Spent much of the last couple of days working on tough, cost appeal related stuff. Sorry will have to spare you the detail for now, a lot of it currently to sensitive.
What is common is the shifting sands on which they are all based; continually evolving misinterpretations of Contract and guidance.
Now it is possible I am wrong, even though I was previously “correct” on the same point(s). This is less likely when more important luminaries in the legal aid costs firmament share my view. And now, in one case, we even have 2 differing “sectors” at the LAA at loggerheads – the specialist one in agreement with us rather than the assessing Contract Manager.
Despite this, things continue to spiral downwards and towards an almost inevitable perverse decision on appeal.
In the meantime the impact of the CM imposed interpretations effectively renders the work of the firm almost impossible.
I am engaged to try and make some sense of this. Here there be madness.
