Costs Round-Up #44
Welcome to our latest weekly round up of legal costs news.
The week started with CCMS becoming mandatory for all new applications in Special Children Act cases. Any paper applications signed or delegated by the provider prior to the start date of 1st February 2016 must be received by the LAA on or before the 5th February to be dealt with outside of CCMS. If you are new to the system you may wish to read the recent CCMS Costs Top Tips of David Smith, our Head of Legal Aid.
Lord Justice Jackson has been in the news again this week, proposing that a contingency legal aid fund should be set up. The not for profit scheme would be funded by the government, the National Lottery or ‘quasi-debentures’.
Have you taken on pre-Jackson CFAs from a previous firm? This week in Kingston-upon-Hull County Court DJ Besford ruled that a CFA was terminated before being transferred as a result of the original firm informing the client that it was no longer conducting personal injury work. Rachel Rothwell reports on the case here
Following the decision last week to scrap the new contracting scheme for criminal legal aid, Lord Falconer asked the National Audit Office to investigate how much the attempted reforms had cost the taxpayer. Yesterday Justice Minister Shailesh Vara revealed that the Legal Aid Agency had incurred £141,519 in external legal fees in relation to the new contracts.
The Law Society are asking Solicitors to take part in a consultation about whether separate client accounts should be abolished. Nick Hilborne reports on the options being put forward for consideration here.
You can also have your say on family law via the current Resolution survey. It’s open to members and non-members and there is a chance to win an iPad mini…you can take part in the survey here
And finally…….we always knew working in legal costs was a glamorous career; Laura Stafford-Smith from our Norwich Office was head-hunted this week to be a model for a hair salon. She will be doing a photoshoot for a local magazine with a chance to win a place on a London catwalk!
Until next week…..
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