Table M sets out the fees in criminal trials for the Trial Counsel Development Program and where Senior Counsel is briefed as trial counsel.
These fees are effective from 1 January this year. For fees payable prior to this see Archived versions of the Handbook.
Senior Counsel
Post com mittal
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $1278 | 3 | $1278 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $852 | 2 | $852 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $532 | 1.25 | $532 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $852 | 2 | $852 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $1065 | 2.5 | $1065 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $3927 | n/a | $3927 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $2186 | n/a | $2186 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $645 | n/a | $645 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $4814 | n/a | $4814 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $3282 | n/a | $3282 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $3062 | n/a | $3062 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $852 | 2 | $852 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $6112 | n/a | $6975 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $7334 | n/a | $8370 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $3282 | n/a | $3282 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $2629 | n/a | $2629 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $2186 | n/a | $2186 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $645 | n/a | $645 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $1278 | 3 | $1278 |
Senior Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $699 | 3 | $954 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $466 | 2 | $636 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $291 | 1.25 | $397 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $466 | 2 | $636 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $582 | 2.5 | $795 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1790 | n/a | $2443 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $623 | n/a | $978 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $348 | n/a | $479 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2440 | n/a | $3327 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1337 | n/a | $2144 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $1317 | n/a | $1794 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $466 | 2 | $636 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2910 | n/a | $4622 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $3492 | n/a | $5546 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1337 | n/a | $2144 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $1079 | n/a | $1472 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $623 | n/a | $978 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $348 | n/a | $479 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $699 | 3 | $954 |
Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $429 | 3 | $483 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $286 | 2 | $322 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $178 | 1.25 | $201 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $286 | 2 | $322 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $357 | 2.5 | $402 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1060 | n/a | $1361 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $489 | n/a | $717 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $348 | n/a | $479 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1219 | n/a | $1626 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $736 | n/a | $1065 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $761 | n/a | $1020 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $286 | 2 | $322 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1369 | n/a | $2463 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $1642 | n/a | $2955 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $736 | n/a | $1065 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $613 | n/a | $859 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $489 | n/a | $717 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $348 | n/a | $479 |
| Conference with senior/lead counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $429 | 3 | $483 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.
Updated