Experts, investigators, and other service providers

Locating investigator services

• Consult your colleagues
• Contact Professional Association of Wisconsin Licensed Investigators (PAWLI)
• Contact ACD for suggestions
  • ACD may be able to provide suggestions; however, ACD has no firsthand experience with individual experts and cannot guarantee the contact information on file is up to date.
    • Attorneys are encouraged to consult with their colleagues or perform their own research prior to contacting the Assigned Counsel Division for assistance.

Rates for services

$50/hr plus mileage (state rate of $0.51/mi) and other expenses

How to request funding for investigator services

• Submit a Case Expense Request 
• You will receive an email from “[email protected]” after ACD has reviewed the request. Please read the email to see if the request has been approved, modified to a different amount, or denied.
• Contact the expert with the approval notice
  • Once ACD has approved your request you should inform the investigator of the approved amount, scope of work, and any deadlines
• Additional funding
  • If an investigator tells you that they will need more time to complete the work, or there is new/additional work, you will need to submit another Case Expense Request.
  •  ACD’s approval must be obtained before allowing the investigator to proceed further. Any work done without prior approval is not guaranteed to be paid by SPD.

Payment for services

ACD does not pay the investigator directly. Attorneys are required to promptly pay investigators. See Wi. SCR § 20:1.15(d)

• Upon completion of services, the investigator must send a copy of their itemized invoice & required receipts to the attorney. 
• Submit an invoice to ACD
  • If the case is not expected to close within 60 days, the attorney can submit an interim bill with just the investigator’s cost included on it as a case expense.
  • If the case is expected to close within 60 days, the attorney can include the investigator’s cost on their final bill as a case expense.
• Send the investigator’s invoice & receipts to ACD via email: [email protected]
• ACD will review the investigator’s invoice and authorize payment to the attorney for the expense. 

Locating experts

• Consult with colleagues
  • Defendernet, the SPD listserv hosted by the State Bar
    • To join this listserv, please contact ACD
  • Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL)
• Contact ACD
  • ACD may be able to provide suggestions; however, ACD has no firsthand experience with individual experts and cannot guarantee the contact information on file is up to date. Attorneys are encouraged to consult with their colleagues or perform their own research prior to contacting the Assigned Counsel Division for assistance. 

Rates for services

• Depends on type of work and locale
•  SPD rarely approves experts at their private pay rates
•  ACD staff can provide information about the typical costs associated with various types of expert services

How to request funding for services

• Submit a Case Expense Request 
• You will receive an email from “[email protected]” after ACD has reviewed the request. Please read the email to see if the request has been approved, modified to a different amount, or denied.
• Contact the expert with the approval notice
  • Once ACD has approved your request you should inform the investigator of the approved amount, scope of work, and any deadlines
• Additional funding
  • If an expert tells you that they will need more time to complete the work, or there is new/additional work, you will need to submit another Case Expense Request.
  •  ACD’s approval must be obtained before allowing the expert to proceed further. Any work done without prior approval is not guaranteed to be paid by SPD.

Payment for services

ACD does not pay the expert directly. Upon receipt of payment for the expert’s expenses, attorneys are required to promptly pay experts. See Wi. SCR § 20:1.15(d).

• Upon completion of services, the expert must send a copy of their itemized invoice & required receipts to the attorney. 
  • If the case is not expected to close within 60 days, the attorney can submit an interim bill with just the expert’s cost included on it as a case expense.
  • If the case is expected to close within 60 days, the attorney can include the expert’s cost on their final bill as a case expense.
• The expert’s invoice and receipts should be sent to ACD via email: [email protected]
• ACD will review the expert’s invoice, and authorize payment to the attorney.

Locating Services

• Consult your colleagues
• Visit WisBar page Find a Certified Paralegal
• Contact ACD
  • ACD maintains a list of individuals who may be available to provide administrative assistance; however, ACD has no firsthand experience with these individuals. You can request a copy of the list by sending an email to [email protected]
• Visit Paralegal Association of Wisconsin (PAW) if you are looking to hire a paralegal for your firm

Rates for services

• $35/hr plus mileage (state rate of $0.51/mi) and other expenses

How to request funding for services

• Submit a Case Expense Request 
• You will receive an email from “[email protected]” after ACD has reviewed the request. Please read the email to see if the request has been approved, modified to a different amount, or denied.
• Contact the expert with the approval notice
  • Once ACD has approved your request you should inform the investigator of the approved amount, scope of work, and any deadlines
• Additional funding
  • If a paralegal tells you that they will need more time to complete the work, or there is new/additional work, you will need to submit another Case Expense Request.
  •  ACD’s approval must be obtained before allowing the paralegal to proceed further. Any work done without prior approval is not guaranteed to be paid by SPD.

Payment for services

ACD does not pay paralegals directly. Attorneys are required to promptly pay paralegals/legal assistants. See Wi. SCR § 20:1.15(d).

• Upon completion of services, the paralegal or legal assistant must send a copy of their itemized invoice & required receipts to the attorney. 
• Submit an invoice to ACD
  • If the case is not expected to close within 60 days, the attorney can submit an interim bill with just the paralegal’s cost included on it as a case expense.
  • If the case is expected to close within 60 days, the attorney can include the paralegal’s cost on their final bill as a case expense.
• Send the paralegal/legal assistant’s invoice & receipts to ACD via email: [email protected]
• ACD will review the paralegal/legal assistant’s invoice, and authorize payment to the attorney for the expense.

Locating services

• To use state vendors, submit the form SPD Interpretation Resources for Private Bar
  • SPD Fiscal has already established accounts with all the mentioned vendors
  • Note: nothing will be “submitted” – this form is a tool to determine the needed resource and provide approved option(s)
• If you require additional options or resources not listed on the form, please reach out to ACD supervisor Melissa Lamb at [email protected]

Rates for services

• For state vendors, rates have been pre-negotiated with the approved vendors and no additional approval is required
• For all other vendors, rates vary depending on the language
  • For travel, the rate is $50/hr for more than 30 miles one way from interpreter’s principal place of business

How to request funding & services

• For state vendors, no Case Expense Request needed
• If the non-State vendor cost will be more than $500
  • Submit a Case Expense Request
  • You will receive an email from “[email protected]” after ACD has reviewed the request. Please read the email to see if the request has been approved, modified to a different amount, or denied.
• The attorney no longer has to complete or submit the SPD Interpreter Request form.

Payment for services

• When you tell the vendor that you are from the SPD, the vendor will send their invoice directly to SPD’s Fiscal Office. If you receive the invoice, please forward it to [email protected].

Rates for services

• The fees that a court reporter can charge are controlled by Wis. Stat. § 814. 

How to request funding & services

• Submit a Case Expense Request
• You will receive an email from “[email protected]” after it has been reviewed. Please read the email to see if the request has been approved, modified to a different amount, or denied
• If the request is approved, the attorney must complete the In-Court Transcript Request Form and submit it to the court reporter

Payment for services

• The attorney does not pay the court reporter.
• The court reporter must submit the completed request form to SPD and SPD will pay them directly.

Locating services

• Refer to VendorNet

Rates for services

• The cost of transcription service can vary greatly depending on the subject matter and turn-around time.

How to request funding & services

• Submit a Case Expense Request
• You will receive an email from “[email protected]” after it has been reviewed. Please read the email to see if the request has been approved, modified to a different amount, or denied.
• If the request is approved, the attorney must complete the correct form and submit it to the service provider
  • SPD will not approve a request for a court reporter to be present at a revocation hearing. To request revocation hearing recordings from the Division of Hearings and Appeals (DHA), please submit a written request to [email protected]. Your request should include the client’s name, DOC inmate#, date of hearing, a copy of the Order Appointing Counsel and your name and address.

Payment for services

• The attorney does not pay the transcriber.
• The court reporter must submit the completed request form, and SPD will pay them directly.