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14.62Contract work is claimed by submitting details of the bills to the LAA. With the exception of magistrates’ court non-standard fees, you do not need to send in the file of papers and bills will not be individually assessed.
14.63Each month, you should submit form CRM6 to the LAA using the legal aid online portal:
https://lsconlinesso.legalservices.gov.uk. Each line on the CRM6 represents one bill. There is a series of codes you should use to differentiate between different types of cases, different offences and scheme areas (for police station fee purposes). The LAA then set off each bill against your contract payments, with the overall aim being that payments match claims, within acceptable reconciliation boundaries – see chapter 19. The codes can be found on the legal aid website at
www.gov.uk/government/publications/cwa-codes-guidance.
14.64Non-standard fees in the magistrates’ court are subject to individual assessment by the LAA. You should complete form CRM7 with details of the case and the amount claimed, plus justification for the costs, and submit it as an e-form through LAA online:
https://lsconlinesso.legalservices.gov.uk.
1Specification para 10.74. The LAA will assess the bill and return details of the amount allowed, which will be credited to your contract account rather than paid to you direct.
14.65If you disagree with the assessment, there is a right of appeal to an Independent Costs Assessor (ICA), who is a solicitor independent of the LAA. The Assessor will consider the file, the LAA assessment and your representations and will reduce, confirm or increase the amount allowed by the LAA. There is a 28-day time limit to appeal, and appeals will generally be dealt with on the papers. Full details of the appeal process are set out in the contract.
2Specification section 8.14.66There is no right of appeal beyond the Assessor under the 2017 Crime Contract. Under previous contracts you could apply for a point of principle of general importance (POP) to be certified but this right has been removed from the 2017 contract. Whilst ICAs must take POPs into account, no new POPs will be certified from April 2017.