(a) Time recorded on a fee itemization submitted with a fee declaration form shall be in increments of 0.10 hours (six minutes), as follows:
1 to 6 minutes - 0.1 hours
7 to 12 minutes - 0.2 hours
13 to18 minutes - 0.3 hours
19 to 24 minutes - 0.4 hours
25 to 30 minutes - 0.5 hours
31 to 36 minutes - 0.6 hours
37 to 42 minutes - 0.7 hours
43 to 48 minutes - 0.8 hours
49 to 54 minutes - 0.9 hours
55 to 60 minutes - 1.0 hours
- (b) Opening, closing, and final billing of a case file will be paid a maximum of 0.5 hours in total. Should the total time for the aforementioned activities exceed 0.5 hours due to circumstances beyond the control of the attorney or for other reason, the attorney may petition the director to approve payment of time in excess of 0.5 hours.
- (c) Time spent by qualified law clerk or paralegal working at the direction of appointed counsel must be billed at the paralegal rate of $20.00 per hour.
- (d) An Attorney other than appointed com1sel may bill at the statutory rate on the indigent matter provided that; (1) the attorney is working at the direction of appointed counsel; (2) the attorney's assistance was required by circumstances beyond the control of appointed counsel and (3) the name of the attorney must be noted on the fee declaration.
- (e) In juvenile and youthful offender cases, names or any personally identifiable information of the child or parties to the matter must be redacted. Fee declarations containing this information, including uploaded supporting documents, will be denied and appointed counsel must re-file for payment.
- (f) Non-overhead expenses in excess of $300.00 must be approved by court order in advance of being incurred. To be reimbursed, appointed counsel must submit a fee declaration supported by copy of court order, invoices and receipts. Non-overhead expenses may be billed on an interim basis. All reimbursement will be in accordance with Alabama Law and The State of Alabama Fiscal Policy and Procedure.
Author: C. Roberts
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §41-4-322(h)
History: New Rule: Filed November 18, 2015; effective December 23, 2015; operative January 4, 2016.