Guidance

Legal aid guidance

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

From:
Legal Aid Agency
Published
1 June 2014
Last updated
20 December 2024 鈥� See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

Civil

(PDF, 419 KB, 1 page) 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

(PDF, 510 KB, 6 pages) helps clients with civil legal problems.

(PDF, 298 KB, 4 pages)

(PDF, 115 KB, 1 page)

Lord Chancellor鈥檚 guidance

(PDF, 335 KB, 14 pages)

(PDF, 566 KB, 59 pages)

(PDF, 1.52 MB, 137 pages)

(PDF, 210 KB, 8 pages)

(PDF, 327 KB, 21 pages)

(PDF, 10.3 KB, 1 page)

(PDF, 23.1 KB, 1 page)

(PDF, 544 KB, 36 pages)

Costs assessment guidance

The costs assessment guidance has been amended to take account of the UK鈥檚 exit from the European Union.

There are 4 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, one for use with the 2018 standard civil contract and the fourth for use with the 2024 Standard Civil Contract.

For use with 2024 contract:

(PDF, 997 KB, 104 pages)

For use with the 2018 contract:

(PDF, 315 KB, 29 pages)

(PDF, 1.1 MB, 106 pages)

(PDF, 1 MB, 106 pages)

For use with the 2013, 2014 and 2015 contract:

(PDF, 1.03 MB, 109 pages)

(PDF, 142 KB, 6 pages)

(PDF, 190 KB, 8 pages)

For use with the 2010 contract:

(PDF, 736 KB, 64 pages)

(PDF, 742 KB, 64 pages)

Other guidance

(PDF, 116 KB, 3 pages)

(PDF, 274 KB, 3 pages)

(PDF, 718 KB, 68 pages)

(PDF, 246 KB, 5 pages)

(PDF, 338 KB, 1 page)

(PDF, 1.97 MB, 191 pages)

(PDF, 492 KB, 3 pages)

(PDF, 940 KB, 101 pages)

Crime

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

PDF, 2.55 MB, 145 pages

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Case enquiry contact lists

(PDF, 298 KB, 4 pages)

(PDF, 116 KB, 2 pages)

Case enquiry contact lists for advocates

(PDF, 389 KB, 5 pages)

Updates to this page

Published 1 June 2014
Last updated 20 December 2024 show all updates

  1. Published updated version of the Civil Finance Electronic Handbook.

  2. Updated version of Statutory Charge Manual.

  3. Published updated Lord Chancellor's guidance on determining financial eligibility for certificated work, exceptional funding (inquests), and exceptional funding (non-inquests). Published Lord Chancellor's guidance on determining financial eligibility for controlled work and family mediation.

  4. Updated civil finance handbook v3.4

  5. Crime contact details desk aid updated to reflect a change to the name and email addresses for one of our teams 鈥� Criminal Finance is now Magistrates Billing.

  6. Update after change in monarch.

  7. Introdcution to early billing for Asylum matters

  8. Updated version of Statutory Charge Manual

  9. Civil Finance Electronic Handbook updated to version 3.2.1.

  10. Introduction of advice for Immigration and Asylum detainees in prison in response to successful challenge

  11. Substitute the Criminal Bills Assessment Guidance with a newer version

  12. The following documents have been updated: Cost Assessment Guidance 2018, Cost Assessment Guidance 2018 (tracked changes), Cost Assessment Guidance 2013, and Cost Assessment Guidance 2013 (tracked changes).

  13. The following documents have been updated: Cost Assessment Guidance 2018, Cost Assessment Guidance 2018 (tracked changes), Cost Assessment Guidance 2013, and Cost Assessment Guidance 2013 (tracked changes).

  14. Narrative and guidance: legal aid updated following EU Exit.

  15. Costs assessment guidance has been amended to take account of the UK鈥檚 exit from the European Union.

  16. change EU rights to retained EU rights on Laspo Doc

  17. Published new version of the Civil Finance Electronic Handbook. These changes are part of our preparations for exiting the European Union once the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.

  18. A new version of the Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO) has been published. These changes are part of our preparations for exiting the European Union once the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.

  19. Version 9 of the Criminal Bills Assessment Manual published.

  20. Guidance on the changes to the 2018 Immigration specification published.

  21. New version of Civil Finance electronic handbook uploaded.

  22. New version of the Civil Finance Electronic Handbook uploaded.

  23. Changes have been made to the Cost Assessment Guidance documents to support the further amendments to the LAA's payment on accounts procedures.

  24. Updated Evidence Requirements for Private Family Law Matters guidance published.

  25. Updated version of 'Lord Chancellor's Guidance' uploaded and 'Gateway Removal Guidance' uploaded.

  26. An update of the the 'Remote Family Hearings: updated ways of working' document has been published.

  27. We have made minor amendments to version 8 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012 - Evidence Requirements for Private Family Law Matters) 2012 (8th Jan 2018) in order to relax the evidence requirements needed to be submitted by victims of DV and CA in order for those individuals to still be able to submit evidence alongside their application for legal aid.

  28. Remote Family Hearings: updated ways of working guidance added under "Other guidance".

  29. Recovery services contact details updated in 'Contact details desk aid: Civil'.

  30. An updated version of the Criminal Bills Assessment Manual published.

  31. Updated crime contact details desk aid.

  32. Updated version of the Criminal Bills Assessment Manual published.

  33. Updated contact desk aid for advocates.

  34. Publication of guidance update 'Civil Legal Advice (CLA) - September 2019 changes'

  35. Updated Civil Finance handbook uploaded.

  36. Updated Civil Contact Desk Aid.

  37. Update of Civil finance handbook.

  38. Paying for your civil legal aid leaflet updated

  39. Publication of the Position of the Legal Aid Agency as to undertaking work with the National Centre for Domestic Violence.

  40. Update to the The electronic handbook

  41. Update to guidance

  42. Update to costs assessment guidance

  43. Update to Cost Assessment Guidance

  44. LAA statutory charge position statement

  45. 'Criminal Bills Assessment Manual' updated with June 2018 Prison Law Amendments.

  46. Electronic handbook updated.

  47. Update to Criminal Bills Assessment Manual

  48. Evidence requirements for private family law matters guidance and Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO) updated.

  49. Contact details updated: 'Paying for your civil legal aid' and 'The statutory charge manual'.

  50. 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.

  51. Contact details desk aid: criminal updated.

  52. Advocates contact details desk aid added to page.

  53. Civil and criminal contact details desk aids published.

  54. Narrative and guidance: legal aid document updated.

  55. 'Lord Chancellor's guidance (under section 4 of LASPO)' updated.

  56. Updated evidence requirements for private family law matters guidance published.

  57. Criminal bills assessment manual updated.

  58. Costs assessment guidance 2013 updated.

  59. Evidence requirements for private family law document updated.

  60. Post-judgment notice to Director of Legal Aid Casework (LAC): IS v Director of LAC and Lord Chancellor: ECF Guidance (non-inquests) added

  61. Updated Lord Chancellor funding guidance (non-inquests) published 9 June 2015

  62. Costs assessment guidance for 2010, 2013 and 2014 Standard Civil Contracts updated.

  63. A guide to claiming electronic evidence as pages of prosecution evidence published.

  64. New Lord Chancellor's guidance

  65. Notice to Director of Legal Aid Casework added

  66. First published.

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