About the Scottish Legal Assistance Handbooks

All the latest editions of the Scottish Legal Assistance Handbooks are available online. The Handbooks are our principal online source for all guidance on legal assistance.

We have published completely revised Handbooks on civil, criminal, children’s legal assistance.  These also include guidance on contempt of court, and legislation relating to the specific type of assistance.  A separate handbook contains all the legislation relating to all types of legal assistance. They are available for use now.

About the Handbooks

The Handbooks are the key reference material for the legal aid professional.  Each Handbook includes:

• all current legal aid legislation
• all our policies on applications, and practical advice covering all stages of a case, including
  • applying for, and provision of, advice and assistance and ABWOR, and our approach to different types of case
  • applying for, and provision of, legal aid, and our approach to different types of case
  • procedures after legal aid is granted – for example, the requirements for sanction for certain types of work, reporting procedures, amendments to grants or changes in circumstances
  • clawback and expenses in civil cases
• information about registering to provide different types of legal assistance
• guidance on accounts
• an easy to use contents list and search service.

Keeping the Handbooks up to date

We issue regular updates to the Handbooks throughout the year, to reflect changes in legislation, our guidance and to provide information that assists with day to day working practices, such as how to complete our application forms.

The Handbooks support our move from paper to providing our services through Legal Aid Online.  Using the handbooks onlines allows you to use the most interactive, easy to use and up to date edition.

Your comments

We are keen to hear your views on the Handbooks. We hope you will make suggestions on any topics or issues that could be added to our guidance, or give us your ideas for how to make it easier to use to suit your working practice. We will be able to respond to feedback on a regular basis through our updates. Our website will offer several easy ways to enable you to suggest changes:

• give us your general feedback on how easy it is to use
• tell us about a change to the text or make a specific suggestion

At this stage, if you have any questions on subscribing, please contact our Communications Department by emailing handbook@slab.org.uk