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 2017. For fees payable prior to this see Archived versions of the Handbook.
Senior Counsel
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $1098 | 3 | $1098 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $732 | 2 | $732 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $457 | 1.25 | $457 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $732 | 2 | $732 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $915 | 2.5 | $915 |
| Plea fees | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $3346 | n/a | $3346 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1863 | n/a | $1863 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $551 | n/a | $551 |
| Special hearing | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $4101 | n/a | $4101 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $2796 | n/a | $2796 |
| Sentence indication | ||||
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $2610 | n/a | $3364 |
| Trial | ||||
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $732 | 2 | $732 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $5206 | n/a | $5942 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $6247 | n/a | $7130 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $2796 | n/a | $2796 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $2243 | n/a | $2243 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $1863 | n/a | $1863 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $551 | n/a | $551 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $1098 | 3 | $1098 |
Senior Junior Counsel
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $600 | 3 | $822 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $400 | 2 | $548 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $250 | 1.25 | $342 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $400 | 2 | $548 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $500 | 2.5 | $685 |
| Plea fees | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1527 | n/a | $2083 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $534 | n/a | $836 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $299 | n/a | $411 |
| Special hearing | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2080 | n/a | $2836 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1142 | n/a | $1828 |
| Sentence indication | ||||
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | $1124 | n/a | $1531 | |
| Trial | ||||
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $400 | 2 | $548 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2482 | n/a | $3938 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $2978 | n/a | $4725 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1142 | n/a | $1828 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $922 | n/a | $1256 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $534 | n/a | $836 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $299 | n/a | $411 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $600 | 3 | $822 |
Junior Counsel
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $378 | 3 | $420 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $248 | 2 | $280 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $155 | 1.25 | $175 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $248 | 2 | $280 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $310 | 2.5 | $350 |
| Plea fees | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $905 | n/a | $1161 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $420 | n/a | $614 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $299 | n/a | $411 |
| Special hearing | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1041 | n/a | $1388 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $630 | n/a | $909 |
| Sentence indication | ||||
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $651 | n/a | $1246 |
| Trial | ||||
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $248 | 2 | $280 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1169 | n/a | $2100 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $1402 | n/a | $2520 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $630 | n/a | $909 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $525 | n/a | $734 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $420 | n/a | $614 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $299 | n/a | $411 |
| Conference with senior/lead counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $372 | 3 | $420 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.