To open a new legal aid Family & Care matter, complete the following steps.
- Click New Matter
- Select the Family from the matter types list, and enter your matter Description
- Click OK
- Enter the relevant Staff details
- Select Legal Aid from the Billing Mode drop-down menu
- Click OK, and assign a client
- Completing the client details, ensuring that you have entered date of birth
- Navigate along to the Additional Fields tab to enter Disability, Ethnicity, UCN
Note: Once these details have been initially entered, they will be available matters associated with the client
- Click Save & Close
- To enter the relevant legal aid details, click on the Legal Aid Details button, from the Details & Correspondence tab.
- Complete the required fields and click Save & Close.
Controlled Work Matter
Ensure the matter is assigned to the correct Branch, enter the Date Opened, select the Type of Law, Procurement Area, Access Point and Case Stage Level from the drop-down menus and enter the Schedule Reference
Licensed Work Matter
Ensure the matter is assigned to the correct Branch, enter the Date opened, select the Type of law, Court/Level of judge and Client type from the drop-down menu’s.
Other fields that may be relevant to a licensed work matter are LA Order No, LA Order date, Court, Case No, Exemption criteria, ECF reference, Local Authority No and Transfer date
Family matter details
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Field
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Description
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Branch
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If your firm has multiple branches, select the branch that will be responsible for this matter
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Date Opened
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Date of initial attendance/first instruction on your client.
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UFN
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Unique File Number. Made up of the date opened and 3-digit case ID.
This will uniquely identify a legal aid case (when combined with LAA office account number), DDMMYY/NNN
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Rate
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Defines if the claims will be costed at London or National hourly rates, and fixed fee
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LA Order No
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The number that appears on the representation order that grants you to undertake legal aid work on behalf of the client
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LA Order Date
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The date on the representation order that authorises you to undertake work for your client on this matter
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Court
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The court where attendance will/or has taken place
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Case No
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The case reference number allocated by the court for this matter
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Type of Law
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Used for determining fees when recording CPGFS (Care Proceedings Graduated Fee Scheme), and FAS, (Family Advocate Scheme)
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Court/Level of Judge
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The type of court, or level of judge assigned to the matter
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Procurement Area
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The procurement area which reflects the location set out in your office schedule form which work is undertaken
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Access Point
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The access point which reflects the location set out in your office schedule form which work is undertaken
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Exemption Criteria
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Complete if the matter required certain criteria to be satisfied, in order to bring the matter into scope
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ECF Reference
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If exceptional case funding has been authorised, record the reference number issued.
Must be 9 characters, this will be in the format of ‘NNNNNNNAA’
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Case Stage Level
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Relates to the category(s) of work being carried out and will be utilised in determining the fixed fee that will be awarded when invoicing controlled work
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Code
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Levels
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For Family Public Law
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FPC01
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Level 1 Public
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FPC02
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Level 2 Public
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FPC03
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Level 1 and Level 2 Public
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For Family Private Law
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FPL01
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Level 1 Private
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FPL02
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Level 1 Private and Level 2 Children Fee with Settlement Fee
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FPL03
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Level 1 Private and Level 2 Finance with Settlement Fee
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FPL04
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Level 1 Private and Level 2 Children Fee
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FPL05
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Level 1 Private and Level 2 Finance Fee
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FPL06
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Level 1 Private, Level 2 Children Fee with Settlement, Level 2 Finance Fee with Settlement
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FPL07
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Level 1 Private, Level 2 Children Fee with Settlement, Level 2 Finance Fee with Settlement
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FPL08
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Level 1 Private, Level 2 Children Fee, Level 2 Finance Fee with Settlement
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FPL09
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Level 1 Private, Level 2 Children Fee and Level 2 Finance Fee
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FPL10
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Level 1 Divorce
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For Cases Starting at Level 2
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FPL11
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Level 2 Children Settlement and Level 2 Children Fee
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FPL12
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Level 2 Finance Fee with Settlement
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FPL13
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Level 2 Children Fee
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FPL14
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Level 2 Finance Fee
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FPL15
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Level 2 Children Fee with Settlement and Level 2 Finance Fee with Settlement
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FPL16
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Level 2 Children Fee with Settlement and Level 2 Finance Fee
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FPL17
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Level 2 Children Fee, Level 2 Finance Fee with Settlement
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FPL18
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Level 2 Children Fee and Level 2 Finance Fee
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For Help with Family Mediation
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FPL19
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Legal Help in support of Family Mediation
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FPL20
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Legal Help in support of obtaining consent order following settlement
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FPL21
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Legal Help with Family Mediation and Legal Help, following settlement of dispute
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Local Authority No
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This field should be completed in Care & Supervision cases where the Local Authority has provided written notice of its intention to issue proceedings. 4
The number recorded should be the reference number on the Local Authority correspondence. If the Local Authority has not provided a reference number, then 000 should be entered.
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Client Type
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The types of party(s), that are assigned to this matter.
P Parent (or person with parental responsibility)
C Child
J Joined party
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Schedule Reference
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The firms civil reference number, as specified by the Legal Aid Agency, at the time that this matter was opened
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Transfer Date
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If the matter has been transferred/will be transferred to/from another firm, enter the date of transfer
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Knowledge Base
