5.At the moment, all assisted parties asked for contributions for full legal aid pay one-third of their disposable income above the free limit, every month for the lifetime of the case. In future, it is proposed to introduce a graduated scale for calculating contributions, with those nearer to the free limit being asked for a smaller proportion of their income, and those with more being asked for a larger proportion. Disposable income would be banded to decide the level of contribution, and the proportion for each income band would apply only to income in that band. This change would better reflect ability to pay.
A: Community Legal Service Eligibility, Financial Conditions and Costs Rules Financial Conditions Graduated contributory scales