LSC extends family contracts
The Legal Services Commission has agreed to extend the family legal aid contracts for a month, as the Law Society won an application for an expedited hearing of its judicial review last week.
At a directions hearing at the High Court on Friday, the court granted the Law Society’s application for an expedited hearing of its legal challenge to the LSC’s family tender process.
The full hearing will take place on Tuesday 21 September. The judge ordered that the new contracts should not be issued pending the hearing of the case, although the LSC’s work on appeals and verification will continue.
The new contracts were due to begin on 14 October 2010, but the LSC has agreed to extend the current contracts for one month.
The Law Society and LSC are due to meet on Monday 6 September to sort out the practical details around the contract extension.
Comments
All civil contracts?
Does the extension apply to all civil contracts and the SWL tenders?
What about low volume categories, immigration, mental health?
Urgent clarification is needed.
We have asked the LSC for
We have asked the LSC for clarification on whether the extension applies to all civil contracts or just to the family contracts. The LSC told us that they are currently having a meeting to discuss the issues raised from Friday's hearing and will inform us as soon as possible. We will keep you posted of the outcome.
Good. Now what about action
Good. Now what about action on the SWL tenders? Chocolate teapot.
ilegal says it is likely to apply to all SWL & Family categories
OK, sticking my neck out rather than getting on with work but, I think the LSC will say it should apply to all categories in the SWL & Family tender round at least. I just can't see them sectioning off one subject category from what was ostensibly one tender process that involved several. I think it would raise legal questions that would make the mind boggle
It would also seem at odds with the earlier LSC statement that "On Friday 3 Sept, the LSC agreed to the Law Society's request to extend the existing Unified Contract (Civil) for another month", that we've been following on ilegal.org.uk
If the LSC were only talking Family, then I think it would have been a little less bold. However, echoing the statements of others, nothing would surprise me anymore
Let's have that statement then, LSC
It appears that the extension
It appears that the extension does apply to all civil contracts. The LSC has recently posted the following comment on its website:
'On Friday 3 Sept, the LSC agreed to the Law Society's request to extend the existing Unified Contract (Civil) for another month. We will issue a further statement later today.'
Update
Information just received from the LSC states that all current civil contracts will now run until midnight on Sunday 14 November. The new civil contracts will start on Monday 15 November. To cover the month extension current contract holders will receive an additional one twelfth of their new matter start allocation.
Extension of contracts
It's too little too late for my NfP organisation. I'm the only Solicitor in Family, and I've secured a post elsewhere. I can't run the risk of staying put, so this resource, (which as we're NfP has allowed me to help tricky clients local firms were unwilling to chance their arms on) will close imminently, and the volunteer advisers I've been able to support will lose that resource.
So much for the Big Society, eh?