The Department for Exiting the European Union's (DExEU) legal spend has risen by more than two thirds in two years, according to data from the department's annual reports.

Legal spending by the Brexit department now stands at £6.7 million for the most recent financial year – a jump of 67% from £3.7 million in FY 2016-17.

In total, the DExEU has now spent more than £16 million on legal services since its formation shortly after the Brexit referendum in 2016.

Monthly spending data from the department also shows that a significant proportion of the total costs came from quarterly fixed-fee payments to the Government Legal Department (GLD), the principal legal advisers to the majority of central government departments.

In total, the DExEU paid the GLD four instalments of £1.2 million, totalling £4.8 million across the year. Last month, the quarterly fee rose by 25% to £1.5 million, a DExEU spokesperson confirmed.

The spokesperson commented: "The rise in the quarterly cost of our legal fees is due to an increase in the annual fixed fee set by the GLD."

The increasing cost of legal advice follows a flurry of Brexit-related contracts awarded to law firms for advice. Last week, Legal Week revealed that Linklaters has been paid £1.5 million so far this year to provide training to civil servants on post-Brexit trade negotiation.

Earlier this month, transatlantic firm Womble Bond Dickinson won a mandate from the Department for Transport to provide legal advice regarding the U.K.'s departure from the European Union. Similarly, in July Hogan Lovells won a £3 million mandate to provide legal advice to the Treasury.