How to bill appearance fees without losing track
Agree the fee, record each appearance the day it happens, and invoice on a set day. A working method for chambers that bill per appearance.
Published 6 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
Many litigation briefs in Nigeria are billed per appearance: a fixed sum each time counsel goes to court on the matter. It is simple to agree and easy to forget. A busy month of mentions and adjournments can leave several appearances unbilled.
Agree the fee in writing
Put the appearance fee in the letter of engagement next to any stage fees. Say what counts as an appearance, whether a mention is billed the same as a hearing, and what happens when the court does not sit.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Filing and service | ₦600,000 |
| Each hearing appearance | ₦50,000 |
| Mention only | ₦30,000 |
| Court did not sit | ₦15,000 |
Record the appearance the same day
The person who went to court records the outcome before the end of the day: what happened, the next date, and that an appearance took place. If it waits until Friday, it gets missed.
If the appearance isn't recorded the day it happens, it usually isn't billed.
Invoice on a fixed day
Pick one day a month to invoice appearances, and send each client a list of dates with the purpose of each sitting. Clients pay faster when they can see what happened on each date.
Questions
Should a mention be billed as an appearance?
Agree it with the client up front. Many firms bill mentions at a lower rate.
What if two lawyers attend?
State in the engagement letter whether a second counsel is billed, and at what rate.