Published: 27th June 2017 The Legal Aid Agency’s Costs Assessment Guidance (version 7) states that “The basic time standard for [completing an application for a legal aid certificate] is 30 minutes, but more may be payable in complex cases, particularly if a substantial statement of case is required and where the application is for emergency legal aid or is to report a grant of emergency legal aid by delegated functions”. This guidance predates the mandatory use of the online Client and Costs Management System (‘CCMS’). The experience of PLP and other providers is that it is not generally possible to make a legal aid application on CCMS in anything like 30 minutes. Following representations made by PLP (supported by information and evidence from other providers and the Legal Aid Practitioners’ Group) in connection with a case in which our time claimed for making a CCMS application had been reduced on assessment from 3 hours to 30 minutes, the LAA has now agreed to make further enquiries and to review the relevant provisions of the Guidance in light of its findings and the points made by PLP.