Please consider whether the “task” or reason you are asking for additional hours is included within the tariff block fees [from the Tariff Rules] as below:
Step 2
Additional hours requests and approval must be tied to a specific legal or client issue which needs to be addressed above and beyond the tariff block items. If additional hours are still needed, please consider and include the following information in your request:
1. What stage is the file at?
Reviewing disclosure to determine course; prelim; trial; ECR or guilty plea; sentencing, etc.
2. Summary of the allegations.
Provide specific details of allegations or crown theory of case. Please note “charged with assault with a weapon” is not specific enough.
3. If requesting hours for disclosure review, a summary of the allegations is more helpful than describing the length of the disclosure. Please consider including, in addition to the summary of the allegations:
4. Crown position on sentencing versus defence position?
5. How many days of prelim or trial?
6. If prelim, what are the issues that the prelim is proceeding on? Challenging committal?
7. If trial, what is the defence plan for trial:
Tariff 1.21 can be used for 10 hours of preparation of written submissions when they are ordered by the court. Tariff 1.21 can be used to a maximum of 5 hours for written submissions not ordered (i.e. Charter Notices).
If there are any issues or need for clarification, your request will be rejected and more information will be asked for. These guidelines have been put in place to ensure accurate documentation and tracking of additional hour requests and how additional hours are being used.