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CCMS Billing & Legal Aid Costs Recovery Specialists

Specialist CCMS billing and Legal Aid costs support for solicitors across England & Wales.

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"Ultimately, we use SPH because they almost feel like an extension of the firm. They get the files billed quickly, without drama, freeing up solicitors time to concentrate on their ongoing work and the firm gets costs for the files promptly."​

 

Legal Aid billing can be technically demanding and time-consuming, particularly where CCMS claims are rejected, queried, reduced or delayed. SPH Costs provides specialist CCMS billing and Legal Aid costs drafting for solicitors and Legal Aid firms across England & Wales.

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We assist with claim preparation, billing, amendments, Legal Aid Agency queries, reassessments and costs recovery through to payment. Our Legal Aid costs team has decades of experience and has successfully processed thousands of claims. We support firms undertaking publicly funded work across housing, family, Court of Protection, community care and civil litigation.

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Whether you need assistance with a single CCMS claim or ongoing Legal Aid costs support, SPH Costs can manage the costs process while your fee earners concentrate on their substantive legal work.  We do not deal with Criminal Costs.​​

Why Firms Instruct SPH Costs

Many firms seek specialist support after encountering:

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  • Fee earners spending excessive time dealing with CCMS administration

  • Claims delayed for months following LAA queries

  • Concerns regarding recoverability of exceptional or complex work

  • CCMS claims queried or rejected

  • delays caused by LAA clarification requests

  • uncertainty surrounding recoverability

  • reassessment disputes

  • escape fee difficulties

  • procedural issues affecting payment

  • problems evidencing complexity or preparation time

 

Our role is not limited to drafting claims.

 

We assist firms in:

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  • improving cashflow and reducing delayed payment.

  • improving recoverability

  • reducing avoidable reductions

  • managing assessment risk

  • resolving difficult Legal Aid costs issues

  • reducing fee earner time spent dealing with procedural disputes

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We have decades of experience and have successfully processed thousands of claims.

Legal Aid Costs Drafting Services

We prepare and manage:

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  • Controlled Work claims

  • Licensed Work bills

  • Escape fee claims

  • Hourly rate claims

  • Exceptional case claims

  • Legal Aid detailed assessment proceedings

 

Claims are prepared with:

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  • recoverability

  • evidential support

  • assessment strategy

  • audit-readiness

 

in mind from the outset.  We regularly manage the process through to payment on behalf of firms across England & Wales.

CCMS Billing & Legal Aid Costs Management

CCMS problems frequently arise due to:

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  • coding issues

  • evidential deficiencies

  • certificate amendments

  • narrative problems

  • procedural non-compliance

 

We support firms with:

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  • CCMS billing

  • amendments and corrections

  • responses to LAA queries

  • reassessment requests

  • appeals and recovery disputes

  • improving claim presentation

 

Early specialist involvement frequently prevents avoidable delay and reduction.

High Costs Case Plans (HCCP)

High Costs Case Plans form an important part of the wider Legal Aid costs recovery process.

 

Poorly structured HCCPs frequently lead to:

  • delayed approval

  • restrictive funding assumptions

  • amendment difficulties

  • downstream recovery problems

 

We assist firms with:

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  • drafting and revising HCCPs

  • responding to LAA queries

  • structuring assumptions and phases

  • aligning HCCPs with future recovery strategy

 

For dedicated High Costs Case Plan support see:  Legal Aid High Costs Case Plans

 

Managing Legal Aid Costs Risk

Legal Aid recovery depends upon far more than preparing a technically compliant claim.

 

Successful recovery frequently requires:

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  • careful procedural management

  • clear evidential support

  • accurate coding

  • strategic presentation of work undertaken

  • anticipation of likely assessment issues

 

We support firms by:

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  • identifying issues before submission

  • reducing risks of rejection

  • strengthening recoverability arguments

  • assisting with reassessment and appeals

  • managing difficult assessment issues

 

This allows fee earners to focus on substantive legal work rather than prolonged administrative disputes with the LAA.​

Who We Act For

We act for:

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  • Legal Aid firms

  • housing solicitors

  • family law practices

  • Court of Protection practitioners

  • community care teams

  • civil litigation firms undertaking publicly funded work

 

across England & Wales.

 

Speak to a Legal Aid Costs Specialist

  • CCMS claim rejected?

  • Facing delayed payment?

  • Need urgent Legal Aid billing support?

  • Problems with reassessment or amendments?

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Contact SPH Today and speak with one of our Team.  Email: egb@sphcosts.com

 

If your firm requires support with:

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  • CCMS claims

  • Legal Aid billing

  • reassessment disputes

  • delayed payment

  • rejected claims

  • escape fee issues

  • strategic Legal Aid costs advice

 

SPH Costs provides specialist Legal Aid costs support nationwide. 

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Common Costs Problems

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Legal Aid costs recovery frequently involves issues such as CCMS claim rejections, prior authority concerns, payment delays, assessment reductions and LAA queries. For further practical guidance, visit our Common Costs Problems resource centre.

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