Guidance

Legal aid guidance

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

Published 1 June 2014
Last updated 16 April 2018 — see all updates

• From: Legal Aid Agency

• Applies to: England and Wales

Civil

Narrative and guidance: legal aid (PDF, 514KB, 29 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, 227KB, 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)

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)

Costs assessment guidance

The Costs assessment guidance has been amended to take account of the 2015 Standard Contract and in order to set out the extent to which disbursements can be claimed for investigatory help work in Exceptional Case Funding matters.

There are 2 versions of the costs assessment guidance, one for use with the 2010 Standard Civil Contract and the second for use with the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Standard Civil Contracts.

This applies to work governed by both the 2010 Standard Civil Contract and the 2013 Standard Civil Contract and the 2014 Standard Civil Contract.

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, 1.3MB, 107 pages)

• Costs assessment guidance tracked changes (2013) (PDF, 1.32MB, 107 pages)

Other guidance

The electronic handbook (PDF, 2.35MB, 151 pages)

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

Crime

Crown Court Fee guidance (PDF, 1.66MB, 116 pages)

The criminal bills assessment manual (PDF, 1.93MB, 108 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.

Offence classification and type for AGFS and LGFS claims (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 317KB)

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

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)

Case enquiry contact lists

Contact details desk aid: criminal (PDF, 280KB, 2 pages)

Contact details desk aid: civil (PDF, 452KB, 4 pages)

Case Enquiry Contact Lists for Advocates

Contact details desk aid: advocates (PDF, 323KB, 5 pages)

Published 1 June 2014
Last updated 16 April 2018 + show all updates

1. 16 April 2018 Electronic handbook updated.
2. 21 February 2018 Update to Criminal Bills Assessment Manual
3. 8 January 2018 Evidence requirements for private family law matters guidance and Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO) updated.
4. 21 December 2017 Contact details updated: 'Paying for your civil legal aid' and 'The statutory charge manual'.
5. 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.
6. 27 February 2017 Contact details desk aid: criminal updated.
7. 15 December 2016 Advocates contact details desk aid added to page.
8. 16 November 2016 Civil and criminal contact details desk aids published.
9. 2 August 2016 Narrative and guidance: legal aid document updated.
10. 22 July 2016 'Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO)' updated.
11. 21 April 2016 Updated evidence requirements for private family law matters guidance published.
12. 1 February 2016 Criminal bills assessment manual updated.
13. 2 December 2015 Costs assessment guidance 2013 updated.
14. 17 July 2015 Evidence requirements for private family law document updated.
15. 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
16. 9 June 2015 Updated Lord Chancellor funding guidance (non-inquests) published 9 June 2015
17. 13 May 2015 Costs assessment guidance for 2010, 2013 and 2014 Standard Civil Contracts updated.
18. 5 February 2015 A guide to claiming electronic evidence as pages of prosecution evidence published.
19. 1 October 2014 New Lord Chancellor's guidance
20. 18 September 2014 Notice to Director of Legal Aid Casework added
21. 1 June 2014 First published.