Rule 29.9.Fees Paid to Lawyers Under a Panel Program
Rule 29. APPOINTMENT OF COUNSEL FOR INDIGENT DEFENDANTS · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 29.9 leaves compensation for panel attorneys to the local judges, requiring minimum flat fees by case category that bear a reasonable relationship to private-bar rates, an hourly-equivalent standard for capital cases with continuing scrutiny after a death sentence, and an optional committee to set and approve fees.
Full Text of Rule 29.9
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The judge or judges of a multi-judge circuit shall determine the method of compensation to be paid under a panel program.
Each program shall prescribe minimum fees to be paid as a total fee, regardless of hours, in certain categories of cases, governed by these rules. In prescribing such minimums, the court shall take into consideration the complexity of the case categories and the corresponding fee that is presently being obtained by competent members of the local bar for such representation where privately retained. While the fee paid under the panel program need not equate that of a corresponding fee obtained by a private practitioner, there should be a reasonable relationship.
Compensation for a capital felony case in which the death penalty is sought shall be at the same hourly rate as other cases, but each case should be examined by the court and the fee total should be based on a complete examination of the individual case. Special attention should be given to continuing counsel obligations in death penalty cases when conviction and imposition of the death penalty occur.
The court may establish a committee composed of a designee of the chief judge, the local county governing authority and the local bar association to perform the functions of establishing fee guidelines and approval of fees.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 29.9 puts fee-setting in local hands. The judge or judges of a multi-judge circuit decide how panel attorneys get paid, and each program has to prescribe minimum total fees for categories of cases, regardless of hours worked.
Those minimums are not set in a vacuum. The rule tells courts to weigh case complexity against what competent local bar members currently charge for similar privately retained work — the panel fee does not have to match that private rate, but it has to bear a reasonable relationship to it.
Capital cases get separate treatment. Compensation is pegged to the same hourly rate as other cases, but each capital case gets individual examination, with special attention to counsel’s continuing obligations after a conviction and death sentence. To administer all this, the rule lets the court set up a committee combining a designee of the chief judge, the local county government, and the local bar association to establish fee guidelines and approve fee requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides how panel attorneys get compensated?
The judge or judges of a multi-judge circuit determine the method of compensation to be paid under a panel program.
How are minimum fees set for different types of cases?
Each program prescribes minimum total fees by case category, taking into account case complexity and the fee currently obtained by competent local bar members for comparable privately retained representation.
Does the panel fee have to match what a private attorney would charge?
No, but there should be a reasonable relationship between the panel fee and the corresponding private fee.
How is compensation handled in death penalty cases?
Capital felony cases are compensated at the same hourly rate as other cases, but each case is individually examined, with special attention to continuing counsel obligations after conviction and imposition of the death penalty.
Can a committee help set and approve fees?
Yes. The court may establish a committee with a designee of the chief judge, the local county governing authority, and the local bar association to set fee guidelines and approve fees.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:panel attorney fees GeorgiaUSCR Rule 29.9indigent defense compensation rulescapital case attorney fees Georgiaminimum fee schedule appointed counsel