The Legal Services Commission has delayed tendering for civil legal aid contracts by six months, in a move described as a ‘mixed blessing’ by lawyers.

The delay means that family solicitors will have to wait longer for the new rules, which will ensure they are paid the same as barristers for advocacy work.

Tendering for civil contracts from April 2010 was scheduled to take place in September. However, the LSC has announced that it will extend the existing contracts until October 2010 to allow more time to finalise arrangements.

Richard Miller, head of legal aid at the Law Society, said: ‘While it is disappointing for those family practitioners who were anxious to secure harmonised advocacy rates at the earliest possible opportunity... the LSC was unable to finish redrafting the contracts, resolve the issue of selection of criteria for allocating contracts, or to finalise the tendering requirements in the time available.

Leading family solicitor Christina Blacklaws said the delay was a ‘mixed blessing’ which ‘prolongs insecurity for firms’.

However she added that some ‘breathing space’ might allow ‘a more pragmatic and sensible approach to the issue from the LSC’.

LSC chief executive Carolyn Regan said it was ‘prudent’ to give lawyers more time to prepare for the tender.