legal profession

Legal profession

This section of our site provides information for legal aid professionals, such as solicitors. If you want to apply for legal aid, visit our getting legal help section.

Quick links

Duty plans - to view the duty plans click here

- to apply for inclusion in the duty plan for 2012-2013 please see the mailshot issued on 26 January 2012.

Legal aid forms and materials - download pdf forms and materials or order printed supplies

Scottish Legal Assistance Handbooks - for all guidance
- Civil legal assistance handbook - 4 May 2012
- Children's legal assistance handbook - 10 April 2012
- Criminal legal assistance handbook - 11 May 2012
- Legislation - 15 March 2012
- Our Handbook section lists issue dates and provides an archive of previous editions

All mailshots to solicitors - we inform solicitors about all changes to legal aid by sending mailshots. Go to this section to see a full list of mailshots we have issued and to read them. The list indicates whether a mailshot was issued to solicitors registered to provide civil or criminal legal assistance or both.

Keycard 2012 - for use from Tuesday 10th April 2012 - only available online

Category codes card 2012 - for use from Tuesday 10th April 2012 -only available online

Equality card

Legal Aid Online

User login

All legal aid applications must be made online from 1 April 2011 - click here to find out more.

News Items - We publish all news items on our homepage and the ‘News’ section of our website. If there are news items we think we should draw to your attention, we will highlight these here. Please remember that you can read all mailshots sent to solicitors in the mailshots section.

ALL SOLICITORS

22 March 2011 - The Board has invited suppliers of interpreting, translation and transcription services to subscribe to a database to ease identification of suppliers for solicitors; and has developed guidelines standardising the fees and payment arrangements for interpreting, translation and transcribing. Read more in our mailshots section.
25 February 2011 - Changes to regulations - effective from 28 February 2011. We have issued a mailshot to solicitors advising of changes to the fees paid for time spent travelling. Please go to the mailshots section to read the update.
Continuing increase in lawyers wishing to do legal aid work

CIVIL SOLICITORS

16 May 2012 - The Scottish Government has agreed to extend the timetable for planned reforms to Scotland’s children’s hearings system following advice from experts within the sector. This revised implementation date, likely to be May 2013, extends the project duration by eight months. Given this, the Board feels it’s appropriate to extend the deadline for the consultation on the draft Code of Practice in relation to children’s cases by four weeks to Monday 18th June.
9 July 2011 - Changes are to be introduced to the stage reporting process. Read the detailed proposals here
22 March 2011 - Board publishes Immigration and Asylum Best Value Review and research briefing.

Please read our press release.
18 March 2011 - Changes to the regulations effective 1 April 2011 - we have issued a mailshot to civil solicitors advising them about changes made to the clawback and special urgency provisions under advice and assistance and civil legal aid; children’s appeals; availability of ABWOR for the Additional Support Needs Tribunal; changes to counsel’s fees and the time limit for lodging an account in civil proceedings. Please go to the mailshots section to read the update.
14 March 2011 - Board publishes Best Value Review of Regulation 18 (special urgency) work in civil legal aid. You can read the report here.
25 February 2011 - Board publishes Best Value Review of Mental Health work. Read the report here and the research briefing on the CLAO Inverness training day on mental health and the law.

CRIMINAL SOLICITORS

14 April 2011 - Following media coverage of a case where a solicitor raised concerns about solemn fees, solicitors can read here about solemn legal aid fees paid where clients are remanded in custody.
22 March 2011 - Board issues consultation on proposals to amend the operation of the court duty solicitor schemes. Please go to the mailshots section to read the consultation.
17 March 2011 - Changes to the regulations effective 22 March 2011 - we have issued a mailshot to criminal solicitors advising them about changes made to the fees payable in certain summary criminal legal aid cases. Please go to the mailshots section to read the update.

Out of hours solicitor 'urgent increase' helpline - for solicitors' use only, for urgent increase requests.

For attendance at police stations please call 07711424344. Staffed Mon-Fri, 17.00-22.00 and Sat-Sun, 10.00- 22.00. Voicemail messages can left outwith these hours.

Useful links for material on our site for the legal profession

Contacts - Read our contact information for our applications mail and general mail. You can also get details of key staff in Who's who at the Board. Also you can find out how to order forms.
About us - you can find out more about the Board and read our Corporate Plan, Annual Report and service standards.
Online solicitor search - if your firm does not have additional details listed, or has changes or new offices, please complete this form about your office's legal aid services so that we can update our mapping service.
Useful links - You may find our links for the legal profession and other links including for online helpful
Help - If you need help about using any of our web resources, such as which software to use, visit our help centre.