We are here for you
Being charged with a criminal offence and facing the prospect of court is scary and embarrassing. You will have so many questions, what will happen? will I lose my job? what will be the punishment? can I afford a lawyer? how will this affect my family? these questions can be overwhelming. Looking for information online can make the situation worse as much of it is incorrect or out of date. Many sites say you don’t need a lawyer when one would really help you, some say you will get a conviction recorded when you might not. You cannot rely on a google search to get the answers you need, if you are sick you see a doctor, if you are charged with an offence then you need to talk to an experienced criminal lawyer. We understand your confusion and worry, we have seen and heard it in thousands of clients before. You are a good person and you have made a mistake. You want answers, you want guidance and you want to stop feeling scared about what will occur.
The key thing to remember is the judge isn’t on your side, the prosecutor most certainly is not on your side, you need someone on your side, someone you trust.
If you look online every Queensland law firm that does criminal law claim they are the best, that they can provide the best level of representation and you should hire an expert like them. Well, they aren’t wrong, in my experience those lawyers that actually do criminal law fulltime are great, most can provide real expert advice and representation. I have seen them in court and they are good, most I am on first name basis with, many are personal friends. Getting a criminal lawyer to assist is the right thing to do, it’s the best way to ensure you get the lowest penalty and reduce your stress levels. So how do you choose amongst so many talented criminal lawyers?
My journey
Why did I become a criminal lawyer? It started with my mother, she worked for a firm of lawyers for many years, I would visit the firm as a kid. It was strange to see people in suits, the phone ringing constantly and the energy that you could feel it stuck in my mind. I began to think maybe I should be a lawyer. I had no idea how to do it and whether I even could, no one in my family had been to university at that stage. It all seemed a bit of a pipe dream. I studied hard at high school and eventually decided being a lawyer was not for me, I decided to become an accountant. So off to the Queensland University of Technology I went. I finished my degree and discovered that….well I really hated accounting. At that time I was working in a service station, the alarm system never worked properly, my boss was always complaining to the alarm company. In the end he decided to change alarm companies, finally the alarm worked. It was then that my boss got sued by the previous alarm company for breaking the contract. No problem he thought, I’ll explain it all to the judge, they will understand why I broke the contract and it will be fine, I still remember that day, its over 25 years ago but the look on my boss’s face when he returned from court will never leave me, he told me he explained it all to the judge but it didn’t matter, they had a lawyer, they knew the law and they won. It was then I made a decision, I needed to understand the power of the law and the legal system, I would become a lawyer.
Fast forward to 2001, it’s my first day working for a big Brisbane law firm, I arrive early, a keen but totally clueless lawyer. I’m not yet sure what type of law I will be doing at the firm, family law? real estate law? contract law? but I’m excited and more than a little scared. The partner comes in and says you need to go down to the Brisbane District Court, the lawyer that left before me has stuffed up a civil litigation file and you need to convince the judge not to grant judgment for the other party but to allow another adjournment. I’m rushing down to the courts, frantically reading the file for the first time and trying to remember what I learnt in law school about appearing in court. I arrive and its then I realised how little I knew. Even just finding the right court room was hard, I was trying to remember what side of the bar table to stand, what do I say to introduce myself to the judge, it was all a blur. Appearing in the court was terrifying but so exciting. I got the adjournment, I felt like the greatest lawyer in the world! I wasn’t but from then on I knew all I wanted was to appear in court.
In 2010 I decided that there was an opening for a new type of criminal law firm. One that had client care at its core, one that was 100% committed to the best results in court but also in helping the client through the process, one that didn’t make a client come into the office unless absolutely necessary, one that did criminal law but nothing else, one with real fixed prices so the client knew exactly how much our services would cost, a firm that offered clarity throughout the whole process. It was then that I made the leap to work for myself and Clarity Law was born. It started with just me and Belinda Smyth and over the years we have expanded, adding staff and Lawyers that had the same passion and commitment to clients that I had, people that I personally trained and mentored. Over the past decade we have successfully helped thousands of clients.
What matters can you help with?
We are experts on Queensland’s criminal laws, this is what we do, we are not a general law firm that does criminal law on the side.
We have made almost four thousand court appearances, we know the law, the judges and magistrates and the prosecutors. We understand how the courts work and what needs to be said and done to get the best result or what not to say. Don’t try and represent yourself as in almost all cases we will get you a better outcome, this means reduced fines, avoiding prison or having no conviction recorded.
If you are concerned about protecting your lifestyle, your income, your independence and your family then this is where we can help, we have the experience and knowledge to help you.
Where do you operate?
We have six office locations which means we can help any person in South East Queensland. We appear in all the courts in South East Queensland including Brisbane, Southport and Maroochydore Courts as well as Caboolture, Ipswich, Caloundra, Noosa, Beenleigh, Holland Park, Pine Rivers, Toowoomba and all the courts in between. For a list of all the court we appear in click here.
In most cases however you wont need to even come into one of our offices as with email, video conferencing or telephone calls we can usually sort everything out without you needing to take time out of your day to travel to one of our offices.
What will you cost?
Unlike other most law firms we are proud to publish our prices, you can click here for information on what we charge. We aren’t the cheapest but we are far from the most expensive, we offer what we think is the most outstanding legal service but at a price that people can afford.
If I contacted you what would occur?
If you contact us then myself or our office manager Belinda Smyth will take the call or receive the email. We have 45 years legal experience between us, we can provide immediate legal assistance and answer any questions you have. We will discuss your case, provide guidance and send a quote by email with additional relevant information about your charge, all at no cost. If you want to engage us then it’s easy, there is a form you can complete and email back or complete online. If you don’t want to engage us or want to engage another firm that’s fine, you won’t be hassled and at worst you will just have more information about your charge. Once engaged myself or one of our lawyers will go through your matter and contact you to discuss what the best way forward is to achieve the best results. Everyone of our lawyers is highly experienced with thousands of court appearances between them.
How do I contact you?
- Use our contact form and we will contact you by email or phone at a time that suits you
- Call us on 1300 952 255 seven days a week, 7am to 7pm
- Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Schedule a 15 minute free consultation by clicking here
Real answers, real advice and real help are only a call or email away, you have my personal promise on that.
