Scale of Costs

Scale of fees and charges to be paid to legal practitioners, other than Counsel, and Scale of Counsel's Fees for work done on and after 1 January 2025.

The charges in this Scale are exclusive of any GST chargeable.

1. ATTENDANCES, TRAVEL AND WAITING COSTS

(a) Attendances requiring legal skill or knowledge by a legal practitioner

(i) for each unit of 6 minutes or part thereof; ($50.60)
(ii) where a legal practitioner attends the Supreme Court for the purposes of instructing (including conferences with counsel or others on the day of the hearing before or after the Supreme Court sits) per hour or part thereof; ($506.10)
(iii) where a legal practitioner appears as counsel, at the discretion of the Costs Court having regard to item 19(1)(a) and (3)

(b) Where any attendance, requiring legal skill or knowledge, is by an employee of a legal practice who is not a legal practitioner—for each unit of 6 minutes or part thereof ($38.80)

(c) Any other attendance, not requiring legal skill or knowledge, capable of performance by a clerk—for each unit of 6 minutes or part thereof ($29.40)

(d) Attendances to file or issue any document or similar attendance ($58.70)

(e) Travel time is to be allowed at the rate applicable in item 1(a) and item 1(b) where the individual travels in excess of one hour, for such excess.

(f) Waiting time at the Supreme Court is to be allowed at the rate applicable in item 1(a) or item 1(b).

Where the attendance is by telephone or other electronic means, the charge for an attendance includes the charges made by the communication provider.

2. DRAWING DOCUMENTS

All documents whether in printed form or otherwise—for each folio ($74.80)

3. ENGROSSING AND/OR APPROVAL OF DOCUMENTS

Of documents properly drawn by Counsel—for each folio ($14.90)

4. REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

By photocopy or other machine made copy including hard copies of electronic documents—for each printed side of a page—at the discretion of the Costs Court.

5. CORRESPONDENCE (including electronic communications)

(a) Message (20 words or less) or letter forwarding documents without explanation, or circular letter ($25.10)

(b) Short (one folio or less) ($50.60)

The charge for a letter includes transmission by standard surface post, facsimile, email or other form of electronic transmission and includes the charges made by the communication provider.
For each additional page after the first page of a circular letter, a charge pursuant to item 4 shall apply.

6. SERVICE

(a) Personal service, including attempts, where reasonable and required and not able to be served by other means ($89.70)

(b) By letter in accordance with item 5(b) ($50.60)

7. RECEIVING AND FILING

Any incoming document, including correspondence, whether by electronic means or otherwise including first page for file ($25.10)

Copies of additional pages received electronically are to be charged pursuant to item 4.

8. PERUSALS

Of all documents including incoming correspondence—

(a) up to three folios ($75.50)

(b) thereafter for each folio ($25.10)

9. SCANNING

If it is not reasonable to peruse but it is reasonable to scan a document including incoming correspondence—for each folio or part thereof ($10.20)

10. EXAMINATION

If it is not reasonable to peruse or scan a document but an examination is reasonable—for each page ($10.20)

11. REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION

Review and consideration of the file or particular parts of the file in preparing to draw or redact documents and letters, for conferences, hearings, taxation of costs and the like—in accordance with item 1(a) and item 1(b).

In considering a claim made pursuant to this item, the Costs Court must have regard to any allowances claimed pursuant to items 8, 9 and 10.

12. DELEGATION AND SUPERVISION

In matters where the Costs Court considers it reasonable for more than one legal practitioner to be involved in the conduct of the matters, the Costs Court shall make such additional allowances as are considered reasonable in all the circumstances in accordance with this Scale.

Such allowances may include time spent by both principal legal practitioner and delegates in ensuring tasks are properly delegated and supervised—in accordance with item 1(a) and item 1(b).

13. RESEARCH

Where it is appropriate to research a legal question of some complexity that is not procedural in nature—in accordance with item 1(a) or item 1(b), as appropriate.

14. COLLATION, PAGINATION AND INDEXING

Of documents or files including for discovery or inspection purposes, briefs to Counsel, Court Books, Appeal Books, exhibits or annexures to Court documents, hearings, instructions to expert witnesses, correspondence and the like—in accordance with item 1(c).

15. REDACTION

16. ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

(a) Database creation, database administration (including establishing design and agreement protocols), database design and implementation—in accordance with item 1(b);

(b) Document preparation and document design in compliance with any Supreme Court Practice Note or any Supreme Court order or direction dealing with the use of technology in the management of any civil litigation matter—in accordance with item 1(a), item 1(b) or item 1(c), as appropriate;

(c) Imaging of documents to searchable format including rendering to PDF and scanning where necessary—in accordance with item 1(c);

(d) Publishing including—

(i) electronic exchange and discovery; and
(ii) write-to CD/CD ROM/USB or other agreed media—

in accordance with item 1(c).

17. SKILL, CARE AND RESPONSIBILITY

An additional amount may be allowed, having regard to the circumstances of the case, including—

(a) the complexity of the matter;

(b) the difficulty or novelty of the questions involved in the matter;

(c) the skill, specialised knowledge and responsibility involved and the time and labour expended by the legal practitioner;

(d) the number and importance of the documents prepared and perused, regardless of length;

(e) the amount or value of money or property involved;

(f) research and consideration of questions of law and fact;

(g) the general care and conduct of the legal practitioner, having regard to the instructions and all relevant circumstances;

(h) the time within which the work was required to be done;

(i) allowances otherwise made in accordance with this Scale (including allowances for attendances in accordance with item 1);

(j) any other relevant matter.

18. CORPORATIONS SHORT FORM BILL

Costs of obtaining a winding-up order up to and including authentication, filing and service of the order under section 470 of the Corporations Act and the obtaining from the Costs Court of an order as to costs ($6978.30)

An additional amount may be allowed for any adjournment.

A reasonable amount for disbursements is also allowable in addition to the lump sum amount.

19. COUNSEL'S FEES

(1) Subject to paragraphs (2), (3) and (4), such fees as are allowed up to a maximum of—

(a) appearances—
(i) on trial or appeal (daily fee)
Junior Counsel
($7142.10)
Senior Counsel
($10713.20)

(ii) any other appearance (per half day for time spent in the hearing)
Junior Counsel
($3571.00)
Senior Counsel
($5356.00)

(b) other matters (for each hour)
Junior Counsel
($714.00)
Senior Counsel
($1071.00)

(d) conferences (not occurring on day of hearing) (for each hour)
Junior Counsel
($714.00)
Senior Counsel
($1071.00)

(e) views (for each hour)
($714.00)
Senior Counsel
($1071.00)

(f) drawing or settling documents (for each hour)
($714.00)
Senior Counsel
($1071.00)

(g) opinions, advices (for each hour)
($714.00)
Senior Counsel
($1071.00)

(h) any other work, not otherwise provided for (for each hour)
($714.00)
Senior Counsel
($1071.00)

(2) Circuit fees are additional and are to be based on current allowances as provided for in Schedule 1 to Chapter I of the Rules of the County Court.

(3) In allowing a fee to Counsel, the Costs Court shall have regard to the following criteria—

(a) all criteria in item 17; and

(b) the other fees and allowances to Counsel in the matter; and

(c) payments made for interlocutory work where that work has reduced the work which would otherwise have been necessary in relation to the brief; and

(d) the standing of Counsel.

(4) Where costs are taxed pursuant to an order of the Supreme Court, Counsel's fees in excess of scale are not to be allowed unless the Supreme Court otherwise orders, but in any other case the Costs Court has discretion to allow fees in excess of scale.

*Please note: The above item-based scale is adapted from the Supreme Court of Victoria’s 2024 Scale, available here with amounts for each item increased by 5% annually on 1 January.

Back to current Slater and Gordon scale