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LAA cyber-attack causes chaos for legal professionals

Lawyers report increased unpaid work due to ongoing issues with the LAA system.

July 23, 2025 at 08:37 AM

LAA cyber-attack: lawyers bogged down by unpaid admin work

Lawyers face increasing administrative burdens due to a cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency.

LAA cyber-attack burdening lawyers with unpaid work

The cyber-attack on the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has left legal professionals struggling under an increased load of unpaid work, as reported by Jenny Beck, a director at Beck Fitzgerald. During a recent meeting with justice minister Sarah Sackman, Beck stated that many family lawyers are now spending at least two extra hours on each case due to the LAA portal being down since May. The system failure has forced lawyers to revert to using phone and paper applications, which they worry could compromise their ability to help vulnerable clients. Beck highlighted that while the government aims to reduce violence against women and girls by 2030, sustained investment in family legal aid is crucial for progress. Costs associated with this added administrative work cannot be claimed back due to LAA policies, which treat downtime as regular overheads. This situation leaves law firms financially strained and unable to support as many clients as needed.

Key Takeaways

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Cyber-attack on LAA increases unpaid work for lawyers

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Lawyers report two extra hours of work per case

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Legal Aid system remains underfunded and unsustainable

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LAA policies prevent recovery of downtime costs

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Impact hinders lawyers from assisting vulnerable clients

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Government must reform legal aid framework urgently

"The only reason family legal aid survives is because some of the work can be done privately and firms cross-subsidise."

Jenny Beck highlights the financial strain on family legal aid due to the attack.

"I’m aware that the IT systems are not user-friendly, placing huge demands in terms of unpaid work."

Minister Sarah Sackman acknowledges the challenges faced by legal aid providers.

"For a firm supporting 15 women feeling domestic abuse in a single week, this equates to 30 additional hours of unrecoverable work."

Beck emphasizes the extensive unpaid hours required by lawyers due to the system failure.

"We need to make sure we learn from this."

Sackman stresses the importance of addressing weaknesses in the legal aid system.

The fallout from the LAA cyber-attack underscores a significant issue within the legal aid system. Lawyers like Beck are caught in a paradox where they are expected to provide critical support while simultaneously facing overwhelming administrative hurdles without compensation. This added burden not only threatens the viability of family legal aid but also raises questions about the government's commitment to its promises for vulnerable populations. Without urgent reforms to address the systemic flaws within the legal aid framework, the risk of practitioners exiting the field entirely becomes alarmingly plausible.