Here is the further guidance surrounding the July Duty rota published by the LAA yesterday.
In short, those with slots on the April rota the process seems to be as follows:
- You will be contacted in the week commencing 6/3/17 to ask if you wish to update your Duty Solicitors for the July rota. You have 5-days to respond. (Yes I know that it is 4 o’clock on the 10/3/17)
- If you do you will receive a fresh CRM12
- You must return this by 7/4/17
- As previously if you send it in early, 3/4/17, the LAA will inform you of any errors in time to correct them
The key concern out there, at least on our radar – “Are we limited to the numbers we put on the April rota?” also seems clarified:
Organisations that are allocated rota slots from 1 April and/or 1 July 2017 will not be able to add any additional duty solicitors for these rotas over and above the maximum number of Duty Solicitors in accordance with paragraph 8.5 of the Information for Applicants.
We read this to mean that you can add people up to the maximum number specified in the April CRM12 (generally up to 9 for those not involved in expansion risk assessment) and that you are NOT limited to the numbers on the April rota. This seems, at least in part, contradictory with previous guidance from the LAA and so we say this with some trepidation. (Nobody can get firm clarification to the question, from the LAA, direct).
If you are going on to the July rota having not previously been on in April you will be sent a CRM12 and must comply with the 7/4/17 deadline.
Hope this helps, and that I don’t have to amend it next week.
