I don’t like Mondays

Even those legal aid practitioners who generally take a more optimistic view than the Boomtown Rats may find themselves concurring this week. There’s a lot happening and none of it is exactly good news.

• The Family with Housing tender closes at noon on 3rd October.
• New maximum experts fees come into force for cases started on or after 3rd October for both civil and criminal cases
• 10% fee cuts apply to civil cases (both controlled and certificated)  for cases strated on or after 3rd October (fees for family and family with housing cases under the Unified Contract will notbe  cut until 1st February 2012)
• In Crime new fees will apply in the Magistrates’ Court, and London weighting will cease for such cases
• In particular, solicitors will no longer be paid for representing defendant clients in either way cases under a representation order,  if clients are committed for trial
• There will also be changes to the online reporting system for civil and crime