Standard civil contract 2018
The 2018 Standard Civil Contract governs the provision of face-to-face legal aid services in all civil categories.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
Latest Updates
Transitional arrangements for Forms - 2018 Standard Civil Contracts
New versions of paper forms relevant to the 2018 Civil Contract were published on GOV.UK on 31 August 2018. Providers are advised that the LAA will continue to accept previous versions of forms until 19 October 2018, at which point the transitional period will end and only the latest version of each forms will be accepted. The forms affected are listed below:
- CWC (MH) - Mental Health Application for Prior Authority to incur enhanced rates for Counsel
- CW1&2 - Legal Help and Controlled Legal Representation - Mental Health
- CW3A (IMM) - Application for extension of Upper Costs Limit (v9)
- CW3B (IMM) - Application for extension of Upper Costs Limit
- Civ App 1 - Application for Civil Legal Aid Legal Representation Non-Family Proceedings (V18)
- Civ App 6 - Legal Aid emergency application
- Civ App 8A - Application for prior authority/change to cost limitation (where applicable) (v4)
- Civ Claim 5 - Claim for Family Graduated Fee (Counsel)
- CW3C immigration.
The 2018 Civil Contract
The 2018 Civil Contract consists of the:
- Standard terms
- Specification (General Provisions & Category Specific Rules)
- Schedule
- Contract for Signature
- Category Definitions 2018
Standard terms
The standard terms govern the commercial relationship between the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and providers.
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Standard Terms
Specification
The specification sets out the rules governing the provision of civil contract work.
The specification is divided into provisions of General Provisions (sections 1 to 6) and Category Specific Rules relating to the different categories of civil law.
The procedures for controlled and licensed work and rates for licensed work can be found in legal aid legislation and are referred to in this Specification (General Provisions sections 1-6).
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Specification (General Provisions 1-6)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Family (Section 7)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Immigration and Asylum & IRCs (Section 8)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Mental Health (Section 9)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Housing and Debt (Section 10)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Community Care (Section 11)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Welfare Benefits (Section 12)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Claims Against Public Authorities (Section 13)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Public Law (Section 14)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Clinical Negligence (Section 15)
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Family Mediation
Draft sample schedule
This sets out provisions specific to individual providers. Use the sample schedule for illustration as schedules vary between providers.
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Schedule
Draft sample contract for signature
The contract for signature gives effect to the 2018 contract as a whole. This is sample contract for signature for illustration .
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Contract for Signature
Category definitions 2018
This sets out the legal definitions of each category of law covered by the draft 2018 Standard Civil Contract.
- 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Definitions 2018
Supervisor-self declaration forms and guidance
These documents set out the requirements that supervisors must satisfy
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Education
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Education (transitional)
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Discrimination
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Discrimination (transitional)
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Family
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Immigration and Asylum Supervisor Self-Declaration
- Supervisor Self- Declaration Form- Mental Health (Route 1)
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Mental Health (Route 2)
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Housing and Debt
- Supervisor Self-Declaration From- Housing and Debt (Exceptional Circumstances)
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Community Care
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Welfare Benefits
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Claims Against Public Authorities
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Claims Against Public Authorities- Abuse in Care only
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Public Law
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Clinical Negligence
- Supervisor Self-Declaration Form- Family Mediation
- Guidance on completing supervisor declaration forms
LAA data security requirements and guidance
These documents comprise the basic requirements that providers must meet to maintain the security of data processed on behalf of or with LAA.
Further documents
You can also use the following guidance and documents:
Updates to this page
Published 19 September 2017Last updated 1 January 2024 + show all updates
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Publication of the 2018 Standard Civil Contract category specific rules: Immigration and Asylum (January 2024)
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The 2018 Standard Civil Contract - Table of Amendments and 2018 standard civil contract - specification (general provisions) documents have been revised and updated
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Removal of the Supervisor Self Declaration form titled: "Derwentside IRC Immigration and Asylum Supervisor Standard_2021 Form" because it is no longer relevant to the 2018 SCC immigration and asylum category specific rules.
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Introduction of clauses allowing Providers to claim asylum standard fee early
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Introduction of advice for Immigration and Asylum detainees in prison in response to successful challenge
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A document taken off the internet and a new document uploaded. When we tendered for the Housing and Debt contracts late last year we allowed an exceptional circumstance supervisor standard but as this was not utilised in the tender we agreed to take the form down and update the guidance for completing the form to remove the exceptional circumstances option.
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The following documents have been updated: Table of amendments, 2018 Contract Specification (General Provisions), 2018 Contact Specification (Education and Discrimination), and 2018 Contract Category Specific Rules (Family).
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2018 Standard Civil Contract: Contract Extension Notice (19 April 2021) published
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Amendement doc and update rules doc added and old version removed
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The following documents have been updated: Table of amendments, 2018 Contract Specification (General Provisions), 2018 Contact Specification (Education and Discrimination), and 2018 Contract Category Specific Rules (Family).
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EU Exit changes made to: 2018 Civil Contract (General) standard terms and specification, 2018 Civil Contract (education and discrimination) standard terms and specification, 2018 Civil Contract (mediation) specification, and the category definitions document.
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Table of Amendments updated.
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Updated Table of Amendments (dated 29 September 2020) published.
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Revised version of the Immigration and Asylum Specification published.
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Publication of the Table of Amendments to the 2018 Standard Civil Contract, the 2018 Standard Civil Contract (Education and Discrimination), and the 2013 Standard Contract (Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme)- 20th September 2020.
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Revised guidance on completing the supervisor declaration forms and supervisor self-declaration for housing and debt (exceptional circumstances) published.
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The table of amendments document updated.
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The following documents have been revised to support amendments made to disbursements for Controlled Work in Immigration and Mental Health: Table of Amendments, Immigration and Asylum Specification, and the Category Specific Rules (Mental Health).
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The following documents were revised to include further amendments to the LAA's payment on accounts procedures: The table of amendments, 2018 Standard Civil Contract Specification (General), 2018 Standard Civil Contract Specification (Education and Discrimination), and 2018 Standard Civil Contract (specific rules Family).
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Amendments to the 2018 Standard Civil Contract Category Specific Rules Mental Health (Section 9) published. Table of Amendments to the Standard Civil Contract 2018, 2018 Standard Civil Contract (Education and Discrimination) 2018 and the Standard Civil Contract (Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme) 2013 - May 2020 replaced.
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Revised 2018 Standard Civil Contract Specification (General Provisions 1-6) and 2018 Standard Civil Contract (Education and Discrimination) published.
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Immigration and Asylum Specification updated.
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Amendments to the Standard Civil Contract 2018, 2018 Standard Civil Contract (Education and Discrimination) 2018 and the Standard Civil Contract (Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme) 2013 published.
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Ammended document
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2018 Standard Civil Contract schedule (August 2018) updated.
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updated guidance documents
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Page updated to add training slides for providers delivering face-to-face education and discrimination advice from 1 September 2019
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2018 Standard Civil Contract (Education and Discrimination) documentation published.
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Publication of education and discrimination supervisor forms and table of amendments to the 2018 Civil Contract, and revised guidance on completing supervisor forms.
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Amended version of the 2018 Standard Civil Contract - Family Category Specific Rules published.
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Changing exclusion zones
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New document added entitled 'Immigration and Asylum Upper Tribunal: Background Information'.
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A communication was added to the page under the 'Latest Updates' subheading regarding transitional arrangements for forms.
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Replace documents from draft to final
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Contract management mental health guidance September 2018 uploaded
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Training slides for 2018 Standard Civil Contract
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Removal of the following 2018 Standard Civil Contract Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme documents: Category Specific Rules, Contract for Signature, and the Scheme Schedule.
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Publication of final version of 2018 Standard Civil Contract documentation.
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2018 Standard Civil Contract Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme documents published.
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First published.