The first 48 hours set the ceiling on your options.
A charge is not a conviction. Between the two sits everything that can still be done: the police material obtained and read before any plea, the weaknesses identified, the preparation that decides whether a matter is defended, resolved on better facts, or finalised with your future intact. That work starts early or it barely starts at all. We act in criminal and traffic matters across Brisbane and South East Queensland, in the Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts.
What we act in
How a matter runs
First, the conversation: what has happened, what you are facing, and a conflict check. Then the material: we obtain and read the police case before you decide anything. Then the work: negotiation, preparation for plea, or defence, with a fixed fee in writing at each stage.
Every matter is prepared by the solicitor who appears in it.
Questions people ask first
Do I have to talk to the police?
You must generally provide your name and address. Beyond that, you have the right to silence, and taking part in an interview before getting advice rarely improves your position. Read: the right to silence in Queensland.
What happens at my first court date?
A first mention is administrative: the charge is confirmed, the police material is requested, and the matter is usually adjourned. Nothing is won or lost on the day, but what you do before the next date matters. Read: what actually happens at a mention.
Should I just plead guilty and get it over with?
Not before the police material has been obtained and read. The facts alleged drive the penalty, and they are frequently not facts you would accept. Pleading to the wrong version costs more than the delay of checking it. Read: what a QP9 is and why it matters.
Will a conviction be recorded?
In many matters the court has a discretion not to record a conviction. It is a decision argued with evidence about your circumstances, employment and history, and it is prepared properly or not at all. No outcome can be promised; preparation is what moves it.
What will it cost?
Most criminal and traffic matters are quoted as a fixed fee by stage, in writing, before you commit. The quote states exactly what it covers. Read: what criminal representation costs.
