Table F sets out the fees payable by Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) for all indictable crime matters at the County Court or Supreme Court stage.
See also Principles applying to payment of fees for the County or Supreme Court stage of an indictable crime matter.
These fees are effective from 1 January this year. For fees payable prior to this see Archived versions of the Handbook.
General fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Counsel – post-committal negotiations | 3 | $672 | 3 | $915 |
| First directions hearing | 2 | $448 | 2 | $610 |
| Directions hearing/mention/call over | 1.25 | $280 | 1.25 | $381 |
| Defence response – first directions hearing | 2 | $448 | 2 | $610 |
| Application for discontinuance or proceedings | 2.5 | $560 | 2.5 | $762 |
Plea fees
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Preparation | 3 | $528 | 8.5 | $2380 |
| Appearance fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $1717 | n/a | $2344 |
| Appearance fee – subsequent day(s) | n/a | $598 | n/a | $939 |
| Sentence | n/a | $335 | n/a | $460 |
| Advice on appeal | 1 | $305 | 1 | $305 |
Special hearing
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Preparation | 1 | $176 | 1 | $280 |
| Appearance fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2341 | n/a | $3191 |
| Appearance fee – subsequent day(s) | n/a | $1283 | n/a | $2056 |
Sentence indication
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Appearance fee (includes conferences) | n/a | $1263 | n/a | $1721 |
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
| Ground rules hearing | n/a | $1283 | n/a | $2056 |
Section 198A hearings (County Court)
| Service/proceeding | Fee payable |
| Application for hearing | $672 |
| Pre-trial examination | $1283 |
Active Case Management System (County Court)
| Service/proceeding | Fee payable |
| Case Initiation Notice | $448 |
| Preparation for case conference (instructor) | $672 |
| Counsel - preparation for case conference | $1508 |
| Appearance at case conference | $1283 |
| Instructing – per hour (up to maximum of 5 hours per day) | $155 |
| Trial Readiness Questionnaire Certificate | $448 |
| Case assessment hearing | $560 |
Case management (Supreme Court)
| Service/proceeding | Fee payable |
| Application to cross-examine witnesses – s198B | $840 |
| Appearance where witnesses are cross-examined – s198B | $2056 per day |
| Counsel – preparation for administrative callover process | $610 |
| Case conference | $1721 |
Trial
| Service/proceeding | County Court hours | Fee payable | Supreme Court hours | Fee payable |
|---|
| Preparation | 10 | $1760 | 15 | $4200 |
| Defence response – final directions hearing | 2 | $448 | 2 | $610 |
| Appearance fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $2791 | n/a | $4433 |
| Appearance fee – first day (includes conferences) | n/a | $3349 | n/a | $5319 |
| Appearance fee – subsequent day(s) | n/a | $1283 | n/a | $2056 |
| Instructing – per hour (up to a maximum of 5 hours per day) | 1 | $155 | 1 | $280 |
| Plea hearing – first day | n/a | $1036 | n/a | $1412 |
| Plea hearing – subsequent days | n/a | $598 | n/a | $939 |
| Sentence | n/a | $335 | n/a | $460 |
| Advice on appeal | 3 | $915 | 3 | $915 |
Practitioners can claim these fees using ATLAS or submitting a tax invoice.
Reviewed 31 December 2022
