Legal Aid & Compliance manager in Manchester

Job Description

Legal Aid Billing & Compliance Manager

Location: Manchester / Hybrid

Type: Permanent – Full Time

Reports To: Head of Finance

Job Function: Legal Aid Billing, Compliance & Finance Operations

Our Client

Our client is a well-established multi-office law firm with a substantial Legal Aid practice covering areas including crime, family law and care proceedings. The firm manages a significant volume of certificated matters and is continuing to invest in its billing processes, cash collection and compliance functions.

Role Overview

The firm is seeking an experienced Legal Aid Billing & Compliance Manager to take a leading role across legal aid billing, payments on account, cash collection and compliance.

Working alongside the Billing Manager and reporting to the Head of Finance, the successful candidate will bring strong technical knowledge of Legal Aid Agency requirements while helping improve billing turnaround, reduce outstanding balances and strengthen compliance processes.

This is a hands-on management role suited to someone with a strong background in legal aid billing who can provide technical guidance to earners, billing teams and wider finance functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee civil final bills from case conclusion through to LAA submission and payment.
• Manage the Payments on Account (POA) process across certificated matters.
• Monitor disbursements, assessments, reductions and appeals.
• Oversee controlled work submissions and Legal Help escape claims.
• Act as the firm's key contact for legal aid billing and compliance queries.
• Prepare for and support Legal Aid Agency contract audits.
• Manage statutory charges, recoupments, file transfers, inactive matters and out-of-time bills.
• Support billing on Very High Cost Cases (VHCC) and case plans.
• Produce management information covering fees, cash, WIP and live matters.
• Monitor aged debtors, matter balances and billing performance.
• Work with the Billing Manager to allocate work, establish turnaround targets and improve processes.
• Train and support costs draftsmen, cashiers, administrators and earners on legal aid billing requirements.
• Develop and maintain procedures covering billing, POAs, new matters and file closure.
• Help reduce historic billing backlogs and improve cash collection.

These responsibilities reflect the source role's focus on billing, LAA compliance, reporting and team/process improvement.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in a Legal Aid billing management role within a substantial legal aid practice.
• Detailed knowledge of CCMS and CWA, including POAs, final bills and assessments.
• Strong understanding of civil legal aid remuneration, including hourly rates, fixed fees, FAS and escape cases.
• Good working knowledge of SRA Accounts Rules, particularly client money, disbursements and office credits.
• Experience with LAA audits, contract compliance, statutory charges, recoupments and file transfers.
• Strong Excel and reporting skills, including reconciliation and management information.
• Ability to explain complex billing requirements clearly to earners and non-specialist staff.
• Demonstrable experience improving billing turnaround, reducing lock-up or clearing billing backlogs.
• Experience of care proceedings/family billing and VHCC case plans would be advantageous.
• Knowledge of crime billing and LGFS would be desirable.
• Experience with Law Fusion or a comparable legal case management/accounts system is advantageous.
• Costs drafting or legal cashier qualifications would be beneficial.
• Previous experience supervising or training a small team is desirable.

Compensation & Benefits

• Opportunity to take ownership of a key legal aid billing and compliance function.
• Senior exposure to Finance, Partners and -earning teams.
• Opportunity to improve billing, cash collection and compliance processes across the firm.
• Supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Hybrid working arrangement.
• Ongoing professional development and training opportunities.
• Competitive remuneration and benefits package.