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 com mittal
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $1227 | 3 | $1227 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $818 | 2 | $818 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $511 | 1.25 | $511 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $818 | 2 | $818 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $1022 | 2.5 | $1022 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $3766 | n/a | $3766 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $2096 | n/a | $2096 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $619 | n/a | $619 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $4616 | n/a | $4616 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $3147 | n/a | $3147 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $2937 | n/a | $2937 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $818 | 2 | $818 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $5861 | n/a | $6689 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $7033 | n/a | $8026 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $3147 | n/a | $3147 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $2522 | n/a | $2522 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $2096 | n/a | $2096 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $619 | n/a | $619 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $1227 | 3 | $1227 |
Senior Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $672 | 3 | $915 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $448 | 2 | $610 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $280 | 1.25 | $381 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $448 | 2 | $610 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $560 | 2.5 | $762 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1717 | n/a | $2344 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $598 | n/a | $939 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $335 | n/a | $460 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2341 | n/a | $3191 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1283 | n/a | $2056 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $1263 | n/a | $1721 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $448 | 2 | $610 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2791 | n/a | $4433 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $3349 | n/a | $5319 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $1283 | n/a | $2056 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $1036 | n/a | $1412 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $598 | n/a | $939 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $335 | n/a | $460 |
| Conference with junior counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $672 | 3 | $915 |
Junior Counsel
Post committal
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Post-committal negotiations | 3 | $414 | 3 | $465 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $276 | 2 | $310 |
| Directions hearing/mention/callover | 1.25 | $172 | 1.25 | $193 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $276 | 2 | $310 |
| Application for discontinuance of proceedings | 2.5 | $345 | 2.5 | $387 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1017 | n/a | $1305 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $470 | n/a | $689 |
| Sentence (if on a different day) | n/a | $335 | n/a | $460 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1170 | n/a | $1560 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $706 | n/a | $1022 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Brief fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $731 | n/a | $979 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $276 | 2 | $310 |
| Brief fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1313 | n/a | $2362 |
| Brief fee – first day where 20% uplift applicable (includes conferences) | n/a | $1575 | n/a | $2834 |
| Subsequent day | n/a | $706 | n/a | $1022 |
| Plea hearing | n/a | $589 | n/a | $824 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $470 | n/a | $689 |
| Sentence (if on different day) | n/a | $335 | n/a | $460 |
| Conference with senior/lead counsel (Trial Counsel Development Program only) | 3 | $414 | 3 | $465 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.
Reviewed 31 December 2022
