LSANI key messages - April 2026
Date published:
The LSA has issued the key messages for legal aid practitioners for April 2026.
1. Assisted Persons in receipt of Asylum Support Payments
Practitioners are reminded of the provisions of Regulation 19 of the Civil Legal Services (Financial) Regulations (NI) 2015 which confirm that there is a duty on Assisted Persons in receipt of Certificate of Legal Aid for Representation (Higher Courts) to report changes in their financial circumstances which might affect their financial eligibility for legal aid.
Through the Future Overpayment Prevention programme the Agency has detected cases where an Applicant was deemed eligible for legal aid on the basis that they were in receipt of Asylum Support payments but following the grant of legal aid a change in circumstances occurred, which was not reported as required under Regulation 19.
In situations where there has been non-disclosure, the Agency are entitled to revoke the Certificate and to seek to recover the full costs of the proceedings from the Assisted Person.
To avoid enforcement action being taken, practitioners are asked to ensure that their clients are made aware of their ongoing duties under Regulation 19 and that changes are reported to us promptly.
2. Costs cover for Interpreter services
Practitioners are referred to LSA Circular 04/25 for guidance when making a request on LAMS for face-to-face interpreting services.
It is essential that PRIOR authority is secured from the Agency for costs of interpretation services before formally engaging any interpreting provider. All applications should, unless in the case of an emergency, be made in a timely manner to allow the Agency time to consider and process the request.
Where interpreting contractors are engaged without prior authority, the costs of the session will be invoiced to the practitioner directly.
3. Making an application for Exceptional Funding
a) Solicitors are asked to attach Counsel, at application stage, when seeking a grant of Exceptional Funding.
b) Currently, when an Exceptional Funding grant is made, we ask that an Authority request is uploaded within 5 days to allow the grant to be completed on the system.
c) Following changes to LAMS, Authority requests can now be made in tandem with application requests. Therefore, when making an application request, Solicitors should also make an “Authority/Profit Cost and Disbursement” application and select “Preparation Time” from the drop down. A fee line, setting out the requested number of hours, should be attached to the Authority request for each legal representative.
d) Proceeding in line with 3a and 3c above will streamline the processing of the application and obviate the need for any immediate post grant follow up by solicitors.
4. Practitioner File Review – Travel and Mileage - reminder
Following Circulars LSA 07/24 and LSA 10/25, the Agency has completed its bedding‑in period for the updates to the Fees Adjustment and Recoupment policy. The following key changes now apply and should be noted by all practitioners:
Automatic recoupment for ROCs submitted from 1 January 2026 for any Travel and Mileage (T&M) claim lacking sufficient supporting evidence on the practitioner file. The previous discretionary approach whereby advisory letters were issued but no recoupment sought no longer applies.
No retrospective evidence accepted. In line with Circular LSA 10/25, evidence must be contemporaneous and included within the original file. Evidence sent after original submission or after an issue has been identified by the Standard Assurance Unit (SAU) will not be accepted.
Mandatory Evidence Requirements - Practitioners must ensure full and accurate records are retained, including:
- Full journey details (start and end locations)
- Purpose of journey
- Full journey time
- Mileage claimed
Failure to provide complete journey time and mileage details will result in recoupment.
Good Practice Recommendation - it is recommended that accurate records are maintained for all Travel & Mileage on a regular basis by:
- Maintaining a contemporaneous log for all journeys taken.
- Ensuring entries are complete, accurate, and recorded at the time of travel.
- A sample template is available via the T&M log.
There is zero tolerance for unsupported T&M claims. Practitioners must ensure that all claims are fully evidenced at the point of submission, as opportunities to rectify omissions after the fact are no longer available.
5. Delivery of physical files
Practitioners are reminded of the procedures for submitting physical files requested as part of the Practitioner File Review process.
Files may be delivered in person, Monday to Friday between 8.00am and 4.00pm, or sent by post to:
Legal Services Agency
Third Floor, AIB Building
92 Ann Street
Belfast
BT1 3HH
Where files are delivered in person, please go to reception and ask for a member of Agency staff, who will collect the file from you and issue a receipt. In line with GDPR requirements, files must be handed directly to a LSANI staff member. If you are unable to wait, please ensure the file is securely sealed in an envelope before handover. Reception staff should not accept loose papers or unsealed files.
All files should clearly display the appropriate reference details and, where possible, include a cover note. This will help avoid delays in payment processing and ensure documentation is handled correctly by the appropriate team in accordance with GDPR requirements.
6. LSANI ‘How to….’ session slides
Practitioners are reminded of the availability of the slides used for the LSANI ‘How to…’ sessions. These can be located under the following path on the LSANI website:
- Legal aid – Legal Profession – Useful information for legal aid suppliers – LSANI ‘How to…’ sessions
The individual session links for the previous sessions are also linked below for convenience:
- Seeking the Domestic Abuse Waiver slides
- Payments & redeterminations slides
- Financial eligibility & means testing slides
- Submitting an application, review or appeal slides
- LAMS & dashboard reports slides
- Using the Exceptional Preparation time clock slides
Slides will be updated after each new session as required.
7. LAMS Change Forum
LAMS change template and email address
The Agency is committed to working with LAMS users to improve the system and we encourage practitioners to submit any ideas for change to our dedicated email address LAMSchanges@lsani.gov.uk using the change request template. Changes received will be forwarded to Forum representatives from the membership bodies who are responsible for collating and completing an initial prioritisation for consideration by the Forum.
8. What you may have missed
Please note that the Agency has published the following, during April 2026, on the LSANI website: