Online Voucher System
About OVS
The payment of court-appointed counsel for the legal services provided to indigent clients is governed by the provisions of W. Va. Code 29-21-13a.
The payment begins with the attorney's preparation of a "voucher." A voucher is essentially an invoice from the attorney for the payment of legal services and the reimbursement of expenses.
The governing statute dictates that "vouchers ... shall specifically set forth the nature of the services rendered, the stage of proceeding or type of hearing involved, the date and place the service was rendered and the amount of time expended in each instance." Further, "all time claimed on the vouchers shall be itemized to the nearest tenth of an hour."
Public Defender Services is to "establish guidelines for the submission of vouchers and claims for fees and expenses." Finally, Public Defender Services is to refuse to requisition payment for any voucher which is not in conformity with ... the voucher guidelines established ... "
In fulfillment of its statutory obligation, Public Defender Services developed an online system for the preparation of vouchers, known commonly as the "OVS System." The use of this system is mandatory and requires that you establish a "WV.Gov" account. To register for the OVS System, follow the steps located on the "For New Panel Attorneys" page.
You should refer to the
statute (WV Code 29-21-1 et. seq.), our legislative rules (PDF), and the resources on this website for answers to any questions about the rules outlining panel attorney work and compensation.