The Legal Services Society has released a briefing paper about the legal aid fees paid to lawyers (known as tariffs) and the funding that’s required to adequately compensate them to represent legal aid clients.
Due to funding restrictions, the Legal Services Society has increased tariff rates only once since 1991.
Current rates and hourly caps are insufficient for lawyers to provide the legal services low-income people need to resolve their legal problems.
In addition, rates are too low for most lawyers to make a living from legal aid work. This prevents LSS from attracting and retaining a sustainable group of lawyers who will take legal aid referrals in future years.
Briefing paper (137.82 KB)(PDF)