A ‘stage of matter limit’ is the maximum amount which Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) will pay in each stage of a matter for:
- professional costs
- counsel’s fees.
See Fee table 4 for the stage of matter limits in family law matters.
When will VLA pay up to the stage of matter limits?
VLA will pay for professional costs and counsel’s fees in matters to which stage of matter limits apply only if:
- the work is authorised by the first grant of assistance or by a further grant
- the amounts the lawyer claims are not more than the stage of matter limits
- the amounts the lawyer claims accord with the appropriate costs schedule
- the lawyer can substantiate the amount claimed by an itemised tax invoice.
By setting limits, VLA controls what it spends on any grant of assistance.
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