About LSC Manual
Click on the links below to learn about the LSC Manual.
General
The Legal Services Commission was established under the Access to Justice Act 1999. The Manual is a required reference tool for publicly funded solicitors in England and Wales. The Manual provides invaluable guidance on the Community Legal Service (CLS) and Criminal Defence Service (CDS), the two schemes run by the Commission.
Crime
This is the Criminal Defence Service content containing statutory materials, arrangements and directions, the 2010 Standard Crime Contract and CDS codes.
Civil
Civil Contracting contains relevant legislation, arrangements and directions, the 2010 Standard Civil Contract, a small section on financial eligibility and the 2010 category definitions.
All parts of this content apply to all civil providers including Solicitors, NfPs and Family Mediators, except as outlined below.
The Family Contract 2012, effective from February 2012, replaces the Unified Contract for those organisations who conduct Family or Family & Housing legal aid services.
Funding Code
The Funding Code, prepared by the Commission and approved by Parliament, determines which cases the Commission may fund as part of the Community Legal Service. The Code is in two parts: Part 1, containing the funding criteria; and Part 2, the procedures. This content also includes detailed guidance on decision making, assessing financial eligibility and CIS standard wordings.