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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 contact the Child Protection Subpoena Unit via email at childprotectionsubpoenaunit@dffh.vic.gov.au to request a tax invoice for electronic payment.
Post your subpoena and any supporting documents 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