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Conduct money is a nominal fee. It does not cover the department's cost of fulfilling subpoenas.
Conduct money recognises that we must:
- source the documents
- assess each page under the relevant legislation
- remove information that cannot be released.
Service times
It can take considerable time to produce the documents requested in a subpoena. We ask for at least ten business days' notice.
If a subpoena requires many documents, we may ask you:
- for more time to complete the task
- to narrow the subpoena schedule.
We may contact you about your subpoena if the time frame is too short for the number of documents you requested. See how to write a subpoena.
Service times and conduct money for different courts
| Court | Minimum service time | Conduct money |
| Federal Circuit Court and Family Court (Victoria) | At least 10 days | $25 (minimum amount specified by legislation) |
| County Court of Victoria | 5 days | $10 |
| Children’s Court of Victoria | 10 business days | $10 |
| Magistrates’ Court of Victoria | 10 business days | $10 |
| Supreme Court | No less than 5 business days | $10 |
| Interstate courts | Various | $55 |
How to pay the conduct money
Please send a cheque or money order for the required amount. The amount to pay is in the table above.
Please do not send cash in the mail. We will accept cash payments, but you must first contact the Child Protection Subpoena Unit to request a tax invoice for electronic payment.
Post your subpoena, documents and conduct money to:
The Proper Officer
Child Protection Subpoena Unit
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
GPO Box 4672
Melbourne VIC 3001
Contact the Child Protection Subpoena Unit
Phone: 1300 703 779
Email: childprotectionsubpoenaunit@dffh.vic.gov.au