We have nearly obliterated our deadline list on the white board

5 walk-over SQM audit results

Excellent, but not precedent setting, cost appeal victory

Logistically most demanding (and longest) appeal ever written

Even the Yellow dog behaved in the park this morning.

Procurement round begins next week, deep joy

I have not yet had chance to discuss this with the firm, who were fully onside with the above strategy. On that basis I do not want to provide any greater detail which might prejudice the issue. Hopefully will be able to say more next week – it is an issue which will be of interest to family lawyers.

Yes yours truly is doing his first solo mock audit for a very long time. I tried to think of a equivalent from the world of entertainment but can’t, and no Robbie rejoining Take That is not it.

The advice line might be difficult to access today.

If this is a standard you now want, urgently to achieve give us a ring because “We do CQS too” .

If you just want that little bit of “comfort” training then the Webinar on Friday 25th May, at £60 + VAT, is the one for you.

I had my first hands-on experience of audit preparation yesterday under the latest version of the standard. My immediate difficulty was NOT to look at files from another angle – Contract Compliance, cost assessment or old style franchising. We know, for instance, that they spend only a small amount of time on files, just looking for very basic evidence of compliance – a CCL or a close of case letter for instance. A dramatic reduction in focus was therefore needed. The experience has however left me certain that auditors without a detailed knowledge of Legal Aid will miss essential elements of the old requirements. I am more concerned however that (understandable) confusion about the requirements on Costs Advice may lead to mistaken findings. Ho hum, not our problem – our punters remain delighted.

On a genuinely worrying note however, are the 2 recent calls thi, both from London firms, who seem only just to have spotted the end July deadline – not sure that even our guys have time enough to help put that right.