Cost of Bruce Lehrmann's failed defamation case set at $2 million after court accepts lump sum nominated by Network Ten

Bruce Lehrmann sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins in which she alleged she was raped. (ABC News: Brendan Esposito)

The cost of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann's failed defamation case has been set at $2 million after the Federal Court agreed to Network Ten's nominated lump sum.

During a hearing in the Federal Court in Sydney today Ten's lawyers said the actual costs were around $3.6 million, but it had heavily discounted the amount.

Mr Lehrmann took the network to court claiming he'd been defamed in an interview with Brittany Higgins on The Project where she first alleged she'd been raped at Parliament House, although he wasn't named.

Mr Lehrmann's 2022 trial over the alleged rape collapsed leaving no findings against him, and he maintains his innocence.

Mr Lehrmann lost the defamation case when Ten's defence of truth was found to have been made out, when Justice Michael Lee found that on the balance of probabilities he had raped Ms Higgins.

He has now lodged an appeal in the Federal Court against that ruling.

Network Ten accused of running case in a 'Rolls Royce manner'

The parties involved in the defamation case have been bogged in a battle over costs.

Mr Lehrmann's lawyers had already revealed they worked on a "no win, no fee" basis.

But Ten still sought costs against him.

Today Mr Lehrmann's lawyer Paul Svilans questioned Ten's bills, describing $170,000 in charges after the judgment as showing the lawyers ran the case "in a Rolls Royce manner, and that's how the entire matter has been run".

Mr Svilans noted that Ten sometimes had up to five lawyers in the court, and its lead barrister Matthew Collins charged $11,000 a day.

Mr Svilans also questioned a further $400,000 fee, which he speculated was due to the "grenade" that exploded over the case when former Seven Network producer Taylor Auerbach made his sensational appearance as a witness.

Justice Lee said he wasn't surprised by the figures.

The network's lawyer Zoe Grause played down the criticism, saying there was no duplication from Ten's legal team and the fees were justified.

Justice Lee agreed the amounts did not seem to be beyond expectations, given the complexity and scope of the case.

He also agreed Ten had given a significant discount in assessing the costs.

Justice Lee said Dr Collins's fees were at the top of the range, but those were within a recoverable range.

The court heard Ten has already paid the full amount $3,668,420.83.

The costs dispute between journalist Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten is still being worked out.