Legal Aid hourly rates increasing

Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) will increase fees paid to solicitors and barristers representing financially disadvantaged clients in State and Commonwealth law matters from Thursday, 1 August

All hourly rates for solicitors in State and Commonwealth law matters will be paid at $150 an hour. Hourly rates for counsel fees have also been increased, Commonwealth law matters will be increased by about 6.8 per cent and by 4.9 per cent in State law matters.

Following significant feedback from counsel regarding the level of fees for trial preparation in family law matters, LAQ has also increased the trial preparation grant for counsel from six hours to 12 hours.  Fixed fees or event fees for solicitors and barristers (conferences, mentions, preparation) have also increased.

Disbursements for items such as reports, giving evidence, service, travel and accommodation have also increased by 4.9 per cent and apply across State and Commonwealth matters.

The increased fees cannot be applied retrospectively so any grants issued before 1 August 2024 will be paid at the rate that applied when the grant was issued.

Full details of the increases are in the Grants Handbook – Scale of Fees which will be available on-line from 1 August.

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