LSC funded client meaning

A client whose legal representation is paid for under the state legal aid scheme, historically via the legal services commission (LSC). In England and Wales the LSC administered civil and criminal legal aid until 1 April 2013, when it was replaced by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) under LASPO 2012. The phrase is therefore largely historical and appears in legacy files, court orders and costs assessments; current usage is “legally aided client”, “publicly funded client” or “LAA-funded client”. In Northern Ireland, a similar function was carried out by the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission, replaced in 2015 by the Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland; the expression may still be seen in older NI materials. In Scotland and Ireland, legal aid is administered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board and, for civil legal aid, the Legal Aid Board respectively; the term “LSC funded client” is not used there. Key features include means and merits testing, a certificate of funding or representation order, assessment of solicitors’ and counsel’s fees by the relevant agency, and distinctive costs rules (including costs protection and the statutory charge). The term is descriptive rather than defined by statute or case law.