Legal aid plays a vital role in ensuring access to justice for individuals who cannot afford legal representation. In England and Wales, legal aid is publicly funded and administered by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), which sets out the framework for how legal professionals are paid for the work they do on behalf of eligible clients. This payment structure is known as legal aid billing.

Accurate and compliant billing utilising the correct legal aid billing rates is extremely important for practitioners to be reimbursed for the work they have done on behalf of clients who are legally aided, and also to avoid/minimise rejections from the LAA as to any costs claims submitted.

ARC Costs provides legal aid billing guidance and assistance to law firms providing services that are funded by the Legal Aid Agency.

What are legal aid billing rates?

Legal aid billing rates determine how much solicitors, barristers, and other legal aid providers are reimbursed for in relation to time spent on a case. These rates vary depending on several factors, including the area of law (criminal, civil, or family), the type of work involved, and the location.

The Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 establish the framework for compensating solicitors and counsel providing civil legal aid in England and Wales. The regulations have been amended over time to reflect changes in legal aid policy and practice.

A general rates calculator can also be found here for most types of work, which acts as a good starting point for anyone looking to value their costs claims.

Solicitor Rates (Family Work)

For general family legal aid work (including domestic abuse, children and finance without enhancement applied, but not care related matters), the following rates apply for non-London cases:

• Routine letters out: £6.35 (Higher Courts), £5.40 (County and Magistrates’ Courts)
• Routine telephone calls: £6.35 (Higher Court), £5.40 (County and Magistrates’ Court)
• Routine letters in: £3.15 (Higher Court), £2.70 (County and Magistrates’ Court)
• Preparation and attendance: £65.75 (Higher Court), £54.90 (County and Magistrates’ Court) 
• Court duty or conference with Counsel: £37.13 (Higher Courts), £32.40 (County and Magistrates’ Courts)
• Advocacy: £65.75 (Higher Courts), £56.70 (County and Magistrates’ Court
• Travelling and waiting: £32.18 (High Courts), £27.90 (County and Magistrates’ Courts)

It is important to note that in exceptional matters, enhancements can be claimed as against the basic hourly rates to maximise recovery from the LAA for the time legal representatives spend on a case.  Given that Solicitor rates were last reviewed in 2013 (and in fact reduced by 10% at that time), and in private inter-partes rates last reviewed in 2025 a Grade D (the most junior file handler) can recover a minimum of £139ph, it is imperative that legal aid Solicitors ensure they work with an experienced costs professional to maximise their recovery.

Amendments and Special Cases

The regulations have been amended to address specific legal contexts. For instance, the Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 introduced rates for civil legal services under paragraph 31C of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, particularly concerning removal notices under the Illegal Migration Act 2023. The rates for this work are:

• Preparation, attendance, and advocacy: £59.36 per hour (London), £54.40 per hour (Non-London)
• Travel and waiting time: £31.36 per hour (London), £30.49 per hour (Non-London)
• Routine letters out and telephone calls: £4.55 per item (London), £4.24 per item (Non-London)

These rates are detailed in Table 7(da) of the amended regulations.

Recovering costs from the Legal Aid Agency (LAA)

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) manages the legal aid system in England and Wales, including the payment of legal professionals for work carried out on behalf of legally aided clients. It enforces strict rules regarding what costs can be claimed, how much can be claimed, and the procedures for submitting those claims.

The process of recovering costs begins once a client has been granted legal aid. Legal practitioners must ensure their work remains within the scope of the legal aid certificate, which outlines the services approved by the LAA. Any work carried out beyond the scope of this scope is ineligible for payment and may lead to claims being denied.

In more complex or time-insensitive cases, practitioners may claim fees based on hourly rates. When claiming hourly rates, it is essential to maintain detailed time records to support your claim. Legal aid is also available for many First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal cases—such as immigration, mental health, or special educational needs—under the Civil Legal Aid Scheme.

Legal Aid Billing Guidance

Once the work is complete, the legal aid provider must submit a bill to the LAA for payment. This is typically done through the LAA’s online system, the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS). The claim should include:

• A detailed description of the work carried out;
• Copies of relevant documents, such as court orders or expert reports
• Evidence of disbursements, including travel expenses or expert fees;
• Time records, if fees are claimed on an hourly basis.

The LAA carefully reviews each claim to confirm that the work is authorised under the legal aid certificate and that the costs claimed are reasonable and proportionate. Claims that fail to meet these criteria may be rejected or have payments reduced.  Rejections impact on your KPIs and can results in issues being raised by the LAA in relation to your contract, so it is imperative you work with an experienced legal aid costs draftsman or lawyer to submit your costs claims.

Disbursements – expenses incurred by the provider on behalf of the client, such as court fees, expert witness fees, and travel costs – can be recovered from the LAA. However, these must be reasonable and supported by receipts or invoices. The LAA enforces strict rules on allowable disbursements and imposes limits on certain costs, including experts fees.

How can ARC Costs Assist with Your Legal Aid Billing Rates and Costs Processing?

At ARC Costs, our team of highly skilled law costs draftsmen and Costs Lawyers regularly assist in all types of costs claims, including publicly funded and inter-partes costs claims.

We regularly use the CCMS system to submit legal aid costs claims and deal with all the administration on behalf of our clients and to free time of fee earners, thereby ensuring you can recover your maximum legal aid fees in an expeditious and efficient manner.

We also ensure that where appropriate, enhancements are claimed on legal aid costs incurred, to maximise your profit recovery and ensure you are able to continue fulfilling your legal aid contract in a sustainable manner.

Contact us today using the form at the top of the page, via email at info@arccosts.co.uk, or telephone one of our legal aid experts on 01204 397302.

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