Legal Aid Newsletter | September 2025
Welcome to your September 2025 edition of the Legal Aid newsletter from Resolution.
If you have any feedback from this newsletter, or would like our team to look into any issues for you, please email us.
Resolution working for you
Resolution has been representing members’ interests at meetings with the LAA concerning the cyber incident and restoration of services.
It really helps if you can let us know what is working and not working for you and any changes you’d like to see. Please email: [email protected]
Resolution’s legal aid committee discussed what practitioners can do to prepare for the restoration of the LAA’s systems.
LAA cyber incident restoration of systems
Initially the system will only be available from 7am-7pm on weekdays. The LAA understands that this is not ideal but they don’t want to overload the system and will probably need time when it is not available externally to make further changes once it goes live.
Applications submitted under contingency arrangements will be entered onto CCMS by the LAA, as they have all the required information.
However, firms’ administrators will need to link old cases to fee-earners (using the same process as previously eg. when cases transferred within a firm when someone leaves). This is because the previous links don’t exist anymore.
ID verification for costs professionals
We know that members are concerned about the checks needed to enable costs professionals to submit bills when CCMS is restored.
The LAA has issued an FAQ which explains what you need to do.
LAA updates on applications, hints and tips
Since entering business continuity plus measures on 27th June, the LAA have received the following weekly average intakes:
- 12 emergency applications
- 51 non-family applications
- 262 family applications
- 493 amendments
- 36 appeals
- They have been turning around decisions on average within 3 – 5 working days.
- They have approximately 10,000 records that will need to be entered on to CCMS when they regain access.
LAA services to help providers
The fixer service remains available if a provider is not content with a decision the LAA have made. This can also be used to seek support navigating the contingency process; [email protected]
Providers with complex queries in relation to a client’s financial eligibility assessment, can seek assistance from a dedicated team of caseworkers before granting emergency representation under delegated functions.
LAA audits
Contract Manager reviews
While systems get back to normal Contract Managers will just be looking at core issues, eg Supervisor requirements, rather than files. Reviews may be remote and they should be flexible on dates as the LAA realises there will be a lot of work for providers with the restoration of systems access.
Peer reviews
No new peer reviews are planned for now. They will concentrate on follow up reviews on organisations which failed first time.
Core testing (LAA audit on individual files for National Audit Office assurance) – This is currently restricted to crime (AGFS, LGFS, High Cost Cases, CRM7s). Once access to systems is restored, core testing will resume.
Dates for your diaries – civil contract 2027
The LAA are starting preparation for a full re-tender. The new contract will start in 2027, so they expect bidding to start in June 2026. In the meantime, the ‘always on’ tendering system will continue for 2024 civil contracts.
Since the ‘always on’ process started in November 2024, withdrawals from contracts are tending to be balanced out by new contracts. The LAA is gaining a new insight into the market as they now have a better understanding of the market between main tender processes.
They have learned from crime contracting, both the main re-tender (contracts to start in October), and the ‘always on’ system (which has been running longer in crime). They have simplified the contract application guide. They also know more about where people get stuck in verification and where they need more clarity on that. They aim to continue to improve.
Existing contract holders – new offices and office moves
The LAA has informed the representative bodies that you can now request to move your office or open a new office as an existing provider through your Contract Manager rather than having to go through the tender process.