Central Government Counsel Fee Structure Revised

The Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India has revised the Central Government Counsel Fee Structure. The revision of fee payable to Govt counsels of all categories has been notified through Office Memorandum dated 5th February, 2026.

The same is to be in effect from 1st February, 2026. In addition, counsels will be paid at old rates for work done before 1st February, 2026 and at revised rates from 1st February onwards.

Fee Structure applicable to Group ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ panel Counsel in Supreme Court

S. No.	Item of Work	Group 'A' Counsel	Group B'&'C' Counsel
	All Regular Appeals and defended Writ Petitions (for final hearing) per case per day	Rs 21600/-	Rs 14400/-
	All defended Admission matters (SLP/TP, writ petitions & other misc. matters for admission) per case per day	Rs 14400/-	Rs 7200/-
	Settling of pleadings (per case)	Rs 8400/-	-
	Appearance in Miscellaneous Applications (per case)	Rs 7200/-	-
	Drafting SLP/Counter Affidavit/ Rejoinder etc. (per case)	-	4800/-
	Drafting or Appearance in Miscellaneous Applications (including mentioning the case Caveat / Clearance/ obtaining the number and taking date for the hearing) (per case basis)	-	4800/-
	Conference	1440/-	-
	Daily fee for services out of Headquarters	21600/-	14400/-
	Entitlement for travel / hotel expenses for services availed outside Headquarters	Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and on boarding and lodging as per the level - 12 of 7th CPC of the Central Government.
	Clerkage	Nil	Nil
	Fee in identical/connected cases: If matter is contested (per case) If matter is disposed of without contest (per case) (in terms of clause 8 (ii) in chapter 1 hereinabove)	If substantially identical SLP/Petitions of Appeal/Counter Affidavits including stay applications are drafted in connected cases, only one drafting fee will be payable in the main case and no separate drafting fee will be payable in connected cases	-
	Out of pocket and Misc. expenses	Not applicable	Not applicable

Note: All other terms and conditions applicable to Group 'A', 'B' and 'C' Panel Counsel in Supreme Court in the pre-revised OM No. 21(04)/1999-Judl. dated 24.09.1999 read with OM No. 21(05)/2011-Judl. dated 01.10.2011 shall continue to remain applicable unless specifically revoked/revised.

Govt Counsel Free Structure for All the High Courts and Tribunals (Except Principal Benches of High Court of Bombay and Calcutta)

The Fee structure applicable to Deputy Solicitors General of all High Courts and its Benches, Counsels of all the High Courts and Tribunals (except Principal Benches of High Court of Bombay and Calcutta alongwith CAT Mumbai and Kolkata Benches) as per the following rates:

S. No.	Item of Work	Dy.SG, Sr. CGSC, CGSC, and SPС	CGC, Addl. CGSC & GP
	Retainership fee (per month) [admissible to all the Deputy Solicitors General of India; Sr. CGSC and CGSC (DHC)]	14400/-
	Suits, Writ Petitions, and Appeals, including oral Applications for Leave to Appeal to the Supreme Court in Writ Petitions along-with Criminal Revision Applications, Criminal Reference matters, Contempt Petition (Criminal), Misc. Criminal cases, Bail Applications etc. (per case per day) (a) For effective hearing (b) for non-effective hearing (maximum five non-effective hearings in a case or bunch of cases)	(a) 14400/- (b) 2400/-	(a) 3600/- (b) 720/-
	Application for Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court in Writ Petitions (per case)	Rs 4800/-	-
	Settling pleadings (per case)	Rs 4800/-
	Drafting of pleadings, counter affidavits-- / returns / answer to writ petitions grounds of appeal and application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court except in cases where fee on ad valorem basis has been prescribed (per pleading)	-	Rs 2160/-
	Drafting of civil miscellaneous applications to petitions under the Indian Succession Act, contempt of court proceedings and other proceedings of an original nature (per petitions)	-	Rs 1800/-
	Original suits, civil appeals from-- decrees in suits and proceedings including 2nd appeal and land acquisition appeal except LPA from petitions under article 226 and 227 of the Constitution i.e. Ad Valorem/regulation fee (It is a lump sum fee per case including drafting fee)	-	As per concerned respective High Court Generai rules/procedure.
	Miscellaneous Application	Rs 4800/-	-
	Conference fee* (per conference)	1440/- Subject to: (i) for setting pleadings: one conference (ii) In respect of hearing of Writ matters, Suits appeals and Supreme Courts leave applications etc.- three conferences (maximum)
	Entitlement for travel/hotel for services availed outside Headquarters	Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and onboarding and lodging as per the level - 12 of 7th CPC of the Central Government.	Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and on boarding and lodging as per the level - 11 of 7th CPC of the Central Government.
	Clerkage @10%of total fee in a case	-	Rs 2880/-
	Fee in identical / connected cases: (a) If matter is contested - When the Counsel filed Separate and materially different, affidavits, applications or grounds of appeal etc. in more than one case but the argument is heard in the main case and the other cases are decided accordingly, the Counsel shall be paid the full fee in the main case and Rs.150/-in each of the connected cases. (b) If matter is disposed of without contest - when the main case has been contested as in (a) above, but in the connected cases either affidavits or grounds of an appeal or petition similar to the one in the main case or nothing at all has been drafted by the Counsel, he shall be paid the full fee in the main case andRs.75/- only in each of the connected case.	(a) Rs 1500/- (b) Rs 750/- (c)1/3rd fee in main case and Rs 1500/-in each of the connected matters (d)1/3rd fee in main case and Rs 750/- in each of the connected matters	(a) 600/- (b) Rs 300/- (c)1/3rd fee in main case and Rs. 600/-in each of the connected matters. (d)1/3rd fee in main case and Rs 300/- in each of the connected matters
	Out of pocket and Misc. expenses	As per actual and subject to satisfaction of Ministry / Department concerned

Note: All other terms and conditions applicable to Counsel in various High Courts/CAT Benches (excluding the High Court of Bombay and Calcutta) in to this Department's OM No. 24(02)/99-Judl. OM No. 26(01)/99-Judl., OM No. 25(03)/99- Judl. and OM No. 26(02)/99-Judl. all dated 24.09.1999 read with OM No. 26(01)/2005- Judl. dated 31.01.2008 and OM No. 26(01)/2011-Judl. Dated01.10.2011 shall continue to remain applicable unless specifically revoked/revised.

High Courts (Principal Benches) as well as CAT & Other Tribunals Benches of Bombay and Calcutta

The Fee structure applicable to Counsels of High Courts (Principal Benches) as well as Central Administrative Tribunal & Other Tribunals Benches in Bombay and Calcutta as per the following rates:

S. No.	Item of Work
S. No.	Item of Work	Special Counsel	Special Counsel Group - I	Special Counsel Group – II	Jr. Counsel Advocate on Record
	Suits, Appeals, Writ/Revision Petitions including Special Civil Application in High Court along-with Criminal Revision Applications, Criminal Reference matters, Contempt Petition (Criminal), Misc. Criminal cases, Bail Applications etc.	Rs 14400/-	Rs 9600/-	Rs 6000/-	Rs 2880/-
	Per conference/ consultation	Rs 1440/-	Rs 1200/-	Rs 960/-	Rs 720/-
	Application including interim Motions, Notices, Appeals, Leave Application, Arbitration, Company Matter, Criminal revision and other Land Acquisition References (Per day per effective hearing)	Rs 4800/-	Rs 4800/-	Rs 3600/-	Rs 2160/-
	Per conference/Consultation	Rs 1440/-	Rs 1200/-	Rs 960/-	Rs 720/-
	Drafting or Settling Pleadings, and Affidavits (per pleading)	Rs 4800/-	Rs 2880/-	Rs 2400/-	Rs 1680/-
	Per conference/Consultation	Rs 1440/-	Rs 1200/-	Rs 960/-	Rs 720/-
	Appearance before Arbitration and Tribunal etc and Courts other than High Courts (Per day per effective hearing) Per conference/ Consultation	Rs 12000/-	Rs 9600/-	Rs 6000/-	Rs 3600/-
	Per conference/Consultation	Rs 1440/-	Rs 1200/-	Rs 960/-	Rs 720/-
	Chamber Application, including Adjournment Application per day inclusive of consultation	-	Rs 2400/-	Rs 1440/-	Rs 960/-
	Written opinions and written advice including advice on evidence (inclusive of consultation)	Rs 6000/-	Rs 3600/-	Rs 2160/-	Rs 1680/-
	Entitlement for Travel and Hotel expenses for services availed out of headquarter	Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and on boarding and lodging as per the level – 12 of 7th CPC of the Central Govt.			Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and on boarding and lodging as per the level – 11 of 7th CPC of the Central Govt.

All other terms and conditions applicable to the Counsels of High Courts as well as CAT Benches of Bombay and Kolkata in the pre-revised OM No. 23(02)/2001-Judl. & OM No. 22(02)/2001- dated 14th July 2001 read with OM No. 23(02)/2011-Judl. dated 1st October 2011 shall continue to remain applicable unless specifically revoked/revised.

Note: There will be no celling on the number of conference/consultation in the case of Special Counsel, however in the case of other categories of Counsels, the number of conferences per cases will be limited to four (relaxable to six) at the discretion of the Incharge (Litigation) of Branch Secretariat, Mumbai/Kolkata.

All the District & Subordinate Courts throughout the Country

The fee structure applicable to Standing Government Counsel and Additional Standing Government Counsel in all the District & Subordinate Courts throughout the Country as per the following rates:

S. No.	Item of Work	Rate of Fee (All figures are in Indian Rupees)
	Retainership fee admissible to 'Standing Government Counsel' only (per month) (except in Delhi)	Rs 9600/-
	Fee for effective hearing (per case per day)	Rs 2880/-
	Fee for non-effective hearing (per case per day for maximum five non-effective hearings in a case)	Rs 960/-
	Fee for drafting Written Statement, Grounds of Appeal, etc. (per pleading)	Rs 2400/-
	Fee for drafting other pleadings of misc. nature (per pleading)	Rs 960/-
	Fee per Conference* (Subject to maximum five conferences in a case or group of identical cases)	Rs 1440/-
	Daily fee for out of Headquarters (per day)	Rs 3660/-
	Entitlement for travel / hotel expenses for services availed out of Headquarters	Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and on boarding and lodging as per the level – 8 of 7th of the Central Govt
	Clerkage 10% of total fee excluding miscellaneous and out of pocket expenses	Rs 8400/-
	Fee in identical/connected cases	Rs 1200/-
	Out of pocket and Misc. expenses	As per actual and subject to satisfaction of Ministry / Department concerned

All other terms and conditions applicable to above mentioned Counsels in to this Departments' OM No. 27(11)/1999-Judl dated 24.09.1999 read with OM No. 27 (25)/2011- Judl. dated 01.09.2011, shall continue to remain applicable unless specifically revoked/revised.

Panel Counsel for conducting arbitration cases before the arbitrators and arbitration tribunals

The fee structure applicable to counsel for conducting arbitration cases before the arbitrators and arbitration Tribunals as per the following rates:

S. No.	Item of Work	Rates of fee
S. No.	Item of Work	Senior Arbitration Counsel	Junior Arbvitration Counsel
	Fee for effective hearing (per appearance)	Rs 3600/-	RS 2400/-
	Fee for Non-effective hearing (per appearance and for maximum four hearings in a case)	Rs 720/-	Rs 480/-
	For drafting pleadings (per pleading)	Rs 2400/-	Rs 480/-
	Conference fee (subject to a maximum of three conferences in a case)	Rs 720/-	Rs 480/-
	Daily fee (Out of Headquarters) (per day)	Rs 4800/-	Rs 360/-
	Entitlement for travel / hotel expenses (for services availed out of Headquarters)	Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and on boarding and lodging as per the level – 12 of 7th CPC of the Central Govt.	Where a Counsel is required to perform journey outside the headquarter in the course of his duties (official purpose), he shall be paid or reimbursed travelling and on boarding and lodging as per the level – 11 of 7th CPC of the Central Govt.
	Clerkage (NEW ITEM)	10% of total fee in a case subject to a maximum of Rs. 2880/-

All other terms and conditions applicable to OM No. 30(3)/99-Judl. dated 24.09.99 read with OM No. 26(1)/2005/Judl. dated 31.01.2008, shall continue to remain applicable unless specifically revoked/revised.