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 2015. 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 | $1056 | 3 | $1056 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $704 | 2 | $704 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $440 | 1.25 | $440 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $704 | 2 | $704 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $880 | 2.5 | $880 |
| Plea fees | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $3217 | n/a | $3217 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1792 | n/a | $1792 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $531 | n/a | $531 |
| Special hearing | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $3943 | n/a | $3943 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $2689 | n/a | $2689 |
| Sentence indication | ||||
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $2509 | n/a | $3234 |
| Trial | ||||
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $704 | 2 | $704 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $5004 | n/a | $5712 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $6004 | n/a | $6854 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $2689 | n/a | $2689 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $2156 | n/a | $2156 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $531 | n/a | $531 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $1056 | 3 | $1056 |
Senior Junior Counsel
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $579 | 3 | $792 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $386 | 2 | $528 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $241 | 1.25 | $330 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $386 | 2 | $528 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $482 | 2.5 | $660 |
| Plea fees | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1468 | n/a | $2003 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $514 | n/a | $804 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $289 | n/a | $396 |
| Special hearing | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2000 | n/a | $2727 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1098 | n/a | $1758 |
| Sentence indication | ||||
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | $1081 | n/a | $1472 | |
| Trial | ||||
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $386 | 2 | $528 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2387 | n/a | $3786 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $2864 | n/a | $4543 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1098 | n/a | $1758 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $887 | n/a | $1208 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $289 | n/a | $396 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $579 | 3 | $792 |
Junior Counsel
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $360 | 3 | $408 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $240 | 2 | $272 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $150 | 1.25 | $170 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $240 | 2 | $272 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $300 | 2.5 | $340 |
| Plea fees | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $871 | n/a | $1117 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $404 | n/a | $591 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $289 | n/a | $396 |
| Special hearing | ||||
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1001 | n/a | $1335 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $606 | n/a | $875 |
| Sentence indication | ||||
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $627 | n/a | $1198 |
| Trial | ||||
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $240 | 2 | $272 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1124 | n/a | $2019 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $1348 | n/a | $2422 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $606 | n/a | $875 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $505 | n/a | $706 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $289 | n/a | $396 |
| Conference with senior/lead counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $360 | 3 | $408 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.