Family Law

New enhancement to Client and Cost Management System (CCMS) allows you to indicate if an application or amendment is urgent.

The urgent flag function will remove the need for you to contact the Legal Aid Agency's customer service team to let them know when an urgent item of work has been submitted.

What is classed as urgent?

Urgency is defined as work that:

• needs to be completed within 48 hours
• is not already covered under the scope of the existing certificate (if a certificate exists)

If an application or amendment does not fulfil the criteria given above, the urgent flag will be removed and the item will not be expedited.

If an application satisfies the criteria specified in regulation 46 of the Civil Legal Aid (Merits Criteria) Regulations 2013 you do not need to use the urgent flag.

A quick guide to explain how to use the urgent flag is now available.

This does not have an impact on the current process for exceptional cases, which remains the same.

Benefits

Urgent work can be prioritised sooner and allocated to the right team straightaway.

Information for immigration providers

There are two types of emergency immigration work:

1. Emergency – where work is to be done within 48 hours
2. Urgent emergency – where the above applies and removal is that same day or early the following day

Only urgent emergency work should be highlighted using the urgent flag.

If you have an urgent emergency application or amendment, you can continue to contact the Legal Aid Agency at:

Telephone: 020 3334 5900

Email: emergency-immigrationapps@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk

If you need funding for an out-of-hours injunction in an immigration and asylum matter, you need to email asylum-out-of-hours@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk.