Victoria Legal Aid Handbook for Lawyers

Table Q – Expert reports and court attendances in family law matters

Table Q sets out the fixed fees which Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) will pay for expert reports and court attendances in family law matters.

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

VLA expects assisted people to get family reports from the Court Counselling Section, unless it is impractical or inappropriate.

In exceptional circumstances, the fees may be increased.

Services provided Fees paid
Family assessment and report

$2544 total cost
Note: VLA will pay only the assisted person’s appropriate share of this total amount.

In the event that there is an independent children’s lawyer VLA will only pay what would have been the assisted person’s or self-represented person’s appropriate share of this total amount.

Supplementary report (ie any second or later report by an expert): if prepared within nine months after the first report.

$1412 total cost
Note: VLA will pay only the assisted person’s appropriate share or shares of this total amount.

In the event that there is an independent children’s lawyer VLA will only pay what would have been the assisted person’s or self-represented person’s appropriate share of this total amount.

Supplementary report (ie any second or later report by an expert): if prepared more than nine months after the first report

$2120 total cost
Note: VLA will pay only the assisted person’s appropriate share or shares of this total amount.

In the event that there is an independent children’s lawyer VLA will only pay what would have been the assisted person’s or self-represented person’s appropriate share of this total amount

Interview of a third party (eg a grandparent) who has intervened in a dispute $424 additional fee on top of total cost
Attending court, including travel: half day $632
Note: If the person attending court is the writer of the family report, then the fee is payable out of the grant of legal assistance made to the child representative/independent children’s lawyer.
Attending court, including travel: full day $932
Note: If the person attending court is the writer of the family report, then the fee is payable out of the grant of legal assistance made to the child representative/independent children’s lawyer.
A person is engaged to write a family report but does not need to complete the report:
  • because the matter settles
    or
  • for another reason.
The report writer may claim a fee for the actual work done.
Individual reports Fee payable to psychiatrist or psychologist
Assessment and report $1200
Treating expert’s report $505
Supplementary report (ie any second or later report by an expert) $591
Attending court, including travel: half day $632
Attending court, including travel: full day $932
If the assisted person does not attend a firm appointment made with the expert $114

Reviewed 31 December 2022

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