The Legal Services Commission has announced that all current ‘family only’ and ‘family with housing’ legal aid contracts will be extended until 14 December, following the Law Society’s successful judicial review of the tender process.

The LSC has until 29 October to decide whether to appeal the High Court judgment which has prevented it from awarding contracts to the providers that were successful in its tender.

The LSC also announced that all other civil contracts and family mediation contracts will start on 15 November.

An LSC spokesman said that it was ‘possible’ the LSC would announce its decision on whether to appeal in the next few days. However, he added that the commission is considering the judgment carefully and has until 29 October to notify the court and parties of its decision.

Last month Lord Justice Moses ruled that the LSC’s failure to give adequate notice of the selection criteria for its tender process was unlawful.