Legal Aid Billing and Compliance Manager

Clear IT Recruitment Ltd; Manchester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Lead role opportunity

Professional development

Supportive environment

Billing process improvements

Job summary

Clear IT Recruitment Ltd client seeks an experienced Legal Aid Billing and Compliance Manager in Manchester to lead billing turnaround, cash collection and compliance across a large multi-office practice.

You will oversee final bills, payments on account and LAA audits, while improving processes and reporting. Experience with CCMS, CWA and SRA Accounts Rules is essential, with strong Excel skills and good stakeholder management.

Qualifications

• Experience leading legal aid billing and compliance in a sizable practice.
• Strong knowledge of CCMS and CWA systems and processes.
• Proficient in payments on account, final bills and legal aid assessments.
• Familiar with SRA Accounts Rules, client money, disbursements and office credits.
• Experience with Legal Aid Agency audits and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee civil final bills from case conclusion to payment, ensuring timely submission.
• Manage payments on account across certificated cases and ensure on-time claims.
• Monitor controlled work submissions and Legal Help escape claims.
• Review legal aid assessments and support appeals where appropriate.
• Coordinate with external costs drafting firms and transition drafting in-house.
• Act as the main contact for legal aid billing and compliance queries.
• Prepare for and support LAA contract audits across crime and civil work.
• Manage statutory charge cases, recoupments and out-of-time bills.
• Support LAA file transfers, including bulk transfers.
• Support billing on Very High Cost Cases and case plans.
• Produce monthly MI covering fees, cash, live matters and WIP.
• Provide weekly reporting on LAA remittances and expected income.
• Review matter balances, aged debtors and files ready for closure.

Skills

Legal aid billing

CCMS

CWA

Payments on account

Final bills

SRA Accounts Rules

Excel reporting

Billing compliance

Client money handling

Remittances

Tools

CCMS

CWA

Job description

My client is recruiting for an experienced Legal Aid Billing and Compliance Manager to join their team in Manchester, Greater Manchester.

Find out exactly what skills, experience, and qualifications you will need to succeed in this role before applying below.

This is an opportunity to take a lead role in legal aid billing, payments on account and compliance within a large multi office legal aid practice. The role will work closely with the Billing Manager and Head of Finance, with a particular focus on improving billing turnaround, cash collection and legal aid compliance.

Role

• 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.

Candidate

• Have proven experience in a legal aid billing management role within a substantial legal aid practice.
• Have detailed working knowledge of CCMS and CWA.
• Have strong knowledge of payments on account, final bills and legal aid assessments.
• Understand civil legal aid remuneration, including hourly rates, fixed fees, FAS and escape cases.
• Have working knowledge of the SRA Accounts Rules, particularly client money, disbursements and office credits.
• Have experience with Legal Aid Agency contract audits and compliance, including branches, statutory charges, recoupments and file transfers.
• Be confident using Excel for reporting, reconciliation and management information.
• Be able to explain legal aid billing requirements clearly to fee earners and support staff.
• Be able to demonstrate measurable results from previous billing and compliance roles.
• Experience of care proceedings and family billing, including Very High Cost Case plans, would be advantageous.

Benefits

• Hybrid working.
• Opportunity to take a lead role within a substantial legal aid practice.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Supportive working environment.
• Opportunity to contribute to improvements in billing, cash collection and compliance processes.