Criminal Costs: Legal Aid Costs in the Criminal Courts

The criminal legal aid scheme has become ever more complex and unclear. Criminal lawyers have a mass of statutes, regulations, guidance and cost decisions to navigate alongside the standard contract amendments.

Criminal Costs: legal aid costs in the criminal courts is a comprehensive guide to managing fees for police station, magistrates’ and Crown Court work. Covering fixed and graduated fee schemes, it explains the principles that apply and identifies the relevant authority for making a claim.

Contents include:

• principles of costs and enhancement in criminal legal aid cases
• criminal investigations and freestanding advice
• magistrates’ court proceedings
• prison law
• Crown Court work
• costs in relation to appeals and reviews
• very high cost criminal cases
• disbursements
• Administrative issues
• Relevant civil proceedings

The main commentary is supplemented with a wealth of appendices which include fee tables, experts' fees and rates, VHCC rates, classes of offences and court, police station and prison codes so that the busy practitioner has all the necessary information at their fingertips in a handy, accessible volume.

As practitioners are constantly frustrated and delayed by online billing systems, Criminal Costs will save valuable time and help avoid costly mistakes. It is quick and easy to navigate and has answers to all the tricky questions in one place.

The authors are acknowledged experts in this field with many years’ experience at the police station and in the courts. Criminal costs is essential reading for any individual practising in the criminal courts and for anyone involved in the billing of criminal work.

It is up to date to include new remuneration rates for cases started on or after 1 April 2016.