You can change your bail conditions in Victoria by applying for a bail variation to the court. You cannot simply ignore a condition or rely on telling police your circumstances have changed, because doing that is a breach. An interested party, the accused, police, or the prosecution, applies to the court, which decides whether to change the conditions.
Reviews are a useful starting point, but for a criminal lawyer they should be read critically, not counted. What actually matters is whether reviews are specific and relevant to your court and charge, whether they show clear communication, honesty, and reliability, and whether the pattern across many reviews is consistent. What matters far less is the raw star rating, the total number of reviews, or claims about outcomes, because every case is different. The most reliable checks sit beyond reviews entirely, in the lawyer’s professional standing and your own first consultation.
Yes. In Victoria, police can reopen an investigation after NFA (no further action), because NFA is a decision not to proceed at the time, not a court finding that clears you. Whether they can lay a charge later depends on the type of offence: summary offences generally have a 12-month time limit, while indictable offences usually have none.
Yes. If you are the respondent to an intervention order in Victoria, you can contest it, meaning you dispute the application and argue against the order at a contested hearing. But contesting is only one of four options, alongside consenting, consenting without admission, and offering an undertaking, and the right choice depends on the facts and what is at stake.
Choose a criminal lawyer whose court experience matches both the court your case will be heard in and the type of charge you face. A matter in the Magistrates’ Court needs different experience from a jury trial in the County Court, and a specialist in your charge type, whether it is drink driving, drug offences, assault, or a sex offence, will know that area far better than a generalist. The best fit is a lawyer who regularly appears in the right court, has run cases like yours, will handle your matter personally, and is honest about your prospects and fees.
