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 2019. 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 |
$1140 |
3 |
$1140 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$760 |
2 |
$760 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$475 |
1.25 |
$475 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$760 |
2 |
$760 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$950 |
2.5 |
$950 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$3481 |
n/a |
$3481 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1938 |
n/a |
$1938 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$573 |
n/a |
$573 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$4266 |
n/a |
$4266 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$2909 |
n/a |
$2909 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2715 |
n/a |
$3499 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$760 |
2 |
$760 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$5416 |
n/a |
$6181 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$6499 |
n/a |
$7417 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$2909 |
n/a |
$2909 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$2332 |
n/a |
$2332 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$1938 |
n/a |
$1938 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$573 |
n/a |
$573 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$1140 |
3 |
$1140 |
Senior Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Post-committal negotiations |
3 |
$624 |
3 |
$852 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$416 |
2 |
$568 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$260 |
1.25 |
$355 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$416 |
2 |
$568 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$520 |
2.5 |
$710 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1588 |
n/a |
$2166 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$554 |
n/a |
$869 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$311 |
n/a |
$427 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2163 |
n/a |
$2949 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1187 |
n/a |
$1901 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
|
$1169 |
n/a |
$1592 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$416 |
2 |
$568 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$2581 |
n/a |
$4096 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$3097 |
n/a |
$4915 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$1187 |
n/a |
$1901 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$958 |
n/a |
$1306 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$554 |
n/a |
$869 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$311 |
n/a |
$427 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$624 |
3 |
$852 |
Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Post-committal negotiations |
3 |
$390 |
3 |
$432 |
| First directions hearing |
2 |
$260 |
2 |
$288 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover |
1.25 |
$162 |
1.25 |
$180 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing |
2 |
$260 |
2 |
$288 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings |
2.5 |
$325 |
2.5 |
$360 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$941 |
n/a |
$1207 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$436 |
n/a |
$638 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) |
n/a |
$311 |
n/a |
$427 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1082 |
n/a |
$1443 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$654 |
n/a |
$945 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Brief fee (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$677 |
n/a |
$1296 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding |
County Court hours |
Fee payable |
Supreme Court hours |
Fee payable |
| Defence response – final directions hearing |
2 |
$260 |
2 |
$288 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1215 |
n/a |
$2184 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) |
n/a |
$1458 |
n/a |
$2621 |
| Subsequent day |
n/a |
$654 |
n/a |
$945 |
| Plea hearing |
n/a |
$545 |
n/a |
$763 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days |
n/a |
$436 |
n/a |
$638 |
| Sentence (if on different day) |
n/a |
$311 |
n/a |
$427 |
| Conference with senior/lead counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) |
3 |
$390 |
3 |
$432 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.
