The Scottish Government

1.1       The project will consider the provider models that are operating in Scotland to establish a baseline for the cost of providing legal services and how legal aid providers operate under the current legal aid schemes and provide insights into the conditions (firms structures, business volumes and mix, cost base etc) that are most efficient for generating a return from legal aid work whilst meeting or exceeding quality requirements. The project will run concurrently to the Future of the Profession short life working group and data from that can inform this research and vice versa.    1.2       Importantly, the study will provide an evidence base on operating costs, overheads against legal aid earnings which will assist Scottish Ministers in coming to a view as to what reforms require to be made to the system of legal aid payments for future fairness and sustainability.