The Legal Aid Agency has published an updated snapshot of current civil processing dates. This update provides helpful insight into expected timescales for applications, amendments and billing, particularly following the recent reinstatement of the online portal. Understanding these timelines allows firms and costs teams to plan billing, manage cashflow and set realistic expectations around costs progression and payment.

The 2026 Guideline Hourly Rates update affects London and National bands. This article compares the 2025 and 2026 figures and explains how hourly rates are challenged and assessed in costs disputes.

The Legal Aid Agency has confirmed that the Average Payment Scheme will end in January 2026, with recoupments starting shortly afterwards. Legal aid providers should now prioritise preparing and submitting legal aid costs claims via CCMS to minimise the financial impact of recoupment and avoid cashflow disruption. Early preparation will be critical as contingency arrangements are brought to a close.

From December 2025, civil legal aid fees will increase significantly, with major uplifts for housing and immigration controlled work and higher hourly and fixed fees. We explain what the new Regulations mean for providers and the practical cost implications.

Costs budgeting is a critical part of effective litigation, yet common mistakes can significantly limit costs recovery. This article explores frequent costs budgeting errors, including underestimating future phases, weak budget assumptions, and failing to update budgets as cases develop. It explains how early and ongoing involvement of specialist costs draftsmen can help solicitors prepare realistic budgets, manage spend, reduce disputes, and protect recoverable litigation co

A New Digital Dawn: Legal Aid Agency Unveils Silas, SPH Embraces the Change

Court of Protection Billing Update – 01st December 2025

The Legal Aid Agency’s Client and Cost Management System (CCMS) is now entrenched in everyday practice for legal aid firms. However, despite years of use, many solicitors and caseworkers still face frustrating CCMS rejections, delays, or requests for further information — all of which slow down cash flow and create unnecessary administrative burdens. With the reintroduction of the portal imminent, now is a good time to revisit common reasons for rejection. The vast majority

How Deputies Can Maximise Court of Protection Bills: A Practical Guide

The pilot scheme is due to end on 28th April. However, the Court will continue to accept electronic bills after that date given that the...

lectronic filing is routine, but filing errors can increase costs exposure. Understanding how e-filing mistakes affect recoverability and disputes is key to effective costs management.

Summary assessment has always been, in the writer’s opinion, somewhat of a “rough and ready” affair and whilst it is generally accepted by all parties to such assessments that the court will adopt a broad-brush approach to the same, it is not often that a receiving party is so aggrieved as to the outcome as to warrant an appeal. Such appeals can also have unintended consequences for the (in this case possibly quite pleased at first instance) paying party, and so it is in the

Costs Judge Master Whelan today handed down Judgment in the matter of PLK & Others which provides guidance to Costs Officers who assess...

Legal Aid costs are no longer “taxed” by the court, but reductions by the LAA remain common. This guide explains how CCMS claims are assessed in practice, why bills are cut, and how proper narratives, evidence, and escape fee strategy can maximise recovery.

Costs Budgeting – latest update to CPR heralds new Precedent T, Budget Variation Since the inception of the CPR in 1999, there have been many and varied amendments to the Rules, such that pursuant to the Civil Procedure (Amendment No 3) Rules 2020 the latest, 122nd Update to the Practice Direction comes mostly into force on 1 October 2020, with some provisions coming into force earlier on 23 August 2020. In advance of the same, and most pertinent to the realm of costs, the

VAT treatment in costs budgets is more than a technical drafting issue. The Marbrow decision affects recoverability strategy, paying party exposure, and how proportionality arguments play out at assessment.

Remote costs drafting and advocacy for detailed assessment, paying party costs and legal aid costs across England and Wales using secure electronic files and flexible working.

Latest Guidance on Proportionality ERNST MALMSTEN v LARA BOHINC [2019] EWHC 1386 (Ch) In this Commercial matter the Judgement of The...

Since the introduction of the additional consequences within CPR 36.17(4) consequent to a Claimant receiving a judgement in more...

A guide to Solicitors Act assessments and the one-fifth rule under section 70 of the Solicitors Act 1974. Learn when a client can challenge a solicitor’s bill and who pays the costs of assessment.