Table M – Guide to fees for counsel in criminal trials
Table M – Guide to fees for counsel in criminal trials
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 committal
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Post-committal negotiations |
3 |
$1161 |
3 |
$1161 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$774 |
2 |
$774 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$483 |
1.25 |
$483 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$774 |
2 |
$774 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$967 |
2.5 |
$967 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$3550 |
n/a |
$3550 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1976 |
n/a |
$1976 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$584 |
n/a |
$584 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$4351 |
n/a |
$4351 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$2967 |
n/a |
$2967 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2769 |
n/a |
$3569 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$774 |
2 |
$774 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$5524 |
n/a |
$6304 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$6628 |
n/a |
$7564 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$2967 |
n/a |
$2967 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$2378 |
n/a |
$2378 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$1976 |
n/a |
$1976 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$584 |
n/a |
$584 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$1161 |
3 |
$1161 |
Senior Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Post-committal negotiations |
3 |
$636 |
3 |
$867 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$424 |
2 |
$578 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$265 |
1.25 |
$361 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$424 |
2 |
$578 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$530 |
2.5 |
$722 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1619 |
n/a |
$2209 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$565 |
n/a |
$886 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$317 |
n/a |
$435 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2206 |
n/a |
$3008 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1210 |
n/a |
$1939 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1192 |
n/a |
$1623 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$424 |
2 |
$578 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2632 |
n/a |
$4178 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$3158 |
n/a |
$5013 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1210 |
n/a |
$1939 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$977 |
n/a |
$1332 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$565 |
n/a |
$886 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$317 |
n/a |
$435 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$636 |
3 |
$867 |
Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Post-committal negotiations |
3 |
$396 |
3 |
$438 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$264 |
2 |
$292 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$165 |
1.25 |
$182 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$264 |
2 |
$292 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$330 |
2.5 |
$365 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$959 |
n/a |
$1231 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$444 |
n/a |
$650 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$317 |
n/a |
$435 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1103 |
n/a |
$1471 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$667 |
n/a |
$964 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$690 |
n/a |
$1322 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$264 |
2 |
$292 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1239 |
n/a |
$2227 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1486 |
n/a |
$2672 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$667 |
n/a |
$964 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$556 |
n/a |
$778 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$444 |
n/a |
$650 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$317 |
n/a |
$435 |
| Conference with senior/lead counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$396 |
3 |
$438 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.
