20 September 2011

A Harrogate law firm has become the first in the town to pass an external audit of its Legal Aid work.

All solicitors in private practice dealing with publicly-funded work now have to be assessed by an external auditor, a process formerly carried out by the Legal Services Commission. Legal Aid provides funding for certain types of work, such as advice on family breakdowns and criminal proceedings, to around two million people every year.

McCormicks Solicitors is the first firm in Harrogate to pass the audit, undertaken by the Specialist Quality Mark Partnership, which was carried out for both Crime and Family legally-aided work.

Partner Geoff Rogers, who heads the Crime and Family departments at McCormicks, said: “It is gratifying that an external audit has recognised the quality of the work we carry out for publicly funded clients.”