New developments - alternative sources of funding

Client account interest two alternative schemes are proposed, under which interest from solicitors’ client accounts would be used to fund legal aid.

A Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme (SLAS) is also proposed under which successful litigants, funded by legal aid, would pay a percentage of money received into the legal aid fund. The consultation recognises that if Sir Rupert Jackson’s recommendations on civil litigation costs were to be implemented, it could make legal aid a more attractive source of funding, as success fees in Conditional Fee Agreements would be limited. Therefore, it is proposed that similar arrangements would apply to legally aided cases, with additional money being paid into the SLAS.

Before the event legal expenses insurance the government intends to encourage people to make greater use of before the event legal expenses insurance, which it considers suitable to fund employment and housing cases, for example.

 

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