Victoria Legal Aid Handbook for Lawyers

Table F(i) – Lump sum and other fees for serious indictable crime matters in the Children’s Court

Table F(i) sets out the fees payable by Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) for all indictable crime matters in the Children’s Court. These fees apply to charges against a child which could not be heard in the Magistrates’ Court if an adult had been charged (for example, a charge of rape).

These fees are effective from 1 January this year. For fees payable prior to this see Archived versions of the Handbook.

Where a matter resolves as a plea at contest mention, the contest mention fee and appearance fee are payable.

Service/proceeding Hours Fee payable
The lump sum preparation fee.
Note: The lump sum preparation fee covers all necessary work.		 4 $674
Contest mention
VLA will pay this appearance fee only if all of the following apply:
  • On the available evidence, the assisted person had a reasonable prospect of acquittal on all or some of the charges and, considering the likely penalty, that charge or those charges would have qualified for a grant of assistance.
  • Before the contest mention date, the lawyer has discussed with the prosecution the possibility of a negotiated plea.
  • If that discussion did not resolve the matter, then the lawyer attended the contest mention before a magistrate to:
    • try to narrow the issues between the parties to issues of genuine dispute
    • identify the witnesses needed for the hearing of the matter
    • identify the matters to be admitted between the parties
    • re-examine the possibility of a negotiated plea.
The lawyer does not have to seek advance approval from VLA for the contest mention fee.		 n/a $335
Appearance fee n/a $1137 for each day or part day
Application for summary jurisdiction 2.5 $420
Group conference held during work hours 3 $504
Group conference held after work hours 4 $672
Youth Control Order planning meeting n/a $337
Youth Control Order reporting and monitoring hearing, including variation to a less restrictive order (Children’s Court only) n/a $174
Youth Control Order reporting and monitoring hearing to oppose a variation to a significantly more restrictive order (Children’s Court only) n/a $299
Breach or Revocation of a Youth Control Order (Children’s Court only) n/a $454
Sentence (if on a different day) n/a $337
Transcribing of taped record of interview, if necessary n/a $94 per tape

Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS ==REPACE TEXT HERE== or submitting a tax invoice.

Reviewed 31 December 2022