Covid-19: changes to paper account submissions

We would encourage you to submit accounts using Legal Aid Online (LAOL).

If you are unable to submit your accounts online we have created an email address which will allow you to attach your accounts and email them directly to us.

Sending paper accounts securely using email

Where you send us accounts and any attachments, such as vouching, by email they must be compressed, encrypted and sent using the free open source software 7-zip.

Once you have installed the software it is a simple process to compress the document and email it to us using 7-zip.

We have provided some instructions below. Please note: the process may differ depending on the email client you use.

For example:

• To compress the account, right click on the document and choose option > 7-zip, then >compress and email.
• In the pop-up window that opens you must encrypt/password protect the document. In the Encryption section of the pop-up enter a password for the file. You require to enter and re-enter the password to protect the document.
• When you hit ‘OK’, an email should open with the compressed zip file attached. The password should not be included with this email message.
• Enter paperaccounts@slab.org.uk in the ‘To’ field and add any message.
• The password requires to be sent by separate email message, to the same email address. Please include the legal aid reference as the subject header.

You should attach and send your accounts individually and securely to paperaccounts@slab.org.uk.

Please note, there is a 50MB limit for each email sent.

Procedure if file size greater than 50MB

If your account is going to exceed that limit, please send us the completed synopsis form only.

We will register the account based on the information recorded on the synopsis.

We will then notify you to upload the account as an attachment to the record.

Similarly for any attachments such as vouching or supporting information you should not send these to us by email, but instead these should be uploaded and attached to the record once the account has been registered.

Accounts submitted in this way will be considered and processed as normal.

We will notify you of any queried work items or abatements made to the account.

It would be helpful if you could include the email address on the front of the account that you would like us to send the offered account securely to.

We have updated our contact us page with details of the email addresses for each account’s team.

If you have any queries about this update, please contact Eileen Grant, Assistant Manager, Accounts Assessment