VHCC – Care Case Fee Scheme – Solicitor Advocate Case Plan

(South Tyneside) April 2014 v2

Version: / Issue date: / Last review date: / Owned by:
1 / 01/04/2014 / 01/04/2014 / VHCC Family Unit
Version: / Date / Reason
1 / 07/10/2013 / First release –Commencement of open pilot
2 / 01/04/2014 / Changes to LAA team structure and scheme rebranding

Version History

Contents

  1. Overview
  2. The Case Plan

1.Overview

This is the standard template case plan for cases proceeding under the VHCC Care Case Fee Schemescheme for High Cost Care cases involving single junior counsel. This scheme is managed under the VHCC Care Case Fee Scheme – Solicitor Advocates‘ Guide April 2014, which is available from our website.

Please consult this information pack for guidance on how this case plan should be completed.

2.The Case Plan

The case plan continues on the next page:

Public Law Children Act

VHCC Care Case Fee Scheme - Case Plan

NAME OF CLIENT / NAME OF FIRM / YOUR REFERENCE
Legal Aid certificate reference(s) / Date of VHCC Registration / Case Plan version number and date

CASE INFORMATION

A. Brief Summary of Case

Level of Court (delete as appropriate): FPC / County / High
A short description of the history of the case and the court heard at:

Estimated Pre-Contract Costs

Estimate your likely costs for all work done in this case up to the date the LAA were notified this matter would become a high cost case. All work should be at LAA rates (pre-conversion to events) excluding VAT, including disbursements and counsel’s fees. Where known, costs incurred by a previous solicitor for the same client for this case should be included in the estimate.

Profit Costs Pre-Contract

/

£

Counsel Fees Pre-Contract

/

£

Disbursements/Experts Pre-Contract

/

£

TOTAL PRE-CONTRACT

/

£

B. Objectives

What do you hope to achieve for your client:

C. Case Analysis

The legal issues are:
The favourable facts are:
The unfavourable facts are:

D. Funding Code Assessment

Not required where representing a child or person with parental responsibility.

E. Case Theory

Not required where representing a child or person with parental responsibility.

F. Chronological Schedule of Events

Date

/ Event /
Solicitor
/ Junior Counsel / Pre- Agreed?
Anticipated / Actual / Anticipated / Actual
TOTALS

Please indicate in the right-hand column if these costs have been approved in a previous case plan.

G. Expert Fees

Experts Fees subject to VAT -

Clarify expert type, apportionment and whether based in London or outside

/

Hourly Rate

/

Total Cost

/

Pre- Agreed?

Sub Total

VAT

Total

Expert Fees not subject to VAT

Clarify expert type, apportionment and whether based in London or outside

/

Hourly Rate

/

Total Cost

/

Pre- Agreed?

Total

Please indicate in the right-hand column if these costs have been agreed, either by prior authority or in a previous case plan.

H. Disbursements

Disbursements subject to VAT

/

Cost

/

Pre- Agreed?

Sub Total

VAT

Total

Disbursements not subject to VAT

/

Cost

/

Pre- Agreed?

Total

Please indicate in the appropriate column if these figures have been agreed, either by prior authority or in a previous case plan.

I. Costs Summary (all figures ex VAT.)

TYPE OF COSTS

/

NO. OF EVENTS

/

EVENT RATE APPLIED

/

TOTAL

Profit Costs.

Number of Events

/

£

Junior Counsel

Number of Events

/

£

Experts + Disbursements

/

£

Total of Forms K and L (if required)

/

£

Total costs

/

£

J. CASE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

Team Personnel (including Solicitors Employees, Experts and Counsel and/or Solicitor Advocate)

Confirmation to be signed when billing;

I confirm that the events listed in Section F of this case plan actually occurred and were attended as indicated.

Signed

On behalf of

What happens if the number of agreed events changes?

A case plan is agreed on the basis of the current known listing. If additional interim hearings are listed then the agreed costs are simply increased by the relevant number times the event fee. In respect of main hearings it needs to be recognised that preparation is front loaded and therefore if a main hearing under or overruns the agreed price is adjusted up or down by a refresher rate. Please consult the VHCC Care Case Fee Scheme Information Pack for further details.

THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK
FORM K: - Counsel claims under the Family Advocacy Scheme (FAS)
NOT REQUIRED WHERE NO FAS FEES CLAIMED
Date / Event /
Name and Account No.
/ Cost/Estimate
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
Total / £
THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK
FORM L: – Costs of previously instructed solicitors
NOT REQUIRED WHERE NO PREVIOUS FIRMS INSTRUCTED
Firm instructed:
Solicitor -Profit Costs / Fixed Fee / Events Claimed
Delete as appropriate / £
Disbursements / £
Counsel - FAS / Events / Both claimed
Delete as appropriate / £
Total Costs
/ £
Hearings, Advocates Meetings and Conferences with Counsel
Date / Event Type / Solicitor/Counsel/Both
Firm instructed:
Solicitor -Profit Costs / Fixed Fee / Events Claimed
Delete as appropriate / £
Disbursements / £
Counsel - FAS / Events / Both claimed
Delete as appropriate / £
Total Costs
/ £
Hearings, Advocates Meetings and Conferences with Counsel
Date / Event Type / Solicitor/Counsel/Both
TOTAL PREVIOUS FIRMS’ COSTS
/ £
THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK
FORM M: -Projected FAS payments under the ‘Alternate Model’ trial
NOT REQUIRED WHERE CLAIMING ‘STANDARD EVENTS’ MODEL
Date / Event /
Anticipated
/ Actual / Cost
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
Total
Add to profit costs in Costs Summary / £

1st April 2014 VHCC – Care Case Fee Scheme – Solicitor Advocate Case Plan (South Tyneside) April 2014 v2 Page | 1