Complex Case Rate billing tips

Complex Case Rate (CCR) case eligibility

Which cases are eligible?

All 1^st and 2^nd degree murders are considered eligible for CCR funding as long as the following conditions are met:

1. The certificate must have been issued on or after Feb. 1, 2010.
2. The lawyer must be lawyers authorized to provide CCR legal aid services.
3. The case must have been accepted into Big Case Management (with a properly submitted opinion form [hearing or trial]).
4. The case must have an approved budget.

Billing

LAO will not retroactively adjust your fee upward to the CCR if you bill according to LAO’s normal tariff rate

A lawyer will receive the CCR rate only after:

• his/her authorization to provide CCR legal aid services; and
• the case has been entered into the BCM program and has an approved budget.

Examples:

Example 1

1. Case: 1^st or 2^nd degree murder or a CCR‑approved case
2. Budgeted case, entered the BCM program with an approved budget on April 20, 2011
3. Counsel billed LAO on April 30, 2011
4. Counsel approved to provide CCR legal aid services on May 1, 2011

Counsel billed LAO before counsel was authorized to provide CCR legal aid service therefore counsel will not get the CCR rate for any work specified on the April 30, 2011 bill.

Example 2

1. Case: 1^st or 2^nd degree murder or a CCR-approved case
2. Budgeted case, entered the BCM program with an approved budget on February 3, 2012
3. Counsel billed LAO on February 2, 2012
4. Counsel authorized to provide CCR legal aid services on June 20, 2011

Counsel billed LAO before the case entered the BCM program with an approved budget therefore counsel will not get the CCR rate for any work specified on the February 2, 2012 bill.

When billing Legal Aid Online, if the system is not generating a CCR rate, please ask yourself the following:

• Is the case 1^st or 2^nd degree murder or a CCR-approved case?
• Is it in the BCM program with an approved budget?
• Is counsel authorized to provide CCR legal aid services?
• Is the certificate issue date on or after Feb. 1, 2010?

If all of the answers to the above questions are YES then DO NOT SUBMIT the account. Contact the Case Management and Litigation (BCM) department (416-979-2352 ext. 6493) to determin why your account is not generating theappropriate rate.

If any of the answers to the above questions are NO then you may choose to submit the account. Counsel will not receive the CCR rate for any work specified on this bill.

You must still bill within the billing deadlines of the certificate.