In summary, Chapter 211D Section 12 (A) and (B), requires legal service and court cost bills to be submitted within 30 days of the last date of service appearing on the bill on cases where work has concluded or 30 days from the end of the fiscal year whichever date is earlier. Additional details appear below or can be found by reviewing the text of the statute.
Case closed bills must be submitted within 30 days of your last date of service to be eligible for full payment. Case closed bills submitted between 31-59 days after the last date services were rendered are reduced by 10% pursuant to the statute. Case closed bills submitted 60 days or more after the last date services were rendered cannot be paid and rejected pursuant to the statute.
Interim bills may be submitted during the fiscal year as the case and your work progresses.
The FISCAL YEAR END RULE, requires than in any case where your services continue into a new fiscal year you must submit a fiscal year end bill for services performed between July 1st and June 30th of the previous fiscal year, no later than July 31st of the following fiscal year to be eligible for full payment. Fiscal year end bills submitted between August 1st and August 30th will be reduced 10% pursuant to the statute.
Again, as a reminder, the timelines in the statute run from the conclusion of the case IE the last date of service on the bill or the end of the fiscal year whichever date is earlier.
If a bill is rejected for payment under the statute, you may appeal the denial of payment to the Chief Counsel of CPCS. The procedures for making such an appeal will be contained in the notice you receive advising of the rejection. Please be aware however, that the statute requires the Chief Counsel to find that the delay in billing was due to “extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the attorney/vendor.”
CPCS does not wish to deny payment to any attorney or vendor who provides services to our clients; however c. 211D s. 12(A) and (B) establishes strict statutory billing deadlines which cannot be waived by CPCS. Late bills will be reduced or denied pursuant to statute. As such it is critical that you submit bills timely.