June 21, 2010

New LSS tariffs: what does it mean for clients?

The Legal Services Society (LSS) is introducing “simplified” tariffs for all new criminal and family legal aid referrals, effective June 29, 2010. Tariffs are the rules and fees that lawyers use when billing LSS for the legal services they provide to our legal aid clients. Because the tariff system had become so complicated over the years, LSS decided it was time to streamline it to save both lawyers and LSS staff valuable administrative time.

LSS took care to consult with lawyers in developing the new tariffs. It was important that the changes not affect the overall amount of compensation that LSS pays for legal services. Similarly, the services that lawyers provide remain the same, and the new tariffs have not altered services, coverage, or eligibility for clients at all. The focus has been the consolidation of tariff items into a shorter and more flexible structure that will make it easier for lawyers to bill services.

The new tariffs can also serve to benefit LSS clients themselves. Lawyers have told us that the complexity of the old system made it hard to explain coverage to their clients. With a simpler tariff, it will be easier for people to understand exactly what their lawyer can do to help them, and the number of hours the lawyer has available to do it in. This could help clients to make the best possible use of their lawyer’s time.

And finally, because a simplified tariff will reduce the amount of materials that LSS Publishing Services has to produce, it may free up time for other purposes, such as developing more PLEI materials!