Family High Cost Case Registration / Query

This guide has been produced to assist if you are wishing to register a case as high cost, or contact any High Cost department where the case is not yet registered, or the case plan task is not “facing you”. The steps below will show you how to submit a related query.

Select Cases and Applications from the home screen of CCMS.


Enter your case or application details as search criteria, then click Search.

Click on the LAA Application / Case Reference link to access the case or application.


Scroll down the screen until the available actions table is visible, then click Submit Case Query. 


Select Case General Enquiry from the drop down menu, then click Next. 

NOTE: You must choose this option as any other may be routed to an incorrect queue and be delayed in reaching the relevant High Cost team.


Enter the Nature of the enquiry, explaining what your High Cost query is regarding.

Nature of Enquiry

When to use it

Why

CCFS - Register

When you wish to register the case as high cost and the case qualifies under the Care Case Fee Scheme.

This is a family care case and your costs are going to exceed £25,000 and you wish to put the LAA on notice.

VHCC - Exceptional Request

Single counsel CCFS case where you wish to opt out of CCFS events model.

You must inform us when registering the case as high cost if you wish to
apply hourly rates rather than the CCFS event model. The request will be
considered by the VHCC team.

High Cost Event rate unavailable

CCMS is not displaying event based categories of work when completing a bill.

Unless a case is identified by the LAA as High Cost in CCMS the event based work types remain hidden. The LAA need to apply a “restriction” at their end.

Case Plan Task
already submitted

Where you have registered a case as high cost and a Case Plan task already exists, but it is not “facing” you because your last action was to respond to the LAA.

You will not see the case plan task in your list of available tasks for the case so can’t communicate with the LAA if required, i.e. an amended plan, chase up on old case etc. Where at all
possible use the case plan task as this keeps all relevant information /
documentation in one place for the High Cost Team to access.

High Cost - Scope Query

If you are unable to use any case plan task and wish to check anything to do with the scope of the certificate, cost limit etc.

For cases where you have no case plan task, but need to contact the High Cost teams about your certificate.

Two Counsel/Leading Counsel

If you need to contact the High Cost Family team about a case involving leading counsel or two counsel.

If you wish to obtain the prior
authority to use leading counsel you must apply through the appropriate “amendment” option in CCMS.

Court of Protection

Contacting the specific team who deal with these cases.

Whilst not specifically family, COP
matters are dealt with by the High Cost Family Team.

Other High Cost

Not a Family matter or contact regarding any other EEC
matters.

Where none of the above examples apply but you still need to contact a High Cost team.

A submission confirmation is shown when the query has been successfully sent.

Click Next.


A notification will be sent out once the query has been responded to. If the response resolves the query you need to close the notification down by selecting the Acknowledged option. 


If you require further clarification you need to select the Supplementary Question option unless a Case Plan Task now exists and is accessible to you.


NOTE: Any Acknowledged questions will be automatically closed down without any response.

All future High Cost communications must be though the Case Plan Task unless it is not accessible to you. 




Last modified: Thursday, 6 October 2022, 1:22 PM