A website example by adnah · Hartigan Defence Lawyers · Law firm · Melbourne, Victoria
Website example by adnah
Criminal defence lawyers · Melbourne
Charged?
Say nothing.
Call us.
We defend people in the Magistrates', County and Supreme Courts of Victoria. Day or night, the first call is free, and it is with a lawyer.
If you've just been arrested
- 1
Say you want a lawyer, then stop talking
You must give police your name and address. You do not have to answer any other question, and it is almost never in your interest to.
- 2
Do not consent to a search or hand over your phone
Ask whether they have a warrant. If they do not, say clearly that you do not consent, then do not resist.
- 3
Call us before the interview, not after
A recorded interview cannot be un-said. We can attend the station or advise you by phone before it starts.
What we defend
Bail applications
Magistrates' Court bail, Supreme Court bail, and bail variations - often within 24 hours of a call.
Call about thisDrink & drug driving
Interlock conditions, licence loss, and the difference a properly run plea makes to a first offence.
Call about thisAssault & family violence
Intervention orders and the criminal charges that arrive with them.
Call about thisDrug offences
Possession, trafficking and cultivation, from the Magistrates' Court to the County Court.
Call about thisFraud & dishonesty
Obtaining by deception, theft and Centrelink matters, including early engagement with the prosecution.
Call about thisAppeals
County Court appeals from the Magistrates' Court, and Court of Appeal work on conviction and sentence.
Call about thisWe appear in the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, the County Court of Victoria, the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Children's Court, across metropolitan and regional Victoria.
Your lawyers
Rory Hartigan
Principal
Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, Law Institute of Victoria. Twenty-two years at the criminal bar and in practice; former Crown prosecutor.
Mei-Lin Chau
Senior Associate
Bail and Magistrates' Court advocacy. Duty lawyer experience across the Melbourne, Dandenong and Sunshine courts.
"Accredited Specialist" is used only where the lawyer holds Specialist Accreditation from the Law Institute of Victoria.
Fees, in writing, first.
- First call, any hour
- Free
- First Magistrates' Court appearance
- Fixed fee from $1,650 inc. GST
- Bail application
- Fixed fee, quoted on the call
- Contested hearing or County Court trial
- Estimate in writing before we start
Before we do any work you will receive written costs disclosure and a costs agreement, as required under the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Victoria). Legal Aid Victoria grants are accepted where you are eligible.