
In JG v Legal Services Commission, the Court of Appeal ruled that the LAA’s refusal to fund a court-ordered report was unlawful. More recently, in Re K, Sir Andrew McFarlane clarified that local authorities should not routinely cover shortfalls.
Updated LAA guidance now includes a checklist for seeking prior authority and discourages courts from shifting costs unfairly.
The message is clear: parties must exhaust all options before expecting others to pay. The new framework aims to restore fairness and transparency in expert funding decisions.