Costs payable in Commonwealth family law matters

Fee increase

Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) increased all professional fees by 2 percent effective from 1 January 2015.

The fee increase applies to all existing grants of legal assistance where the matter has not been finalised, and new grants made on or after that date. All appearances and additional preparation completed prior to the changes attract the old fees.

Index

• Principles applying to family law matters generally
• Fee Schedule 1M – Family law stage of matter limits
  • Stage 1 – negotiations/Roundtable Dispute Management
  • Stage 2 – litigation
  • Stage 3 – preparation for trial
  • Stage 4 – trial costs for lawyer in the Family Court and the Federal Circuit Court
  • Stage 5 – appeals in the Family Court
  • Counsel’s fees – stage of matter limits
  • Annulment proceedings
  • Independent children’s lawyer proceedings – Family Court
  • Independent children’s lawyer proceedings – Federal Circuit Court
  • Counsel’s fees – independent children’s lawyer
  • Assistance for child support matters
• Fee Schedule 3 – Counsel’s fees in family law matters
  • Table 6 – Counsel’s fees in family law matters
  • Daily circuit fees for counsel in family law matters

Fees prior to 1 January 2015

For fees payable in Commonwealth family law matters prior to 1 January 2015, see Costs payable in Commonwealth family law matters in the VLA Handbook (December 2014).

For fees payable prior to this, see Archived versions of the Handbook.