Hybrid Legal Aid Billing & Compliance Lead

Clear Legal & Financial Recruitment; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Professional development opportunities

Supportive working environment

Job summary

Clear Legal & Financial Recruitment is seeking an experienced Legal Aid Billing and Compliance Manager to lead billing, payments on account and compliance for a major practice in Manchester. The role collaborates with the Billing Manager and Head of Finance to improve turnaround, cash collection and compliance.

The candidate will oversee final bills, manage payments on account, monitor submissions and support audits, with a focus on efficiency and accuracy across civil and crime work.

Qualifications

• Experience in a legal aid billing management role.
• Detailed working knowledge of CCMS and CWA.
• Strong knowledge of payments on account, final bills and legal aid assessments.
• Understanding civil legal aid remuneration including hourly rates, fixed fees, FAS and escape cases.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing civil final bills from case conclusion through to payment, ensuring bills are drafted, approved and submitted to the Legal Aid Agency promptly.
• Managing the payments on account process across certificated cases and ensuring claims are submitted on time.
• Monitoring controlled work submissions and Legal Help escape claims.
• Reviewing legal aid assessments and reductions and supporting appeals where appropriate.
• Managing relationships with external costs drafting firms and supporting the transition of routine drafting in house.
• Acting as the firm's main point of contact for legal aid billing and compliance queries.
• Preparing for and supporting Legal Aid Agency contract audits across crime and civil work.
• Managing statutory charge cases, recoupments, inactive case reviews, contingent liability contracts and out of time bills.
• Supporting Legal Aid Agency file transfers, including bulk transfers.
• Supporting billing on Very High Cost Cases and case plans.
• Producing monthly management information covering fees, cash, live matters and work in progress.
• Providing weekly reporting on Legal Aid Agency remittances and expected income.
• Reviewing matter balances, aged debtors, client balances and files ready for closure.

Job description

Clear Legal & Financial Recruitment is seeking an experienced Legal Aid Billing and Compliance Manager to lead billing, payments on account and compliance for a major practice in Manchester. The role collaborates with the Billing Manager and Head of Finance to improve turnaround, cash collection and compliance.

The candidate will oversee final bills, manage payments on account, monitor submissions and support audits, with a focus on efficiency and accuracy across civil and crime work.