CCMS improvements update

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is putting in place improvements to the Client and Cost Management System (CCMS) to help the growing number of providers using it for civil applications.

1. Forward button: Available from 1 June 2015, this button allows you to move forward through the means and merits interviews to the last question answered without clicking ‘next’. The LAA will send all users a CCMS eUpdate explaining in full how it works.
2. Bulk uploading bills: The LAA is working with software vendors involved in the pilot to release this functionality to more of their clients. The LAA is finalising a testing process to support other organisations who wish to develop a CCMS compatible product.

The LAA will be introducing further improvements over the summer. These include:

• means and merits interviews – reducing the number of screens to make it quicker to navigate through the interviews
• amendments process – allowing you to allocate costs to advocates and do means reassessments while other amendments are in progress
• changes to the PDF copy of the bill you can print before you submit your claim – the improvements will make your bill easier to review
• billing interviews – reducing the number of screens and making it easier to navigate
• mobile version of CCMS  –  the LAA also looking into allowing users to create part of the application away from the office

50% benchmark

Use of CCMS is increasing with:

• more than 50% of new applications now being submitted on CCMS
• 1,066 organisations submitting nearly 40,000 new civil applications
• more than 2,000 bills being processed on a weekly basis

Further details

Further information on these improvements, including timescales, will be available on the ‘Enhancing CCMS’ page of the CCMS website from 2 June 2015.

Giving you extra support

The CCMS website contains information about:

• new Q&A sessions to give you the opportunity to ask general and case-specific questions
• recorded master classes – available from mid-June
• CCMS website improvements – live from 12 June 2015 to make it easier for you to navigate the site

Feedback

To submit feedback on any aspect of the CCMS, please email: CCMS.team@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk