This is a statement of legal services expenditure published in accordance with paragraphs 109(1)(d) and (e) of the Legal Services Directions 2025 of the Legal Services Directions 2025, which requires that by 30 October each year, agencies make publicly available records of the legal services expenditure for the previous financial year.
The table below provides the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's legal services expenditure during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years.
| Expenditure type | Financial year 2024-25 | Financial year 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Total External Legal Services Expenditure |
$13,172,770 |
$16,026,096 |
| Including professional fees |
$12,709,435 |
$15,640,036 |
| Including disbursements in the amount of |
$211,456 |
$116,927 |
| Including briefs to counsel in the amount of |
$251,879 |
$269,133 |
| Of which female counsel totalled |
$54,050 |
$132,155 |
| Of which male counsel totalled |
$197,829 |
$136,978 |
| Total Internal Legal Services Expenditure |
$23,828,053 |
$25,312,610 |
| Total (External + Internal) Expenditure |
$37,000,823 |
$41,338,706 |
Note: All figures are GST exclusive
* Please note that in accordance with Expenditure Report Guidance 2025-26, the total cost of each dedicated legal unit within the Department and each individual lawyer working directly in a business area, has been included in the internal legal services expenditure.