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 |
$1182 |
3 |
$1182 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$788 |
2 |
$788 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$492 |
1.25 |
$492 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$788 |
2 |
$788 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$985 |
2.5 |
$985 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$3621 |
n/a |
$3621 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$2015 |
n/a |
$2015 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$595 |
n/a |
$595 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$4438 |
n/a |
$4438 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$3026 |
n/a |
$3026 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2824 |
n/a |
$3640 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$788 |
2 |
$788 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$5634 |
n/a |
$6430 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$6760 |
n/a |
$7716 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$3026 |
n/a |
$3026 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$2425 |
n/a |
$2425 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$2015 |
n/a |
$2015 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$595 |
n/a |
$595 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$1182 |
3 |
$1182 |
Senior Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Post-committal negotiations |
3 |
$648 |
3 |
$882 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$432 |
2 |
$588 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$270 |
1.25 |
$367 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$432 |
2 |
$588 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$540 |
2.5 |
$735 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1651 |
n/a |
$2253 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$576 |
n/a |
$903 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$323 |
n/a |
$443 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2250 |
n/a |
$3068 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1234 |
n/a |
$1977 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1215 |
n/a |
$1655 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$432 |
2 |
$588 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2684 |
n/a |
$4261 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$3220 |
n/a |
$5113 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1234 |
n/a |
$1977 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$996 |
n/a |
$1358 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$576 |
n/a |
$903 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$323 |
n/a |
$443 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$648 |
3 |
$882 |
Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Post-committal negotiations |
3 |
$402 |
3 |
$447 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$268 |
2 |
$298 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$167 |
1.25 |
$186 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$268 |
2 |
$298 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$335 |
2.5 |
$372 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$978 |
n/a |
$1255 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$452 |
n/a |
$663 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$323 |
n/a |
$443 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1125 |
n/a |
$1500 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$680 |
n/a |
$983 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$703 |
n/a |
$1348 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$268 |
2 |
$298 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1263 |
n/a |
$2271 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1515 |
n/a |
$2725 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$680 |
n/a |
$983 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$567 |
n/a |
$793 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$452 |
n/a |
$663 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$323 |
n/a |
$443 |
| Conference with senior/lead counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$402 |
3 |
$447 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.
