Increase in legal fees 2021 - 2022
Tasmania Legal Aid has again increased the hourly rate paid to legal practitioners.
The 2% increase applies from 1 July 2021 to fees across all areas, including the criminal, family and civil law programs.
Practitioners play an important role in delivering services to vulnerable Tasmanians, with around $5.7M paid in 2020-21, up from $5.1M in the previous year.
The increase passes on the indexation received by TLA from the Commonwealth and State Governments and maintains the value of fees.
Court Backlog: Indictable matters in the Magistrates Court
National Redress Scheme: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
The new rate applies to all new grants of aid and extensions made from 1 July 2021. All grants of aid prior to this attract the fees at the time of grant approval, even where the work is performed after 1 July 2021. The new rates are annexed.
The Elodge system automatically applies the hourly rate relevant to the grant of aid, so you will not need to do anything extra when submitting claims.
The following are the new fee rates in the Legal Aid Guidelines, Guideline 9 - Scale of fees (linked) for practitioners:
Supreme Court, Federal Court, Family Court, Administrative Appeals Tribunal
Hourly rate
- Counsel $166.46
- Solicitor $145.66
- Travelling time $145.66
Magistrates Court
Hourly rate
- Counsel $145.66
- Solicitor $145.66
Clerks and apprentices as per superior Court rates
Travel
- Mileage for car expenses will be paid at the rate of 41.62 Cents per kilometre