) (PDF, 761KB, 62 pages)

Civil Legal Advice (CLA) - September 2019 changes (PDF, 116KB, 3 pages)

Lord Chancellor's guidance - determining eligibility (means) (PDF, 953KB, 128 pages)

Lord Chancellor's guidance - exceptional case funding (inquests) (PDF, 317KB, 7 pages)

Lord Chancellor's guidance - exceptional case funding (non-inquests) (PDF, 228KB, 20 pages)

Notice to the Director of Legal Aid Casework: Lord Chancellor’s guidance on exceptional funding (non inquests) (PDF, 10.3KB, 1 page)

Post-judgment notice to Director of Legal Aid Casework (DLAC): IS v DLAC and The Lord Chancellor: ECF Guidance (non-inquests) (PDF, 23.1KB, 1 page)

Costs assessment guidance

The Costs assessment guidance has been amended to take account of the 2018 Standard Civil Contract and in order to clarify that reasonable time may be claimed for submitting communications and applications via CCMS.

There are 3 versions of the costs assessment guidance, one for use with the 2010 Standard Civil Contracts, one for use with the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Standard Civil Contracts and the third for use with the 2018 Standard Civil Contract.

For use with the 2018 contract:

• Costs assessment guidance (2018) (PDF, 1.42MB, 107 pages)

• Costs assessment guidance tracked changes (2018) (PDF, 1.44MB, 109 pages)

For use with the 2010 contract:

• Costs assessment guidance (2010) (PDF, 973KB, 67 pages)

• Costs assessment guidance tracked changes (2010) (PDF, 1.1MB, 67 pages)

For use with the 2013, 2014 and 2015 contract:

• Costs assessment guidance (2013) (PDF, 1.45MB, 108 pages)

• Costs assessment guidance tacked changes (2013) (PDF, 1.46MB, 108 pages)

Other guidance

Civil Finance electronic handbook (PDF, 1.73MB, 151 pages)

The statutory charge manual (PDF, 940KB, 115 pages)

LAA statutory charge position statement (PDF, 492KB, 3 pages)

Position of the Legal Aid Agency as to undertaking work with the National Centre for Domestic Violence (PDF, 338KB, 1 page)

Crime

Criminal Bills Assessment Manual (PDF, 1.74MB, 111 pages) sets out the Legal Aid Agency’s approach to costs assessment where work is undertaken in the magistrates’ court under a representation order. The guidance is applied when assessing non standard fee claims and for costs compliance audits on fee claims.

The Crown Court guidance covers all aspects of Crown Court legal aid fees under the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) and Litigators’ Graduated Fee Scheme (LGFS).

Case enquiry contact lists

Contact details desk aid: criminal (PDF, 218KB, 2 pages)

Contact details desk aid: civil (PDF, 252KB, 4 pages)

Case Enquiry Contact Lists for Advocates

Contact details desk aid: advocates (PDF, 389KB, 5 pages)

Published 1 June 2014
Last updated 6 December 2019 + show all updates

1. 6 December 2019 Updated crime contact details desk aid.
2. 22 July 2019 Updated version of the Criminal Bills Assessment Manual published.
3. 11 July 2019 Updated contact desk aid for advocates.
4. 11 June 2019 Publication of guidance update 'Civil Legal Advice (CLA) - September 2019 changes'
5. 3 June 2019 Updated Civil Finance handbook uploaded.
6. 9 April 2019 Updated Civil Contact Desk Aid.
7. 29 March 2019 Update of Civil finance handbook.
8. 6 February 2019 Paying for your civil legal aid leaflet updated
9. 19 December 2018 Publication of the Position of the Legal Aid Agency as to undertaking work with the National Centre for Domestic Violence.
10. 3 September 2018 Update to the The electronic handbook
11. 3 September 2018 Update to guidance
12. 3 September 2018 Update to costs assessment guidance
13. 3 September 2018 Update to Cost Assessment Guidance
14. 11 July 2018 LAA statutory charge position statement
15. 11 June 2018 'Criminal Bills Assessment Manual' updated with June 2018 Prison Law Amendments.
16. 16 April 2018 Electronic handbook updated.
17. 21 February 2018 Update to Criminal Bills Assessment Manual
18. 8 January 2018 Evidence requirements for private family law matters guidance and Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO) updated.
19. 21 December 2017 Contact details updated: 'Paying for your civil legal aid' and 'The statutory charge manual'.
20. 7 August 2017 The Criminal Bills Assessment Manual updated to reflect the 2017 Standard Crime Contract changes and adds clarity to other areas, in particular the April 2017 changes to Police bail.
21. 27 February 2017 Contact details desk aid: criminal updated.
22. 15 December 2016 Advocates contact details desk aid added to page.
23. 16 November 2016 Civil and criminal contact details desk aids published.
24. 2 August 2016 Narrative and guidance: legal aid document updated.
25. 22 July 2016 'Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO)' updated.
26. 21 April 2016 Updated evidence requirements for private family law matters guidance published.
27. 1 February 2016 Criminal bills assessment manual updated.
28. 2 December 2015 Costs assessment guidance 2013 updated.
29. 17 July 2015 Evidence requirements for private family law document updated.
30. 15 July 2015 Post-judgment notice to Director of Legal Aid Casework (LAC): IS v Director of LAC and Lord Chancellor: ECF Guidance (non-inquests) added
31. 9 June 2015 Updated Lord Chancellor funding guidance (non-inquests) published 9 June 2015
32. 13 May 2015 Costs assessment guidance for 2010, 2013 and 2014 Standard Civil Contracts updated.
33. 5 February 2015 A guide to claiming electronic evidence as pages of prosecution evidence published.
34. 1 October 2014 New Lord Chancellor's guidance
35. 18 September 2014 Notice to Director of Legal Aid Casework added
36. 1 June 2014 First published.