Victoria Legal Aid Handbook for Lawyers

Table B sets out the standard rate fees payable by Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) in:

  • bail applications in the Criminal Division of the Children’s Court
  • bail applications in the Magistrates’ Court.

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

The fees contained in this fee schedule are lump sum fees and are GST inclusive.

Service/proceedingFees payable
Contested bail preparation$217
Appearance fee$463
Intensive Bail Scheme supervision hearings (Children’s Court only)$177

Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLASExternal Link or submitting a tax invoice.

What if it is in the assisted person’s best interests to proceed to a plea in the Magistrates’ Court, rather than to a bail application?

In Magistrates’ Court matters, if counsel appears for the assisted person and considers that it would be in the person’s best interests to proceed to a plea instead of to a bail application, then VLA will pay the appearance fee for a plea pursuant to Table A instead of paying the appearance fee for the bail application.

Grants where counsel is briefed

Where counsel is briefed for a bail application in the Magistrates' or Children's court, the brief fee in Table B must be paid to counsel.

Travel

Where an advocate appears in the hearing of criminal charges in a Magistrates’ or Children’s court or a state family matter in the Children’s Court (family division) which is more than 40 kilometres from the advocate’s usual place of business, a travel fee may be paid. This fee is calculated at the rate of 81 cents per kilometre for each kilometre of the return trip in excess of 80 kilometres, and is paid as a disbursement.

Reviewed 31 December 2023