Increase in legal fees

Tasmania Legal Aid has increased the hourly rate paid to legal practitioners by two per cent (2%).

The increase applies from 1 July 2020 to all fees across all areas, including the criminal, family and civil law programs.

Practitioners play an important role in delivering services to vulnerable Tasmanians. The increase passes on the indexation received by Legal Aid from the Commonwealth and State Governments and maintains the value of fees.  

To avoid the value of fees being eroded the Board has agreed in principle to index fees annually. 

The new rate applies to all new grants of aid and extensions made from 1 July 2020. 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 2020. 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                                 $163.20

Solicitor                                 $142.80

Travelling time                   $142.80

Magistrates Court

Hourly rate

Counsel                                 $142.80

Solicitor                                 $142.80

Clerks and apprentices as per superior Court rates     

Travel

• …
• …
• Mileage for car expenses will be paid at the rate of 40.8 Cents per kilometre