Submission of account of expenses: when must your final account be submitted by?

You must send us your account and completed synopsis no later than four months after the date of completion of the proceedings for which civil legal aid was granted. Completion of proceedings includes work in connection with obtaining an award of expenses, modification of expenses, settling with the witnesses, obtaining an extract of decree etc.

We may accept an account submitted later than four months if we consider there is a “special reason” for late submission. Possible reasons include:

• Lengthy incapacity or death of the nominated solicitor
• Fire or other accidental damage to your premises
• The work becoming a matter of appeal and, as a result, you are unable to release the file
• Where the delay has arisen due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

We would be unlikely to accept forgetfulness or understaffing as special reasons for late submission.