IV, Sec. 18 Hearing Fees

When a master commissioner holds a hearing, they get paid $125 for each hour of work. If the hearing runs less than a full hour, the time is broken into 15-minute blocks, and each block costs $31.25. So even a few extra minutes past a quarter hour still counts as a full quarter hour for billing purposes.

This fee doesn't go directly from one person to another. Instead, it's handled through the circuit court clerk's office, which manages the payment process. The clerk's office must pay the commissioner within five working days after the hearing wraps up.

For anyone involved in a case with a master commissioner, this means you can expect the cost to be based on actual time spent, rounded up to the nearest 15 minutes. It also means there's a clear deadline for payment, so the commissioner should get paid quickly after doing the work.