.
The last week was unusually busy, with a number of updates and announcements made on the LSC website. May 30th sees a change to some processing centres, with some changes for both
civil and
criminal work. The LSC has published a
guide (PDF), helpfully setting out what forms go where. Also with effect from the end of May, the LSC are
withdrawing most of their leaflets. Only "A Step by Step Guide to Legal Aid" and "Paying For Your Legal Aid" will remain in print. Practitioners who find other leaflets useful can
email the LSC before 27th May to order stock. PDFs of all the leaflets, including those to be withdrawn, are still available (for now) on the
LSC website. The LSC has also reiterated its
position on travelling and accomodation expenses, which it applies both to experts and to fee earners. Although the same post appears to have been put on both the
CLS and
CDS news feeds, and refers almost exclusively to criminal work, this is nevertheless the stance the LSC take in respect of all claims, both civil and criminal. Finally, non-family civil practitioners should note that, because of the introduction of the new
family fee schemes, there are changes to the
CLAIM forms that become mandatory for all cases from 9th May. Forms signed before 9th May will be accepted by the LSC until
3rd June.