Canberra · Choosing a lawyer
How to choose a criminal lawyer in Canberra.
The choice of lawyer is one of the most consequential decisions in a criminal matter, and it is usually made under pressure. Here is what actually matters, and the questions worth asking before you engage.
- Look forTrial experienceNot just volume pleas
- Ask aboutWho runs the matterYou, or junior staff
- ExpectCost up frontIn writing
- MatchThe lawyer to the matterSerious needs serious
Trial experience, not just volume.
Most criminal practices run on volume: a high number of pleas, moved through quickly. That work has its place. A serious matter is different. It needs a lawyer who reads the brief, forms a view on the Crown case, and can run the trial if the trial is the right course. Ask whether the lawyer runs trials, and what kind. A practice built for trials approaches a serious matter differently from the first conference.
Who will actually run your matter.
In some firms the lawyer you meet is not the lawyer who runs the matter. Ask who will do the work, who will appear, and who you will be able to reach. For a serious matter, continuity with a lawyer who knows the brief is worth a great deal.
Specialisation and the right court.
Criminal law is its own field, and the ACT has its own courts and rules. A lawyer who works in the ACT courts, and who knows where the ACT differs from New South Wales, starts ahead. If the matter is a Commonwealth matter, ask whether the lawyer runs federal matters, because those carry their own traps.
Cost you can see.
A good lawyer tells you the realistic cost early, in writing, before a retainer is opened. Be wary of a quote that seems too low for the work, or of vague promises with no scope. Cost and quality are both real, and they should both be on the table from the start.
Questions worth asking.
- Do you run trials, and have you run matters like mine?
- Will you personally run my matter, and appear on it?
- Do you work regularly in the ACT courts, and in federal matters if mine is one?
- What is the realistic cost, and will I get it in writing before I commit?
- What are the realistic outcomes, and what will change them?
- What should I do, and not do, right now?
The answers tell you as much as the words. A lawyer who reads your brief before quoting an outcome, and who is straight about cost and prospects, is usually the right one.
Frequently asked.
How do I choose the best criminal lawyer in Canberra?
Look for genuine trial experience rather than volume, confirm the lawyer who meets you will run and appear on your matter, check they work in the ACT courts and in federal matters if yours is one, and expect the realistic cost in writing before you commit.
What should I ask a criminal lawyer before hiring them?
Whether they run trials and have run matters like yours, whether they personally will run and appear on it, whether they work in the ACT and federal courts, the realistic cost in writing, the realistic outcomes and what changes them, and what to do right now.
Does it matter if a lawyer is based in Sydney or interstate?
What matters is whether they appear in the ACT courts and know where ACT law and procedure differ. A lawyer who works across the ACT and New South Wales, and in federal matters, can run a Canberra matter and a border matter together.
Is the cheapest criminal lawyer the right choice?
Not usually. A quote that seems too low for the work often means corners will be cut. Cost and quality are both real. The right lawyer is straight about both, up front and in writing.
Choosing a lawyer for a serious ACT matter?
A confidential first conference. The brief is read. The realistic options are set out. Speak to Aaron Kernaghan directly before you decide anything.
Request a confidential consult 0421 717 019