Being charged with a criminal offence is frightening. Whether you are facing your first appearance at the Magistrates' Court, seeking bail, or navigating a plea for a summary or indictable offence, the decisions you make in the early stages can have lasting consequences — for your record, your employment, your family, and your future.
As criminal defence lawyers Melbourne residents turn to, Freemont Family Lawyers provides calm, practical advocacy. We understand that criminal charges frequently intersect with family law and intervention order proceedings — a guilty plea or criminal finding can directly affect parenting arrangements, intervention order conditions, and property matters. We see the full picture so you don't have to navigate those connections alone.
We take your full account — the charge, the background, and the circumstances — without judgement. Understanding your situation completely is the only way to advise you properly.
We explain your options clearly: bail applications, plea options, likely outcomes, and how any criminal matter may affect your intervention order or family law proceedings.
We appear at the Magistrates' Court on your behalf, advocate for the best available outcome, and ensure your criminal matter is handled in a way that protects your broader legal position.
Call us as soon as possible — ideally before your first court date. Early advice is critical to your outcome.
If you are in custody or at risk of remand, we act immediately on bail. For summons matters, we prepare your first appearance.
We advise whether to plead guilty (and how to do so to best effect) or to contest the charge — and we prepare accordingly.
We advocate for outcomes that minimise the impact on your record, your family, and your life going forward.
We appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court regularly and understand the processes and what effective advocacy looks like there.
Many clients face criminal charges, intervention orders and family law proceedings simultaneously. We advise across all three — no blind spots.
A criminal finding or plea can affect employment, visas, working with children checks and family court proceedings. We keep those consequences in view.
People from all walks of life face criminal charges. We focus on your legal position and your future — nothing else.
We assist with summary and indictable offences heard at the Magistrates' Court — including bail applications, pleas of guilty, contest mentions, and common charges such as assault, drug offences, traffic matters, property offences and intervention order breaches. This is general information only.
If you have been arrested and charged, police may grant bail at the station or you may need to apply to a court. A bail application asks the court to release you on conditions while your matter is ongoing. Early legal advice significantly improves the prospects of a successful bail application. This is general information only.
This depends on the evidence, the charge, and your personal circumstances. A guilty plea entered at the earliest opportunity is generally treated more favourably by courts. Contesting a charge requires careful preparation. We will give you an honest assessment of your options. This is general information only.
A criminal charge — particularly one involving violence or an intervention order breach — can affect parenting proceedings, interim parenting orders, and intervention order conditions. It is important that your criminal and family lawyers are aligned. At Freemont, we handle both. This is general information only.
Certain criminal convictions and findings can affect Working With Children Check eligibility. The type of offence and the outcome matter. We keep these implications in mind when advising on pleas and outcomes. This is general information only — you should also seek advice from the WWCC authority.
The information on this page is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Your situation is unique — please contact us for advice specific to your circumstances.
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