It is important to be aware that the process of selecting the type of account you are framing can affect the system calculations in respect of expenditure levels.
It is your responsibility to ensure that any claim that you make has proper regard to the expenditure limits that are in place and we would encourage you to do the following in advance of submitting an interim fee claim:
- Frame a draft on-line account of the fees and, where appropriate, outlays incurred to date by selecting the synopsis type as ‘final’:
- This will ensure that expenditure calculations are applied thereby significantly reducing the risk of the interim fee claim being overstated, which may ultimately require you to refund SLAB
o You will then be able to see if any restrictions are necessary in circumstances where the authorised expenditure level has been exceeded at any stage prior to obtaining an increase.
o Where there are outlays these should be included in the draft account at the point where they have been incurred and this will be allow you to identify the total value of those charges and ensure there is sufficient expenditure left to meet those charges.
- Where outlays have been incurred and they meet the criteria for an interim claim these must be submitted separately from any claim for solicitor’s fees.
- The interim outlay process remains unchanged from the current process in non-recovery A&A cases. You should follow the guidance available here to make a claim (Note although this is a link to guidance on how to submit claims in civil legal aid cases the process for advice and assistance cases is broadly the same).
- On establishing the level of interim fee you wish to claim you should then return to the synopsis tab and select ‘Interim’ and follow the relevant guidance below.
- The on-line system will validate the interim fee claimed to ensure it does not exceed the current final expenditure available.
- This calculation will have regard to any previous interim payments (outlays or fees) as well as any draft outlays.
