Prior Authority Support
Our reports are structured with clear scope, methodology, and cost breakdowns to support solicitors applying for prior authority from the Legal Aid Agency.
Legal Aid Expert Witness
Legal Aid Compliance
Our reports are structured to facilitate LAA funding applications and meet the evidentiary requirements of the First-tier and Upper Tribunals.
Built for Public Funding
Securing expert evidence through legal aid requires more than academic expertise — it demands reports that satisfy the Legal Aid Agency's funding criteria while providing the forensic rigour necessary to succeed before the Immigration & Asylum Chamber.
We understand the procedural constraints of legal aid practice: fixed-fee billing, prior authority timelines, and the need for proportionate, tribunal-focused evidence aligned with CPR Part 35 and FPR Part 25 expert report standards.
LAA Funding Vocabulary
Our scopes and billing documentation use the administrative language the Legal Aid Agency expects in prior authority applications.
- Prior Authority
- Advance approval from the Legal Aid Agency before commissioning expert evidence above standard thresholds.
- Standard Codified Hourly Rates
- LAA-prescribed fee caps for expert witnesses, applied to scope and billing for Controlled Work and Certificated Work.
- Controlled Work
- Legal aid funding for asylum and immigration matters subject to LAA contract and fee scheme requirements.
- Certificated Work
- Individual case certificates authorising legal aid spend, including expert witness disbursements.
- Exceptional Case Funding (ECF)
- Funding route for cases outside standard legal aid scope where refusal would breach human rights or EU law obligations.
How Our Reports Support LAA Applications
Proportionate Evidence
We focus on the specific evidentiary gaps identified in your case — avoiding unnecessary breadth that increases cost without strengthening the claim.
First-tier Tribunal Standards
Reports address the Immigration & Asylum Chamber's requirements for country condition evidence, persecution risk, and credibility assessment.
Clear Methodology
Every report documents sources, analytical framework, and limitations — giving tribunals and the LAA confidence in the evidence presented.
Adjusting Report Scope to Fixed-Fee Limitations
Fixed-fee constraints do not require degraded forensic validity. We work with instructing solicitors to define proportionate scopes that address the specific evidentiary gap — whether persecution risk, country conditions, or credibility factors — within LAA codified hourly rate caps.
Each scope document identifies the minimum evidence required for the tribunal, maps hours to standard fee categories, and avoids unnecessary research breadth that triggers prior authority delays without strengthening the claim.
The Prior Authority Process
Case Assessment
Your solicitor identifies the evidentiary gap and contacts us with case particulars and funding requirements.
Scope & Quote
We provide a detailed scope of work and fixed quote suitable for prior authority submission to the LAA.
Report Delivery
Once authority is granted, we deliver a tribunal-ready report within the agreed timeframe.
Extensions and LAA Price Challenges
When a case develops beyond the original scope — new country guidance, additional protected characteristics, or supplementary credibility issues — we coordinate with instructing solicitors to document the revised scope for standard extension applications.
If the LAA proposes arbitrary price reductions, we provide itemised justification linking each hour to a specific evidentiary requirement, statutory framework reference, or tribunal practice direction compliance need.
- Solicitor identifies scope change and contacts us with updated case particulars.
- We issue a revised scope document with hour-by-hour breakdown against LAA codified rates.
- Solicitor submits extension or challenges the LAA decision with our supporting documentation.
- Upon approval, we proceed with the expanded report within the agreed tribunal deadline.
Contact us
Request a scope of work for your next prior authority application.
Instruct an Expert