Updated LMS Legal Aid Toolkit launched

The LMS revision of the chapter-based Legal Aid toolkit coincides with concerns about the Legal Services Commission's (LSC) proposals for best value tendering (BVT) for police station work.

The Law Society says the proposals are likely to have grave consequences for criminal practitioners.

The Society's concerns are: access to justice will be reduced; there is a great risk of disrupting the existing supplier base; no proper evaluation will take place; no protections are offered to firms in the pilot areas, whose businesses could be badly affected; firms are likely to feel pressured to make unsustainably low bids in order to win a contract ; quality will not be taken into account as part of the bid process, and the legal aid budget is under control; there is no necessity for these changes to be rushed through.

Key updated sections of the LMS Legal Aid Toolkit include:

• Proposals: Key development documents from the LSC relating to the reform of criminal and civil legal aid since Lord Carter published his report in July 2006;
• Contracts: An overview of how to get a contract with the LSC. The chapter outlines how the LSC will be holding a tender exercise, starting in early 2010, and how tenders will be assessed against selection criteria where the bids exceed the amount of work available; but price competition will not be included.

Other topics covered include finance, management, strategy and growth, mergers and disposals, preferred supplier, fixed and graduated fees, criminal contracts and related timetables. There are also a number of checklists, a usual diagnostic tool and a specially designed benchmark calculator – which is available electronically via the Section’s website.

Contributors are experts in the legal aid sector who have pooled their resources to produce the very best advice available to help users make sound business decisions.

The toolkits are available for members to download for free from the Resources area of the website (to request a new username and password and/or a toolkit folder, please contact the Section). Non-members can purchase the toolkits online, which includes future e-updates.

For more information, email lawmanagementsection@lawsociety.org.uk or telephone 020 7316 5707.