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Guidance

Legal Aid Agency cyber security incident

A dedicated space with the latest updates, following the 2025 cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services.

From:
Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid Agency
Published
22 May 2025
Last updated
29 May 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

Access to the Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services providing key functionality are now available.  Contingency processes, information and FAQs related to the cyber-attack that were previously held in this page have been archived and will be retained for audit purposes.

For any query related to the cyber-attack, please contact our Customer Services Team on 0300 200 20 20. Opening hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively, email the Chief Executive’s Correspondence and Parliamentary Engagement Team at corporatecorrespondenceteam@justice.gov.uk.  

Any other query, including case specific queries, should continue to be directed to contactcivil@justice.gov.uk.

Data Exfiltration Injunction  

In May and June 2025, we took legal action to prevent the unlawful use, disclosure, publication or communications of information obtained from the LAA’s IT systems. We have no indications that the data has been released and we continue to monitor the situation.

Restoration Of Crime Systems

Access to Crime Apply and Submit a Crime Form has been restored.  

If you are unable to access Sign in to Legal Aid Services, please contact the Online Support Team (0300 200 2020) or inform your Contract Manager. 

A reminder that the LAA’s contingency measures for Crime applications ended on 30 September 2025.

As of 00:00, 1 October 2025:

  • Delegated authority for representation order applications in all case types is no longer available.
  • You no longer have authority to grant representation in any case type under delegated powers, please take note of this when instructed from 00:00, 1 October 2025 onwards. If you have any questions on a specific circumstance that is not clear, please refer to the guidance on submitting criminal legal aid applications in the first instance
  • Proceeding once instructed under delegated authority after this date from 00:00, 1 October 2025 is ultra vires and would entitle the LAA to refuse payment of any associated fees.

Monthly Claim Submissions

Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) enables providers to upload Legal Help, Crime Lower and Mediation monthly submissions. Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) went live on 4 February 2026.

For further information, please visit Submit a Bulk Claim (SaBC) - GOV.UK

Civil billing: Average Payments Scheme 

The Average Payment for Civil Representation scheme has now closed, and claims should be submitted as normal through the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS).

For more information on civil restoration and on the recoupment schedule for average payments, please see Civil System Restoration – Handling of Contingency Work - GOV.UK

Crime billing

Information on Crime billing, including all the relevant forms, can be found as follows:  

Crime billing: Current processing dates

You can check our current processing dates here Crime processing dates - GOV.UK 

Civil applications

Civil applications: Submitting funding requests and correspondence to the Civil Applications Team 

Access to LAA online services has been restored. CCMS or Civil Apply systems should be used in all circumstances. Submissions sent via emails are no longer accepted, unless access to the system is declined or any work that has been submitted to the LAA has yet to appear on CCMS - in these circumstances  please contact the Customer Service Team for further assistance.

Civil applications: Exceptional and complex cases 

Please click here Exceptional and Complex Cases ECC timelines and application guidance (MS Word Document, 15.6 KB) for further guidance on emergency and urgent matters.

Further information and guidance on Exceptional and Complex cases is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Contingency Measures for ECCT

Civil applications: High-Cost Family work 

Information and guidance on High-Cost Family work is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: High Cost Family Contingency Processes

Civil applications: Delegated functions to grant emergency funding 

Information and guidance on delegated functions to grant emergency funding, including the current Tables of Delegated Functions, is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: The Facility to use Delegated Functions

Civil applications: Support for providers using delegated functions 

Information and guidance for providers using delegated functions is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Gateway Evidence Check

Civil applications: Non-Means, Non-Merits Cases 

Information and guidance on Non-Means, Non-Merits cases is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Non-Means Non-Merits Cases

Civil applications: Applications already submitted via CCMS

For submissions that were submitted to CCMS prior to the cyber-attack and had not been processed when system access was removed, providers will receive CCMS notifications as they are processed.

Civil applications: Delegated functions to amend a substantive certificate  

Information and guidance on delegated functions is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Substantive Amendment

Civil applications: Emergency Applications 

Information and guidance on Emergency Applications is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Emergency Applications

Civil applications: Substantive Applications  

Information and guidance on Substantive Applications is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Substantive Applications

Civil applications: Means Assessment  

Information and guidance on Means Assessment is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Means Assessments

Civil applications: Substantive Amendments 

These measures ended on 1 December 2025. Information and guidance on making determinations following a substantive determination by the Legal Aid Agency is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Substantive Amendment

Civil applications: Further information requests  

Information on the handling of requests for further information where a case continues to be managed under contingency arrangements is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Further Information Requests

Civil applications: Appeals 

Information and guidance on appealing determinations made under contingency arrangements is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Submitting a Query, Review or Appeal

Civil applications: Withdrawals 

Information and guidance on Withdrawals is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Withdrawals

Civil applications: Re-assessments 

Information and guidance on Re-assessments is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Re-assessments

Civil applications: Means Reviews 

Information and guidance on Means Review is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Submitting a Query, Review or Appeal

Civil applications: Contributions  

Information and guidance on Contributions is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website:Contributions

Civil applications: Provider transfer 

Information and guidance on Provider Transfers for cases which are not on CCMS is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Provider Transfers

Civil applications: queries

Information and guidance on submitting queries  is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Submitting a Query, Review or Appeal

Civil application and means-testing forms

Means-testing forms are available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Summary of Means Forms

Civil application forms are available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Summary of Application Forms

Civil applications: Large Volume Submissions 

Information and guidance on Large Volume Submissions is available on the Legal Aid Agency Learning website: Using Secure File Exchange

Crime applications 

Access to Crime Apply has now been restored.  

Crime applications: Claiming for Cases where no MAAT Number has been supplied  

Whilst we understand that you will not have a MAAT number for some cases dealt with under the LAA’s contingency measures, a note on the file referring to the incident will be sufficient for audit purposes. If you need to submit a CRM7, an explanatory note will equally suffice. As you will not have received a MAAT number for these cases, please use 900900 as a dummy MAAT number when claiming. This is essential to ensure that it is clear that your claim is a contingency claim and allows us to track and monitor these. 

When claiming a Committal for Sentence fixed fee on CCCD, the system requires a 7-digit MAAT number to be used to allow the claim to be submitted.   For these cases only, please use 4900900 when claiming.

Further resources 

Updates to this page

Published 22 May 2025
Last updated 29 May 2026 Show all updates

  1. The page as been updated in line with our current processes, we have also added links to relevant training materials on the Legal Aid Learning website.

  2. Exceptional and Complex Cases Team ECCT Submission Quick Guide and Exceptional and Complex Cases ECC timelines and application guidance, have been updated.

  3. Information under Monthly Claim Submissions, has been updated.

  4. Information under Civil applications: Delegated functions to grant emergency funding, has been updated.

  5. Civil applications: High-Cost Family work Contingency Processes document updated.

  6. Information under Civil billing: Average Payments Scheme has been updated.

  7. Contingency Monthly Contract Submission updated.

  8. Information under Civil billing: Average Payments Scheme, has been updated.

  9. The Civil billing: Average Payments Scheme section has been updated.

  10. Dates for Monthly Claim Submissions and the Contingency Monthly Contract Submission template have been updated.

  11. Civil application sections updated

  12. The following sections have been removed: Guidance on the Use of Delegated Functions, Crime applications: Applications already submitted via Crime Apply , Crime applications: Summary only \ Either Way applications where the proceedings are taking place in the Magistrates’ Court, Crime applications: Stockpiled Applications , Crime applications: All Other Applications , Crime applications: Extradition Matters, Crime applications: Post submission Evidence (PSE), Crime applications: Passported applicants , Crime applications: Change in Financial Circumstances (CIFC) applications , Crime applications: Interests of Justice (IOJ) Widgery criteria, Crime applications: Declaration signatures , Crime applications: Claiming for Cases where no MAAT Number has been supplied , Crime applications: Additional guidance , Crime applications: Changes to CRM14,Crime applications: Examples of when to submit / not submit , Retaining Information for Audit,

  13. Information about the Bulk upload spreadsheet has been added and the corresponding document has been updated.

  14. Submit a Bulk Claim - replacement service for CWA has been added.

  15. The End of Enhanced Business Continuity Measures for Crime Applications has been updated.

  16. Crime applications Restoration Of Crime Systems, The End of Enhanced Business Continuity Measures for Crime Applications, and Crime billing: Magistrates court claims (CRM7) have been updated.

  17. Restoration of Crime Systems has been added.

  18. Under Crime applications: Restoration Of Crime Systems; End of LAAs Enhanced Business Continuity Measures for Crime Applications; and Guidance on the Use of Delegated Functions, have been updated.

  19. Crime billing: Applications for Prior Authority (CRM4) and Crime billing: Applications to Extend the Upper Financial Limit (CRM5) have been updated.

  20. Under Civil applications: High-Cost Family work, the contingency process document has been updated.

  21. Monthly Claim Submissions dates have been amended.

  22. Under 'Delegated functions to grant emergency funding', emergency representation period and cost limitation figures have been updated. The Table of Delegated Authorities linked to the Procedure Regulations August 2025 has also been added.

  23. Under Monthly Claim Submissions, the Contingency Monthly Contract Submission template has been updated.

  24. Under Crime billing: Applications to Extend the Upper Financial Limit (CRM5), the CRM5 form has been updated.

  25. Under Crime billing: Applications for Prior Authority (CRM4) section of the incident page, Expediting CRM4s information has been added.

  26. Under the heading Crime billing: Applications to Extend the Upper Financial Limit (CRM5). The CDS5 Version 3 November 2009 form has been replaced with the CRM5.

  27. Under Monthly Claim Submissions, The Contingency Monthly Contract Submission template has been updated.

  28. Magistrates court through to sentence in Crown Court template has been updated.

  29. Magistrates Court sentencing template and Crown Court sentencing template updated.

  30. The Contingency Payment Providers Guide has been updated.

  31. Civil applications, Crime billing and Crime applications have been annotated.

  32. The information on Passported applicants  has been updated.

  33. Delegated functions to grant emergency funding entry has been updated.

  34. A description for the civil average payment process for escalation has been added.

  35. Added Contempt of Court (CRM CLAIM 11), Prison Law Exceptional Case Claims (CRM18A) and additional point to the Applications for Prior Authority (CRM4) section.

  36. Change to Summary only \ Either Way applications where the proceedings are taking place in the Magistrates’ Court . The Magistrates court through to sentence in Crown Court template was updated. The Crown Court sentencing template was updated.

  37. Added Extradition Matters under Criminal Applications

  38. The Legal Aid Agency Contingency Monthly Contract Submission attachment was updated. Submission date to report May CWA has changed. 

  39. Guidance has been added on various sections, please familiarise yourself with the new content of the page.

  40. High Cost Family (HCF) contingency guidance has been updated

  41. Contingency Payment: Providers Guide and Opt-In Contingency Declaration 2025, have been updated and the supporting text amended.

  42. Information on civil applications on Civil Prior Authority requests, has been updated.

  43. Additional information has been added for crime applications.

  44. Exceptional and Complex Cases Team Submission Quick Guide has been updated.

  45. Information about monthly claim submissions has been updated.

  46. Crime billing information has been updated.

  47. The ECCT submission quick guide has been updated.

  48. Details on civil applications and registering High Cost Family cases, has been updated.

  49. Guidance on civil applications has been updated.

  50. Changes to the Contingency for Criminal Legal Aid Applications document added.

  51. Additional information added and page updated.

  52. Attached document updated.

  53. Civil Bills Contingency Spreadsheet updated.

  54. Guidance document updated.

  55. information updated and CRM4 Word form added

  56. The information on Crime Billing and Crime Lower, Legal Help and Mediation monthly submissions , has been updated.

  57. Legal Aid Agency Contingency Monthly Contract Submission form added

  58. Updated guidance.

  59. Updated section 'CRM7'.

  60. Updated 'Civil applications' section.

  61. Updated guidance.

  62. Updated guidance.

  63. Information on average payments for civil representation scheme published which includes a provider guide and Opt-in declaration form. 

  64. First published.

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