Duty provider contracts

The draft 2015 duty provider contract, published by the Legal Aid Agency last month, remains “one-sided” with “almost all the uncertainty and risk” falling on the provider, the Law Society has warned. It expresses concern about proposals for compensation if there is a no-fault termination of the contract, the removal of the contractor’s right to terminate the contract, and the “overly bureaucratic” requirements for the lead contractor to make all their agents and delivery partners available for audit. The contract tender has been deferred until October.