Victoria Legal Aid Handbook for Lawyers

Table S – Expert reports and court attendances by psychologists and psychiatrists in criminal matters

Table S sets out the fixed fees payable by Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) for expert reports and court attendances by psychologists and psychiatrists in criminal matters.

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

Service providedFee payable for psychologistFee payable for psychiatrist
Assessment and report with jail conference$812$914
Assessment and report without jail conference$712$812
Treating expert report$454$551
Supplementary report$397$500

Evidentiary report to establish:

  • an evidentiary basis for a defence (for example, mental impairment, absence of intent)
    or
  • an evidentiary issue (for example, fitness to plead, a review or leave application).

Before the assisted person incurs the fee, there must be explicit factual material which confirms a reasonable expectation of an organic psychiatric condition.

$1074$1074
Attendance at metropolitan court – half day, including travel$500$610
Attendance at regional court – half day, including travel$712$812
Non-attendance fee$79$109

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

Documentary requirements

Where a practitioner is required to seek prior approval for a disbursement, they must provide VLA with a copy of the quote for service, the qualifications of the expert providing the service, and the reasons for the request including an explanation of how the service would benefit the assisted person and the detriment to the assisted person if the service is not provided.

Where a disbursement is approved under this fee table, in order to claim the fee payable, a practitioner must retain on their file:

  • a copy of the report, and
  • a tax invoice from the report writer and evidence of payment by the practitioner.

Read the table of minimum evidence requirements.

Reviewed 31 December 2023

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