High Costs Cases; Are You Making the Most Out of the Ccfs Scheme? - Leanne Davies, John M Hayes
09/08/15. Once it comes to light that a care matter is going to exceed costs of £25,000, it is time to register it as High Costs. Previously, the only option would be to prepare a fully costed hourly rates case plan which would need updating and negotiating with the Legal Aid Agency on a regular basis. Now, it is important to consider whether one of the CCFS (previously Events) case plan models would be financially beneficial for you.
Rather than being remunerated at hourly rates, for a solicitor, an ‘event’ fee is claimed per hearing day or advocates’ meeting. Event fees are applied retrospectively and will apply to all costs from the issue of the funding certificate. Whilst it may seem alien to scrap hourly rates, the CCFS scheme can prove to be rewarding in terms of both time and money.
How do you work out which model is best for you? Estimate your profit costs to date, ensuring you allow for a potential discretionary enhancement. Divide your total costs to date by the amount of hearing days and advocates’ meetings to date. If the figure reached is less than the relevant ‘event’ fee, then you are better off utilising a CCFS case plan. It is also important to consider the amount of future hearing days, as this could also push the case further towards...
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