Your next step can change the outcome. Speak with our experienced criminal lawyers first.
- Free Initial Consultation
- Fixed Fee Options Available
- Award Winning Criminal Lawyers
- 30+ Years Combined Experience
Fees depend on the specific charge, how much evidence needs to be reviewed, where the matter sits in the court process, and whether it is expected to settle or go to a defended hearing. Fixed fees apply to most Local Court stages, and staged pricing is used when matters proceed to defended hearings, subpoenas, expert evidence, or associated disbursements.
A free consultation covers scope, inclusions, the expected process, realistic timeframes, and next steps. Payment plans may be available to eligible clients. Where genuine financial hardship is established, reduced-fee or limited pro bono assistance may be considered subject to availability.
Every Blacktown file is approached methodically, building the case on evidence. We review police procedure for flaws, obtain CCTV footage, analyse witness reliability, examine injury records, and scrutinise identification before settling on a course of action.
A client was charged with grievous bodily harm following an altercation, causing significant injury. The prosecution alleged deliberate violence. We conducted a detailed review of CCTV footage and identified that the client had been confronted first. During the defended hearing, inconsistencies in the complainant’s evidence were exposed. We argued that the response fell within lawful self-defence. The court accepted this and found the client “not guilty”, avoiding a conviction for a serious offence.
The client was charged with assault after a carpark confrontation. Police relied on limited CCTV and witness accounts. We identified weaknesses in the evidence and argued that the client had responded proportionately to a threat. The court accepted that self-defence remained open. The client was found not guilty, with no conviction recorded.
The client faced an affray charge after a pub altercation. We reviewed the brief and identified gaps in the prosecution case, including unreliable witness accounts and insufficient evidence of the legal elements. After negotiations, the prosecution withdrew the charge. The client avoided a contested hearing and protected his record.
Assault allegations can have immediate effects on your employment, family arrangements, any relevant licences, and your reputation. We manage every stage of the matter with clear, practical advice.
We establish your court date, work through your bail conditions and any non-contact restrictions, identify the police allegations precisely, and flag anything that requires urgent attention. We also explain your right to silence and what conduct you need to avoid before your next appearance.
We review your Court Attendance Notice, the police facts sheet, bail documentation, and whatever evidence is currently available. We identify the most pressing issues, consider possible defences, and determine what material is needed to protect your position.
We examine witness statements, body-worn video, CCTV, medical records, 000 audio, screenshots, injury timelines, and identification evidence systematically. This work tells us what defences are viable, what reliability issues exist, and how strong any negotiating position is.
We advise clearly on the best approach: a guilty plea, representations to police for withdrawal or amendment, fact-sheet negotiations, or a defended hearing. Where mitigation material, counselling records, or character references would assist, we help assemble them.
We attend every court event, engage the prosecutor where it adds value, present your supporting material clearly, and make focused submissions on the issues the magistrate must decide. For contested hearings, we manage witness preparation, subpoenas, and cross-examination planning.
Once the court decides the matter, we explain every order in detail, including any appeal rights, changes to conditions, ADVO implications, compliance obligations, and timing, and make sure you understand concretely what avoiding further legal risk involves.
Assault allegations can have immediate effects on your employment, family arrangements, any relevant licences, and your reputation. We manage every stage of the matter with clear, practical advice.
Step1
We establish your court date, work through your bail conditions and any non-contact restrictions, identify the police allegations precisely, and flag anything that requires urgent attention. We also explain your right to silence and what conduct you need to avoid before your next appearance.
Step2
We review your Court Attendance Notice, the police facts sheet, bail documentation, and whatever evidence is currently available. We identify the most pressing issues, consider possible defences, and determine what material is needed to protect your position.
Step3
We examine witness statements, body-worn video, CCTV, medical records, 000 audio, screenshots, injury timelines, and identification evidence systematically. This work tells us what defences are viable, what reliability issues exist, and how strong any negotiating position is.
Step4
We advise clearly on the best approach: a guilty plea, representations to police for withdrawal or amendment, fact-sheet negotiations, or a defended hearing. Where mitigation material, counselling records, or character references would assist, we help assemble them.
Step5
We attend every court event, engage the prosecutor where it adds value, present your supporting material clearly, and make focused submissions on the issues the magistrate must decide. For contested hearings, we manage witness preparation, subpoenas, and cross-examination planning.
Step6
Once the court decides the matter, we explain every order in detail, including any appeal rights, changes to conditions, ADVO implications, compliance obligations, and timing, and make sure you understand concretely what avoiding further legal risk involves.
Assault law in NSW extends from common assault under section 61 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) through assault occasioning actual bodily harm under section 59 to the most serious offences involving grievous bodily harm. The offence of assault is made out when a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to apprehend immediate and unlawful contact; battery is the actual application of force. Section 418 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) governs self-defence.
Sentencing depends on the charge, the degree and nature of any injuries, the intent demonstrated, the defendant’s criminal history, the plea, and what mitigation can be placed before the court. Available outcomes range from non-conviction orders, fines, and community-based orders through to intensive correction orders and imprisonment in the most serious cases.
Yes, and getting advice early is the difference between a well-managed matter and one that goes wrong before it begins. Understanding the charge, your bail conditions, what evidence exists, and what the Local Court process involves in practice equips you to make sound decisions. A Blacktown lawyer builds your case, negotiates where the facts support it, and keeps you away from choices that could compromise your position before the first court date.
You will receive a Court Attendance Notice directing you to appear at the Local Court, often with bail conditions attached. Your solicitor goes through the evidence, requests full disclosure from police, assesses possible defences, and advises on whether to negotiate, plead guilty, seek a withdrawal, or take the matter to a defended hearing.
No, and any lawyer who makes that promise is not being honest with you. What the court decides depends on the evidence, the charge, the injuries involved, your background, and how the magistrate weighs all of the relevant factors. Solid preparation maximises your realistic chance of the best outcome by identifying prosecution weaknesses, presenting your mitigation effectively, and running the strongest lawful argument the case permits.