https://www.slab.org.uk/solicitors/training-e-learning-and-laol/elearning-and-online-guidance/accounts/
https://www.slab.org.uk/solicitors/training-e-learning-and-laol/elearning-and-online-guidance/accounts/
Our training modules provide a useful overview of the accounts process.
This guidance material focuses on a different account types and/or a particular function.
Our update of 21 January 2016 advised firms that they should ensure the case category is correct prior to framing an account.
Following the regulation changes on 10 November 2014 on the fees for time at court and travelling, it was necessary to create specific work items for work undertaken at court.
Where work is carried out at court, it is important that you select the appropriate work item. When you select the wrong work item we may have to abate the account creating further work for yourself and SLAB.
The following is an example of the work items you should select when you attend court but have had a meeting with your client before and after the hearing:
You will only be able to add a work item for automatic cover under S.22 if you have correctly answered the question ‘Was work undertaken under the automatic availability provisions’.
This question appears on the ‘summary tab.’
You must include all deferred sentences in every case regardless of whether a fee is being claimed.
The first or second diet of deferred sentence are automatically set at £0.00 (unless the SER box is ticked)and the system has now been set up to allow you to enter a £0.00 fee by answering ‘yes’ to ‘have you previously claimed for this?’
You must also advise us of all related reference numbers.
This fee is now contained within the work item for the first/second deferred sentence.
If you tick ‘yes’ to the question about the report this will update the zero fee for the deferred sentence to £25 for the report.
However, the SER must conclude the proceedings for the fee to be chargeable.
Where the SER is claimed incorrectly (for example, where there is a subsequent deferred sentence diet) this would create an error on the account that would require to be amended prior to submission.
Guidance provided by the HMRC many years ago indicated that travel (and accommodation) costs incurred by solicitors when providing a service to the client will attract VAT on them regardless of whether this was on the original purchase.
You need to make sure you have selected all work items prior to pressing the ‘request payment’ button.
You can delete a draft account by selecting the ‘bin’ icon. If you have submitted your account you will need to reset it to draft before it can be deleted.
You will not be able to delete an account once the status has changed to under assessment or paid. It should be noted that once deleted you will not be able to retrieve it.
No. All online offers should be negotiated using the online process.
Attachments can now be added at the offer stage for specific work items.
Where the attachment does not relate to a specific work item you should submit your negotiation to SLAB prior to attaching such a document.
To attach you then click on the click paper clip icon. You should NOT attach such documents before submitting your negotiation to SLAB.
To do this you should click on the negotiate work items icon. This will open up the work items that are under negotiation.
If you are repeating the same message on each you can copy and paste in to the relevant boxes.
Yes. If a work item has been abated because you did not send the appropriate attachment then you will still have to create a negotiation in addition to attaching the documents.
Failure to create a negotiation may result in any additional payment being delayed.
When claiming paper work items you should use the date of the last work item in your account.
No. You should not include travel outlays within the paper fees only time spent travelling.
There is a separate work item for travel outlays which should be used to cover all travel costs i.e. mileage, accommodation, bus, train etc.
No. In the paper process the VAT is added on for you.
You must use the correct work items.
Charges relating to fees, outlays, travel and experts must all be entered separately.
Failure to do this can lead to delays in dealing with your account.
The following account types may be submitted using the new process. However, as our new online system includes those noted below, where possible these should be submitted using this process rather than sending in a paper account.
The following accounts can still be submitted using the old process of submitting a paper account together with the paper synopsis (printed and sent by SLAB):
If you require more information you can request a webinar offering free LAOL training tailored to your specific needs.