Legal aid bill The London Advice Watch survey we reported last week isnow available on the LAG website. There are increasing predictions of concessions in the press, but the battle is far from over. New contract schedules The LSC is starting to send out schedules for civil contracts from February 2012, both existing standard contracts and new family contracts.  More information on family contracts and on allocation of tolerance matters is on the LSC website. Practitioners should check new schedules carefully, and contact their relationship manager immediately if the allocation of matters is not as expected. Conflict of interest in criminal cases Criminal practitioners will want to note a new Law Society Practice Note on conflict, issued just before Christmas, which contains useful guidance on what can be the tension between practitioners' obligations in conduct and pressure to act for more than one defendant in light of Reg 16A of the Criminal Defence Service (General) (No 2) Regulations 2001