Quick answer
Facing a Queensland magistrates court? Queensland gives every unrepresented defendant a free duty lawyer on the day. This video explains what they can and can't do, the two calls to make before court, what to do if someone is in the watch-house, and what private criminal lawyers charge in Queensland.
What this video covers
- Introduction (0:00)
- A court date in Queensland (0:04)
- Free duty lawyer for anyone unrepresented (0:22)
- What the duty lawyer can do (0:38)
- Two calls before the day (0:56)
- Someone in the watch-house? (1:18)
- The money, straight up (1:35)
- Don't walk in alone (1:59)
- Free help, any hour - 1800 577 015 (2:19)
Transcript
So there is a court date with your name on it. George Street in Brisbane or the Gold Coast or far north in Cairns, one of the dozens of magistrates' courts spread across Queensland. You need a lawyer quickly, and you are worried about what that costs. Queensland actually looks after you better than most people expect. Here is the headline: If you turn up to a Queensland Magistrates Court without a lawyer, there is a free duty lawyer service, and it is there for any defendant who is unrepresented not just first timers, not just people in custody anyone without a lawyer that day. What can they actually do?
If you plan to plead guilty, they can speak for you at sentencing, they can ask for an adjournment to buy you time, they can apply for bail or ask to change your bail conditions. The one catch is that they can only help you on the day you are at court, and a contested hearing needs your own lawyer. Before the day, two phone calls are worth making. Legal Aid Queensland for advice and to ask whether you qualify for a grant of aid for the whole case.
And if you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, there is a dedicated legal service with its own free line in business hours, and after hours it becomes a custody line for people who have just been arrested. Both numbers are on the screen. And if someone you love is sitting in the watch house right now, move fast. Of the people who ring us about getting a lawyer urgently, one in five are ringing about someone already locked up. Bail is where a lawyer earns their keep, and the sooner one is briefed, the better that application looks. Now the money. Straight up.
Private criminal lawyers in Queensland mostly charge by the hour, roughly two hundred to four hundred dollars for junior lawyers, more for senior ones. But for a straightforward guilty plea, lots of firms will quote one fixed price for the lot. And before any real work starts, the costs have to be put to you in writing. If a lawyer is cagey about money, find another lawyer. So that is Queensland. The duty lawyer is the safety net, legal aid if you qualify, and private lawyers who tell you the price up front because they have to.
If you would like to talk it through first, our hotline is free to call any hour, and we can book you a fixed price consultation with a lawyer fast. Number is on the screen.
Important
This video provides general legal information for Queensland. It is not legal advice and does not take account of your circumstances. Laws and court processes change. For advice about your situation, speak with a qualified lawyer.