Welcome to: Budget and Finance Division

Budget and Finance Division
The Budget and Finance Division of the District of Columbia Courts is responsible for using high quality financial and performance information to make and implement effective policy, management, stewardship, and program decisions. This Division prepares, enacts, and administers the D.C. Courts annual spending plan (budget); develops and maintains the accounting and reporting system of the D.C. Courts; receives and processes payments (i.e. court fees, fines, and forfeitures) made in the D.C. Courts; and issues, audits, reviews, tracks and pays vouchers for the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) and Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN) programs as well as makes payments for court-ordered compensation to legal and expert service providers under the D.C. Courts' Guardianship program. The Budget and Finance Division is comprised of the Director's Office and four branches: the Budget Branch, Accounting Branch, Banking and Finance Branch, and Defender Services Branch.
Budget Branch
- Assists the Division Director with the preparation of the D.C. Courts' operating and capital budgets
- Oversees the preparation of annual spending plans
- Monitors spending
Accounting Branch
- Prepares and maintains appropriation dollar amounts in the accounting system
- Performs the certification of funds available and payment functions
- Prepares all worksheets and coordinates activity related to the annual independent audit, resulting in the Annual Financial Report
Banking and Finance Branch
- Receives payments of court fees, fines and forfeitures
- Performs cash management operations
- Accounts for all monies held in escrow in the D.C. Courts' Registry
- Makes payments to witnesses in accordance with the D.C. Code and D.C. Courts' Rules
Defender Services Branch
- Issues, audits, reviews, tracks and pays vouchers for the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) and Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN) programs
- Reviews, processes and pays court-ordered compensation to legal and expert service providers related to the Guardianship program