The Legal Services Commission has today extended the present family and combined family/housing legal aid contracts until 30 November next year.

The contracts had previously been extended until 14 December 2010.

The LSC said the additional extension of almost a year would give certainty to providers and clients.

The LSC will allocate new matter starts to cover the period from 15 December 2010 to November 2011. This allocation will be set out in a contract schedule which will be sent to providers before 15 December.

The LSC said that an announcement on the ‘harmonisation’ of family fees between solicitors and barristers will be made by ministers ‘as soon as possible’.

A Law Society spokeswoman said: ‘The Law Society believes this is a pragmatic response to the current circumstances that should give us all time to consider medium-term solutions.’