The Civil Legal Aid (General) (Amendment) Regulations 1993
These Regulations amend the provisions in the Civil Legal Aid (General) Regulations 1989 as follows.Changes relating to financial eligibility are contained in regulations 5 to 9. References to “maximum contribution” which currently limit the period of contribution to one year are deleted. An assisted person will be liable to pay monthly contributions from disposable income for as long as the legal aid certificate is in force. The Area Director may in certain circumstances waive (and subsequently revive) the requirement for further contributions where it appears that the contributions already paid will exceed the costs of representation. Transitional provisions are contained in regulation 3.Regulation 10 of these Regulations amends the payment on account scheme in regulation 100 of the Civil Legal Aid (General) Regulations 1989 as it relates to counsel’s fees. The periods at which payments on account may be made will be aligned with those applicable to solicitors, i.e. 12, 24 and 36 months after the date of issue of the legal aid certificate (replacing the present 18, 30 and 42 month intervals). The increase in the maximum proportion of the fees payable in a financial year to 70 per cent is delayed for one year: for 1993-94 the maximum proportion of the bill which can be paid on account will remain at 62 per cent. Transitional provisions are contained in regulation 4 and the Schedule.