Criminal Law

Our Services

Whether you’re facing a minor traffic offence or more serious charges, being involved in a criminal case can be highly stressful. Yet, no matter the size or seriousness of your case, we understand the need to resolve it as soon as possible.

Criminal law is a specialised discipline, requiring a competent criminal lawyer to handle matters with diligence and fight your case in court, if necessary. Our criminal lawyers can provide advice and offer strong representation.

First Steps When Charged With a Criminal Offence

If you or a family member has been charged with a criminal offence or wants to appeal a guilty verdict, it’s crucial that you seek advice from a criminal lawyer as soon as possible.

Whether you stand to lose your licence or are facing heavy penalties and jail time, the outcome of a criminal court case could be life-changing, so you need to secure the best legal representation possible. Even the impacts of a relatively minor offence may be long-lasting.

We can guide you through the process of participating in police interviews or assist you if you are searched or detained by police, informing you of your rights along the way. If you or a loved one are detained, we can make an urgent application to the court on your behalf to secure bail.

From there, our criminal lawyers can develop the best defence strategy for your circumstances and advise you on the likely outcomes of each strategy. If necessary, we’ll build a case for your defence. At every stage of the journey, we will guide you through the process, provide appropriate solutions, and help you decide on the best course of action.

Criminal Offences

Our criminal lawyers have experience defending clients facing a wide range of criminal offences, including:

  • Weapons and firearms offences
  • Prohibited drug offences, such as possession, supply, drug trafficking, drug manufacture and drug importation
  • Defamation
  • Theft offences
  • Assault offences, including domestic violence, physical abuse, sexual assault, and other violent offences
  • Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs)
  • Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offences
  • Fraud offences, including forgery, larceny, embezzlement, money laundering and identity theft
  • Property offences
  • Driving offences or other traffic offences
  • Alcohol related offences
  • Other criminal offences including murder and manslaughter
  • Appeals

How Maguire & McInerney Can Help

Maguire & McInerney has a long-established and enviable record in criminal law advocacy. We have extensive experience in a range of criminal law matters, from traffic offences to assaults, and all types of serious criminal matters including drug offences and murder.

Our criminal lawyers know what it takes to get you the best possible result. We appear in all jurisdictions, ranging from the Children’s Court and Local Court to the District and Supreme Court.

But not only that; our team is compassionate and understanding towards our client’s situations. We understand just how stressful and traumatic it can be to face criminal offences. Our key priority is reaching a satisfactory resolution for our clients as quickly as possible. We provide honest, straightforward advice to assist our clients to make decisions.

We are available to appear at the following Courts:-

All Sydney Courts, including:

  • Downing Centre;
  • Wollongong;
  • Moss Vale;
  • Kiama;
  • Port Kembla;
  • Albion Park;
  • Picton;
  • Camden;
  • Campbelltown.

For any criminal proceeding in the Local Court, we can provide a fixed-fee quotation at a very competitive price. Please contact us for further information

If you need advice on a criminal law issue, or to learn more about our services, get in touch with our top criminal lawyers, Mark McDonald, Alyce Fisher, and Lewis Bonney today. We operate in Wollongong and the wider Illawarra as well as Greater Sydney.

FAQs

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Are there different types of AVOs?

Yes, in NSW there are two types of AVOs – an ADVO (Apprehended Domestic Violence Order) and an APVO (Apprehended Personal Violence Order).

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How do I apply for an AVO?

In NSW, an AVO can be applied for directly through the court system, or via the police.

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What happens if you are charged with a criminal offence?

A Charge in New South Wales is generally initiated by New South Wales Police Force or other prosecuting body, such as the Department of Fisheries and the allegation is described as a Court Attendance Notice (CAN). The CAN is first heard in a Local Court situated in the vicinity of the alleged offence being committed. Depending on the type of offence and the Court’s jurisidiction, the matter may be mentioned, heard or finalised at one or a number of the different levels of the Justice System. Where a Defendant is required to provide a plea to a Court Attendance Notice, seeking our legal advice is strongly advised as a plea of guilty or a conviction may lead to serious consequences, including imprisonment.

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What is an AVO?

An Apprehended Violence Order (AVO), or Restraining Order, is a court order issued to protect a person, whether that be from physical, sexual or other kinds of abuse.

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What is criminal law?

The Criminal Justice System in NSW is where criminal offences against the State including indictable and summary matters are heard and finalised through the three levels of our courts, Local Court, District Court and Supreme Court. The matters deal with allegations that persons may face by breaching the criminal code such as crime, drug, traffic and summary offences. We deal with the current issues that clients face in the Justice System such as Domestic Violence, how the Court considers the options in sentencing, Bail, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Mental Health and representation on Appealing a Court’s decision.

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What is the difference between civil and criminal law?

Whilst generally, Criminal Law is a matter involving an offence against the State (or community) and a Civil Matter involves a wrong against another party, the lines are often blurred, such as in Cases of Fraud, Misrepresentations and Property disputes.

We’re here to help.

Enquire online, or call us today, and we will help you explore all your options. Your enquiry is completely confidential.