---
title: "Create a prior-authority draft"
method: POST
path: "/prior-authorities"
tags: ["Prior Authority"]
---

# Create a prior-authority draft

`POST /prior-authorities`

## Request

- Base URL: `http://localhost:8080`
- URL: `http://localhost:8080/prior-authorities`
- Auth: none declared

Starts a new prior-authority draft.

## Request body

- PriorAuthorityDraft: A prior-authority form, saved and updated incrementally through the create/update draft lifecycle before being submitted. At most one of expertDetails, counselDetails or disbursementDetails should be populated, matching priorAuthorityType.
  - `applicationId` string, uuid, required: ID of the application this prior-authority request is associated with.
  - `priorAuthorityType` 'EXPERT' | 'COUNSEL' | 'DISBURSEMENT', nullable: The category of prior authority being requested.
  - `justification` string, nullable: Detailed rationale explaining why funding is necessary.
  - `expertDetails` ExpertDetails: The expert and what they will cost.
    - `expertType` string, required: The expert type.
    - `expertFullName` string, required: Full name of the expert the prior authority is for.
    - `expertPostcode` string, required: Primary business postcode of the expert, for regional rate mapping.
    - `expertCosts` ExpertCosts, required: What the expert will cost, how they will be billed, and how the costs are shared.
      - `billingType` 'HOURLY' | 'FIXED_RATE', required: Whether the expert is billed hourly or at a flat rate.
      - `hourlyRate` number: Hourly rate in GBP. Required when billingType is HOURLY.
      - `timeRequested` TimeRequested: The amount of the expert's time being requested.
        - `hours` integer, required: Whole hours requested.
        - `minutes` integer, required: Additional minutes requested.
      - `totalAmount` number, required: Amount requested in GBP. For HOURLY billing this is hourlyRate x (hours + minutes / 60); for FIXED_RATE it is the flat fee entered by the provider.
      - `costsSharedWithOtherParties` boolean, required: Whether the expert's costs are shared with other parties.
      - `apportionment` Apportionment: How the expert's costs are shared with other parties. Present when costsSharedWithOtherParties is true; omitted when it is false.
        - `partiesSharingCosts` integer, required: Total number of parties sharing the costs, including the client.
        - `clientShareAmount` number, required: The client's share of the costs, in GBP.
  - `counselDetails` CounselDetails: The counsel requested. Required when priorAuthorityType is COUNSEL.
    - `counselType` 'KINGS_COUNSEL_ALONE' | 'TWO_JUNIOR_COUNSEL' | 'KINGS_COUNSEL_AND_JUNIOR_COUNSEL' | 'KINGS_COUNSEL_AND_TWO_JUNIOR_COUNSEL', required: Type of counsel being applied for.
  - `disbursementDetails` DisbursementDetails: The disbursement requested. Required when priorAuthorityType is DISBURSEMENT.
    - `disbursementPurpose` string, required: What the disbursement is for.
    - `disbursementAmount` number, required: Cost of the disbursement in GBP, exclusive of VAT.

## Response `201`

Draft created. Location header contains the prior-authority URL.

- PriorAuthorityIdResponse
  - `priorAuthorityId` string, uuid

## Other responses

- `400`: applicationId missing.

## Changes

- **2026-10-05** `5fcc29284e2f`: 4 warning
  - the `disbursementDetails/disbursementAmount` request property's exclusiveMinimum was set to `0.00`
  - the `expertDetails/expertCosts/apportionment/clientShareAmount` request property's exclusiveMinimum was set to `0.00`
  - the `expertDetails/expertCosts/hourlyRate` request property's exclusiveMinimum was set to `0.00`
  - the `expertDetails/expertCosts/totalAmount` request property's exclusiveMinimum was set to `0.00`
- **2026-09-11** `efed7defdc0c`: 1 info
  - endpoint added

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/ministryofjustice/apis/ministry-of-justice-laa-civil-manage-api/changes/prior-authorities/post.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/ministryofjustice/apis/ministry-of-justice-laa-civil-manage-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/ministryofjustice/apis/ministry-of-justice-laa-civil-manage-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/ministryofjustice/apis/ministry-of-justice-laa-civil-manage-api/revisions/fc3ff4e8c6f9?raw)