Legal Services Board Instructions The Legal Services Board gives notice that on the 11th day of June 1998 it issued the following Instructions to come into force on the 1st day of August 1998. Copies of these Instructions can be obtained from the board's offices on the First Floor, Landcorp House, 101 Lambton Quay, or through P.O. Box 5333, Wellington. Telephone inquiries: (04) 472 5045. Facsimile: (04) 472 5046. Instructions: Legal Services Board (Criminal Legal Aid Remuneration) Instructions 1998 These Instructions deal with the remuneration of practitioners for all criminal legal aid applications for which an assignment is made on or after 1 August 1998. The Instructions revoke the Legal Services Board (Criminal Legal Aid Remuneration) Instructions that were issued by the board on 26 March 1996 and subsequently amended. However, matters for which a practitioner was assigned before 1 August 1998 will remain subject to the old Instructions. These Instructions include significant changes from the 1996 regime. The principal changes are: Guideline hourly rates now depend upon both the type of hearing or trial and the practitioner's experience. They do not depend solely on the practitioner's level of experience. The time spent at each experience level has been increased, and practitioners are ranked as level 1, 2, or 3. Practitioners may now, in some circumstances, be paid for preparation work before a guilty plea is entered. This change has been made to ensure that practitioners are fairly remunerated for thoroughly evaluating the facts supporting the charge or charges faced by the aided person. These Instructions incorporate guidelines fees for status hearings. Status hearings are no longer the subject of separate Instructions. Legal Services Board (Civil Legal Aid Remuneration) Instructions 1998 These Instructions deal with the remuneration of practitioners in civil legal aid cases for which aid is granted on or after 1 August 1998. The Instructions revoke the Legal Services Board (Civil Legal Aid Remuneration) Instructions 1996 which were issued by the board on 26 March 1996. However, proceedings or matters for which civil legal aid was granted before 1 August 1998 continue to be subject to those Instructions. These Instructions include significant changes from the 1996 regime. The principal changes are: Guideline hourly rates now depend upon both the forum category and the practitioner's level of experience. They do not depend solely on the practitioner's level of experience. The time spent at each experience level has been increased, and practitioners are ranked as level 1, 2, or 3. For the first time a staged guideline fee is prescribed for matters up to and including a mediation conference in the Family Court. D. M. SMITH, Executive Director.