Billing Review 2023 | Legal-Eagle Training

A 2023 REVIEW AND UPDATE ON THE BILLING OF CRIMINAL LEGAL AID – SATURDAY 30th DECEMBER 2023 – 10:00 – 11:00

This presentation will bring you up to date with the various important DOCUMENTS published in 2023 concerning the billing of criminal legal aid.

It will also provide you with the 8 Statutory Instruments that were published in 2023 concerning the billing of criminal legal aid

In an ideal world, you would be able to keep up to date with the publication of these documents but, alas, there just aren’t enough hours in the day!

In addition to providing you with all of the 2023 documentation, it will deal with ‘20 things you really ought to know when billing criminal legal aid work in 2023/2024’

WERE YOU AWARE THAT THE HOURLY RATES FOR COSTS FROM CENTRAL FUNDS ARE GOING UP AS FROM THE 1ST JANUARY 2024?

It has been written, and will be presented by, Colin Beaumont, contributor to the book – ‘Criminal Costs – Legal aid costs in the criminal courts – Anthony Edwards with Colin Beaumont’

This 1-hour ZOOM presentation will be accompanied by a full set of notes.

Anyone wishing to have the full set of notes and the recording should simply click here: mailto: colin@thelegaleagle.org or ring me (or send me a text) – (07887) 842985.

The following 20 Issues will be considered:

1 – The current fixed fee payable to the Trial Advocate involved in pre-recorded cross-examination and re-examination, and yes, it has gone up this year

2 – The criminal legal aid position concerning breaches of Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and proceedings in relation to Domestic Abuse Protection Orders

3 – Your client is charged at the same time with 2 offences – one of those offences remains in the Magistrates’ Court and the other is sent to the Crown Court – can you claim both a sending fee and a Magistrates’ Court fee in these circumstances? – Would it make any difference to your fee(s) if the matter retained in the lower Court WAS NOT DEALT WITH on the same occasion as the matter which was sent?

4 – Additional preparation fee for Trial Advocates if the matter goes to trial or becomes a cracked trial (April 2023)

5 – Designated and Undesignated areas when billing Magistrates’ Court cases – it could be clearer – e.g. do you know whether Cannock is Designated or Undesignated?

6 – Increased hourly rates coming into force in January 2024 with regard to Costs from Central Funds – former rates and the new rates and the percentage increases

7 – The legal aid position concerning the variation/renewal/discharge of Serious Violence Reduction Orders

8 – The legal aid position concerning appeals of Serious Violence Reduction Orders

9 – The position over the determination of financial resources where legal aid is being applied for in order to represent a child

10 – You represent 4 clients in the same case but they are sent to the Crown Court at different hearings – how many claims can you make? – What does Paragraph 10.140 of your Standard Crime Contract Specification document say about this scenario?

11 – How do you claim for a case in the Magistrates’ Court which is the subject of a contested Newton hearing?

12 – Charging the client privately for the sentencing hearing when you have earlier represented him under a Court Appointment

13 – Some more thoughts on the thorny issue of whether or not offences can be said to form ‘part of a series’

14 – Statutory Instrument 2012 No. 750 – some very useful paragraphs

15 – The hourly rates claimable under a defendant’s costs order (DCO) for proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court or for proceedings by way of an appeal to the Crown Court from the Magistrates’ Court – would you know where to find them?

16 – The hourly rates claimable under a defendant’s costs order (DCO) for proceedings on indictment in the Crown Court – would you know where to find them?

17 – Your client today pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court and was committed for sentence – the Judge at the Crown Court is not happy with the mitigation and decides that a contested Newton hearing is required – what fee, if any, is claimable by the Solicitor in these circumstances in relation to the contested Newton hearing?

18 – Your client was ineligible for legal aid in the Magistrates’ Court and is considering entering guilty pleas today – it’s one of those cases where, in all likelihood, he is going to be committed to the Crown Court for sentence – what is his Crown Court legal aid position in this scenario?

19 – In what circumstances might it be beneficial to apply for Certificate for Counsel where you have in-house Counsel (or possibly a Solicitor with Higher Rights) and in what circumstances might it not be quite so beneficial?

20 – Can you be asked to take on a Court Appointment during your rota period as the Court Duty Solicitor?

IMPORTANT

PLEASE LET US KNOW THE EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE PERSON TO WHOM WE SHOULD SEND THE INVOICE IF IT IS TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF

Invoices will be sent after the presentation and our normal terms of business apply i.e. PAYMENT WITHIN 14 DAYS