The judge who presided over a case (or the court’s authorized designee) reviews the voucher for the “reasonableness” of each claim within a voucher.  If the reviewing authority determines that any portion of the voucher should be reduced, other than for technical or mathematical errors, prior to reducing the voucher, appointed counsel should be provided:

• notice of the proposed reduction with a brief statement of the reason(s) for it, and
• an opportunity to address the matter.

The communication with appointed counsel may be informal, such as by telephone or email or an in-person conversation.  A hearing is not required; however, the judge may hold one if it would help resolve the matter.

The Judicial Conference has specifically stated that vouchers should not be reduced for the purpose of saving costs in response to adverse financial circumstances.

See the Guide, Vol. 7, Section 230.33 and Section 230.36.