Are you under police investigation or have you been charged?

About us

Ashworth Lawyers are a leading and award-winning criminal law firm, having been awarded Best Criminal Defence Law Firm 2023 in Queensland by the independent judging panel of APAC Insider.

We are recognised as an outstanding and innovative criminal law firm in the Asia Pacific region. We are known for our quality of service and have a strong reputation from appearing before all criminal courts in Queensland.

Call now for a confidential discussion or fill in the contact form and one of highly experienced criminal lawyers will contact you.


Our practice areas

We act in all minor offences and serious crime. We have significant experience in acting for complex matters including matters involving novel issues, transnational organised crime, or high value frauds. We act discreetly and are used to handling matters which may require extra sensitivity due to the profile of the client or media attention. We can act in all criminal matters.

Criminal Law

  • Arson

  • Assault

  • Aviation crimes

  • Bomb hoaxes

  • Break and enter

  • Cybercrime

  • Drugs

  • Extortion

  • Fraud

  • Grievous Bodily Harm

  • Human trafficking

  • Indecent treatment of child

  • Money laundering

  • Murder

  • People smuggling

  • Perverting the course of justice

  • Prostitution

  • Sexual assault

  • Slavery

  • Stealing

  • Rape

  • Tax offences

  • Weapons, and more

Traffic Offences

  • Careless driving causing death or grievous bodily harm

  • Dangerous driving causing death or grievous bodily harm

  • Disqualified driving

  • Unlicensed driving

  • Drink driving

  • Drug driving

  • Evasion of police

  • Failure to stop

  • Heavy vehicle non-compliance

  • Special hardship order application

  • Work licence application, and more

Investigative Hearings

  • CCC hearings

  • ASIC examinations

  • Coronial inquests, and more

What Happens Next?

After an initial discussion over the phone, we will send an email to you confirming our discussion. We will include information about the general court process and any material we recommend be prepared or requested from the other side. We will also include a fee estimate for your early consideration and a recommended schedule of deposits, taking into account the likely timeframe of your matter. We adhere to the requirements of the legal profession Act 2007 (QLD) in our cost disclosures so that you can be assured of transparency.

Once you confirm the instructions to proceed, we will open a file and request the necessary material, including the evidence from the prosecutor. Depending on the charge, this can take weeks or months to receive, but we continuously follow up and keep you informed. In the meantime, we work with you in preparing any necessary defence material, which may be witness statements, medical records, securing CCTV footage, or character references.

Once the evidence is received, we will review it and, if necessary, brief a barrister on your behalf to provide advice in addition to the services of our firm.

In most criminal cases, the options are to plead guilty (sentence), plead not guilty (trial), or negotiate the charges, including reducing the charge, diverting the case away from the criminal courts by alternative dispute resolution processes, or discontinuance of the charges if the case lacks sufficient evidence.

Overall, we take 'innocent until proven guilty' very seriously and work hard to ensure that the prosecutor meets their burden of proving charges beyond a reasonable doubt. We consider all available options for you.

We are enthusiastic about the law and highly experienced in dealing with even the most complex criminal cases. Contact us to speak with a criminal lawyer today.


Our Court Results

We have successfully defended thousands of charges in Queensland, including not guilty verdicts for serious criminal offences, and successfully negotiated charges with the prosecutor so that the charges are discontinued or facts amended.

We have achieved reduced sentencing outcomes for clients, including good behaviour bonds, fines, probation and community service with no conviction recorded.

We have also successfully diverted criminal cases from the courts by alternative dispute resolution processes, including referrals to drug diversion, adult restorative justice conferencing (mediation), and the prosecutor agreeing to issue a caution in lieu of charges.

We have won pre-trial hearings to exclude evidence, trials, no-case submissions and appeals.

Courts we appear in

For over a decade, we have appeared in all serious and minor criminal offences before the Sunshine Coast courts. These courts include:

  • Caboolture Magistrates Court

  • Caloundra Magistrates Court

  • Gympie Magistrates Court

  • Gympie District Court

  • Maroochydore Magistrates Court

  • Maroochydore District Court

  • Nambour Magistrates Court

  • Noosa Magistrates Court


What our clients have said


Need advice from a Criminal Lawyer?

There is no fee or obligation for an initial discussion over the phone with our criminal lawyers on the Sunshine Coast.

We act quickly, and all communications are confidential. Contact us today at (07) 3012 6531

 

If you are looking for the best criminal lawyers in the Sunshine Coast region, contact our office today. If you wish to find out more about our services for criminal law matters choose one of the links below:

Criminal Law | Commonwealth Crimes | Traffic Law | Drink Driving | Drug Driving | Carriage Service Crimes | Domestic Violence | Sexual Assault | Child Pornography | Tax Fraud | CCC Investigations | ASIC Investigations | Aviation Law | Customs Law