First news on new legal aid contracts

The LSC have just posted a document on their website setting out their approach to tendering for contracts from April 2013 following implementation of the legal aid bill. Every provider needs to read this document and begin planning now.

Key headlines include

• tenders for contracts in family, asylum, housing and debt will start in May
• existing community care, mental health, actions against the police and public law contracts will be amended rather than retendered
• all other categories will be terminated on six months notice in April 2013

Crime contracts will run until 2015.

Existing mediation contracts will continue but there will be a tender to increase capacity.

Telephone contracts, including giving effect to the gateway, will be tendered in the spring.

Family public law supervisors will may all be required to be members of the Children Panel.

All bidders will be required to have the SQM or Lexcel in place by the contract start date in April 2013.