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
What you pay depends on the nature of the charge, the strength and volume of evidence, the stage the matter has reached, and whether it is likely to resolve before a defended hearing. We price many Local Court stages on fixed fees and use staged pricing when matters escalate to defended hearings, subpoenas, expert reports, or other complex disbursements.
A free consultation outlines the scope of work, what is included, how the process unfolds, realistic timeframes, and what preparation looks like. Payment plans may be available to qualifying clients. In cases of genuine hardship, limited reduced-fee or pro bono assistance may be assessed where capacity allows
Our approach on every domestic violence file is rooted in evidence. We audit police procedure, hunt for gaps in the prosecution case, preserve digital records, call logs, CCTV footage, medical evidence, and body-worn camera material, and then decide whether to negotiate, prepare a plea, or run a defended hearing.
The client faced 17 domestic violence-related charges, including assault, property damage and contravening an AVO. After reviewing the brief, we identified allegations the prosecution could not properly prove and negotiated the withdrawal of 11 charges. We then prepared rehabilitation material, counselling evidence and character references. Despite the seriousness of the matter, the court imposed a community-based order rather than imprisonment.
The client was charged with domestic violence common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Police relied on a recorded statement, photos of scratches and a triple-zero call. Cross-examination exposed inconsistencies between the DVEC, the emergency call and the complainant’s evidence in court. The magistrate was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt, and both charges were dismissed.
The client was charged with stalking or intimidation and destroying or damaging property. We negotiated with police by identifying weaknesses in the stalking allegation, which led to that charge being withdrawn. We then prepared a section 14 mental health application supported by psychological evidence and a treatment plan. The court dismissed the remaining charge without recording a conviction.
The impact of a domestic violence matter on your housing, family relationships, employment, and reputation can emerge before the court has made any final decision. We take care of each stage with clear, practical guidance.
We establish your court date, go through the bail conditions and ADVO terms you are operating under, identify non-contact and residence restrictions, and flag any child-contact exceptions. We make clear what actions you need to avoid before your next court appearance.
We examine your Court Attendance Notice, police facts sheet, interim ADVO, bail conditions, and whatever evidence is currently available. We identify the most pressing risks and determine what documentation is needed to protect your position.
We test the accuracy and reliability of statements, body-worn camera recordings, emergency-call audio, screenshots, injury timelines, and medical records, looking for inconsistencies that affect the strength of the prosecution case and open up negotiation or hearing options.
We advise on the right course: a guilty plea, representations to police, a charge withdrawal, negotiated fact sheets, an ADVO variation, or a fully defended hearing. Where rehabilitation material would assist, we help you gather counselling records and character references.
We attend court on your behalf, engage the prosecutor constructively where that is warranted, present your supporting material, and make submissions that are directly responsive to the issues the magistrate needs to resolve. For hearings, we handle witness preparation, subpoenas, and cross-examination strategy.
After the matter concludes, we explain every order made — its duration, any exceptions it contains, the appeal window, and what compliance involves. We make sure you understand concretely how to avoid accidental breaches and what further legal exposure looks like.
The impact of a domestic violence matter on your housing, family relationships, employment, and reputation can emerge before the court has made any final decision. We take care of each stage with clear, practical guidance.
Step1
We establish your court date, go through the bail conditions and ADVO terms you are operating under, identify non-contact and residence restrictions, and flag any child-contact exceptions. We make clear what actions you need to avoid before your next court appearance.
Step2
We examine your Court Attendance Notice, police facts sheet, interim ADVO, bail conditions, and whatever evidence is currently available. We identify the most pressing risks and determine what documentation is needed to protect your position.
Step3
We test the accuracy and reliability of statements, body-worn camera recordings, emergency-call audio, screenshots, injury timelines, and medical records, looking for inconsistencies that affect the strength of the prosecution case and open up negotiation or hearing options.
Step4
We advise on the right course: a guilty plea, representations to police, a charge withdrawal, negotiated fact sheets, an ADVO variation, or a fully defended hearing. Where rehabilitation material would assist, we help you gather counselling records and character references.
Step5
We attend court on your behalf, engage the prosecutor constructively where that is warranted, present your supporting material, and make submissions that are directly responsive to the issues the magistrate needs to resolve. For hearings, we handle witness preparation, subpoenas, and cross-examination strategy.
Step6
After the matter concludes, we explain every order made — its duration, any exceptions it contains, the appeal window, and what compliance involves. We make sure you understand concretely how to avoid accidental breaches and what further legal exposure looks like.
In NSW, a domestic violence allegation often carries both a criminal charge and an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order application made by police. The Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW) governs ADVOs, defines domestic relationships, sets out domestic violence offences, and specifies the conditions that can be included in an order. Holding an ADVO against you does not create a criminal record, but contravening its terms can result in a criminal charge.
Depending on the offence, the alleged harm, criminal history, the plea entered, the evidence, and any identified risk factors, the court may impose a non-conviction order, a fine, a community-based order, an intensive correction order, or imprisonment in the most serious cases.
Yes, and early engagement is important. Understanding the charge, the ADVO terms you are subject to, any bail restrictions, and what the court process involves is the foundation of a well-managed defence. A local lawyer prepares evidence, negotiates where the facts support it, and helps you steer clear of the accidental breaches that can turn one matter into two before your Bankstown hearing or sentence date.
You will typically receive a Court Attendance Notice and may simultaneously face an interim ADVO. Your solicitor reviews the evidence, checks bail and contact conditions, requests full disclosure from police, and advises whether to negotiate, plead guilty, seek a variation, or take the matter to a defended hearing.
No reputable lawyer makes that promise. The result depends on the charge, the evidence, the relevant history, any identified risk factors, and how the magistrate weighs everything. What thorough preparation does is improve your position as much as the facts allow — by finding weaknesses in the prosecution case, presenting rehabilitation and mitigation, and arguing for the most lenient order the law permits.