Free, confidential 30 minute consultation in person, by video or by phone. The firm says it offers fixed rates and accepts Victoria Legal Aid funded clients.
Office
Level 1/16 Malop St, Geelong VIC 3220
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Geelong Lawyers is a local criminal defence practice in the Geelong CBD run by four partners, all of whom the firm says are Accredited Specialists in Criminal Law with the Law Institute of Victoria. Partner Simon Northeast has practised criminal law since 1988, according to the firm. It says it covers all criminal charges and intervention orders, appears from the Magistrates' and Children's Courts up to the Supreme Court, and works across Geelong, Colac, Ballarat and Warrnambool. It suits anyone facing a serious charge who wants a specialist close to home. The firm offers a free 30 minute consultation and says it takes Legal Aid clients.
Also worth knowing
It offers a free 30 minute first consultation and says it takes Legal Aid funded clients.
Lawyers
Simon Northeast, Partner Accredited criminal law specialist
Mel Cox, Partner Accredited criminal law specialist
Stephanie Mawby, Partner Accredited criminal law specialist
Tom Edwards, Partner Accredited criminal law specialist
Free first consultation, according to the firm. For most Magistrates' Court matters it aims to quote a single fee, and legal aid enquiries are welcome.
Office
2/13 Fenwick Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Dribbin & Brown is a criminal and traffic defence firm with nine Victorian offices, one on Fenwick Street in Geelong. Ryan Robertson is the managing lawyer there, working with criminal defence lawyer Elena Felekos, and the firm says its Geelong team appears often at the Geelong Magistrates' Court. Founding partner Michael Brown, based in Melbourne, is a Law Institute of Victoria accredited criminal law specialist, according to the firm. It covers bail, drink driving, drug and assault charges, intervention orders and appeals, and says it is on the Legal Aid indictable panel. The first consultation is free, the firm says, and its phones are answered from 7am to midnight.
Also worth knowing
The first consultation is free, and phones are answered from 7am to midnight, according to the firm.
Lawyers
Ryan Robertson, Managing Lawyer, Geelong
Elena Felekos, Criminal Defence Lawyer
Areas of criminal law handled
Bail applications
Drink and drug driving
Traffic offences
Drug offences
Assault and family violence
Intervention orders
Sexual offences
Fraud and theft
Children's Court matters
Appeals
Office
2/13 Fenwick Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Other details
Other offices
Melbourne CBD, Frankston, Dandenong, Ringwood, Moorabbin, Werribee, Broadmeadows and Ballarat
Meetings in person, by video or by phone, with an after hours emergency line. The site doesn't say whether the first consultation is free.
Office
45 Ryrie Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Adrian Paull Criminal Lawyers is a criminal law only firm that opened in Ballarat in 2017 and now has a Geelong office on Ryrie Street, which the firm says it moved into after recent growth. Principal Adrian Paull has been a Law Institute of Victoria accredited criminal law specialist since 2012, according to the firm, and senior solicitor Hollie Lyons holds the same accreditation. The firm lists five criminal lawyers but doesn't say who works from Geelong. It handles bail, pleas, contested hearings, trials and appeals. It suits people who want a specialist led team. Meetings can be in person, by video or by phone.
Opened in Ballarat in 2017
Also worth knowing
It offers meetings in person, by video or by phone, plus an after hours line.
Lawyers
The site doesn't say which lawyers work from Geelong and which from Ballarat.
Adrian Paull, Principal Accredited criminal law specialist
Hollie Lyons, Senior Solicitor Accredited criminal law specialist
Kate Saunders, Solicitor
Stephanie Douglas, Solicitor
Jennifer Elliott, Solicitor
Areas of criminal law handled
Bail applications
Contested hearings
Pleas
Trials
Appeals
Family violence and intervention orders
Drug offences
Assault and violence charges
Sexual offences
Fraud
Traffic and driving offences
Office
45 Ryrie Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Other details
Other offices
Ballarat (7 Little Bridge Street, Ballarat Central)
Free, confidential first consultation in person, by video or by phone. The firm quotes fees case by case and is on Victoria Legal Aid's youth, summary and indictable crime panels.
Office
45 Gheringhap Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Gallant Law is a Melbourne based criminal defence firm with a Geelong office at 45 Gheringhap Street. It was founded and is led by Lauren Cassimatis, who the firm describes as a Law Institute of Victoria accredited criminal law specialist. The firm says it handles everything from traffic and drug charges to homicide, sex offences, appeals and intervention orders, plus workplace prosecutions and inquests. It says it sits on Victoria Legal Aid panels for youth, summary and indictable crime, so it suits people who may qualify for aid. It offers free, confidential first consultations and an after hours emergency line.
Also worth knowing
It offers free, confidential first consultations in person, by video or by phone.
Lawyers
The Geelong page doesn't say which team members work from Geelong or give their roles.
Lauren Cassimatis, Principal Lawyer, Director and Founder Accredited criminal law specialist
Free initial consultation, booked by email. The firm is on Victoria Legal Aid's indictable, summary, and sexual offences and major crimes panels.
Office
Suite 1, 110 Brougham St, Geelong VIC 3220
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Matthew Senia Lawyers is a small Geelong criminal defence practice founded and run by principal Matthew Senia from an office on Brougham Street. The firm says it works for clients across Victoria, and that Matthew Senia is on the Victoria Legal Aid indictable crime, summary crime, and sexual offences and major crimes panels, which points to serious trial work as well as everyday court matters. It suits people who want to deal directly with the principal rather than a large team. First consultations are free and booked by email, according to the firm.
Ben Von Einem & Associates is a general practice with its head office on Moorabool Street in the Geelong CBD, where criminal law sits alongside family law, intervention orders and estates. The firm says its Geelong criminal law advocates take on everything from minor traffic offences to serious indictable charges. It says it appears weekly at Colac Magistrates' Court and regularly at Werribee, and also acts for clients in Ballarat and Warrnambool. It runs its own court work rather than briefing barristers unless it has to, the firm says. It suits people whose charge overlaps with a family law matter. The site doesn't publish first consultation terms.
Also worth knowing
It handles family law and intervention orders under the same roof.
The site doesn't state consultation or fee terms. Contact the partners directly by phone or email.
Office
54 Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
H&L Legal is a small regional practice run by partners Tim Hancock and Michelle Lothian, covering criminal law for adults and young people plus family violence intervention orders. It calls itself a therapeutic firm, and it also trains organisations on family violence, which is unusual for a defence practice. It works across the Barwon South West region with offices in Geelong, Warrnambool and Ballarat. It suits young people and adults with Magistrates' or Children's Court matters, and anyone caught up in an intervention order. The site doesn't publish consultation terms, so call the partners directly.
Also worth knowing
It has offices in Geelong, Warrnambool and Ballarat.
The criminal law page doesn't state consultation terms, so ask when you call. Office hours are 9am to 5pm on weekdays.
Office
96 Mercer Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
MMH Lawyers is a full service firm based in Avondale Heights, in Melbourne's north west, with a second office on Mercer Street in Geelong. Its criminal law page covers advice before and during police interviews, bail applications, guilty pleas and contested hearings. The firm says it handles matters from traffic, drug and assault charges up to armed robbery, manslaughter and murder, in the Magistrates', County and Supreme Courts. It also makes submissions to Victoria Police on security and firearm licences. The site doesn't name its criminal lawyers or say which office they work from, so ask who will run your case.
Also worth knowing
It also makes submissions to Victoria Police on security and firearm licences.
Firm details come from each firm's own website. Google ratings are shown as published on Google and don't set the order. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Not sure which firm suits you?
Tell us a little about your matter and we'll put you in touch with a Geelong criminal lawyer. It's free and there's no obligation.
How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Geelong office that do criminal defence work. Some are criminal law only practices, some are Melbourne or Ballarat firms with a Geelong office, and some are general firms where criminal law is one part of the work, and we say which. For each firm we read its own website in October 2026 and wrote the description ourselves. Where a firm says a lawyer is an LIV accredited specialist we say so, and you can check the LIV's specialist directory. Free consultations and fee terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them when you call. We show Google ratings with the date we checked them.
No firm pays for its position on this page. The order is our own editorial judgement, and firms don't get to edit what we write about them. If something here is out of date, let us know. There's more detail on how we rank law firms.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and programs are as published by the Victorian Government, the Victorian courts and Victoria Legal Aid in October 2026.
Where Geelong criminal cases are heard
Most cases start at the Geelong Magistrates' Court on Railway Terrace, right next to Geelong Railway Station, phone (03) 9087 6113. It's open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. Besides its general criminal lists, the court runs:
Koori Court: for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who take responsibility for a criminal offence and plead guilty. A magistrate decides eligibility, with advice from Koori Court officers and Elders and Respected Persons
Assessment and Referral Court: for people with a mental illness, intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, autism or a neurological impairment (including dementia) that substantially reduces their capacity for self care, self management, social interaction or communication. ARC links them with support under an individual plan, with regular reviews before a magistrate
Court Integrated Services Program: CISP, a bail support program run through the court
Specialist Family Violence Court: one of Victoria's specialist courts, where intervention orders can be heard together with related bail applications and criminal pleas
Geelong doesn't have a Drug Court. A magistrate can jail you for up to 2 years for one offence, or 5 years in total. More serious charges go through a committal and then usually to the County Court. Murder, treason and some other very serious charges are tried in the Supreme Court. If your filing hearing was on or after 28 December 2025, committal now has a filing hearing, a committal case conference (unless it's dispensed with) and a committal mention, with a committal hearing only if the magistrate allows witnesses to be cross-examined. Cases that started earlier follow the old process. Ask your lawyer how this affects your case.
On 3 July 2026 the Victorian Government said it had funded Remote Custody Courts in Geelong, which hear bail applications and guilty pleas entirely online, with the accused appearing from police custody or prison. It didn't give a start date.
Bail in Geelong and Victoria's tougher bail laws
Geelong Magistrates' Court only sits on weekdays. If you're arrested when it's closed, police can grant bail, call a bail justice, or take you before the Bail and Remand Court in Melbourne, which sits seven days a week until 9pm. For the most serious charges, only a court can decide bail. If bail is refused, you stay in custody until you can be taken to court.
Victoria tightened its bail laws in stages from March 2025, and the final tranche started on 31 March 2026. Community safety is now of overarching importance in every bail decision, and there are three tests depending on the charge:
Exceptional circumstances: for the most serious charges, including murder, armed robbery, aggravated burglary, home invasion, carjacking and commercial drug trafficking, you must show exceptional circumstances to get bail
Compelling reason: for other serious charges, and since 31 March 2026 for many indictable offences allegedly committed while you were already on bail for another indictable offence, you must show a compelling reason
High degree of probability: since 30 September 2025, if you're charged with armed robbery, aggravated burglary, home invasion or carjacking while already on bail for one of those offences, the court must be satisfied to a high degree of probability that you won't commit another
For every charge, bail can be refused if there's an unacceptable risk you would commit a serious offence, endanger someone, interfere with witnesses or not turn up. It's also an offence to commit an indictable offence while on bail, and for an adult to breach a bail conduct condition, each with up to 3 months jail.
If you're on bail and dealing with a disability or illness, drug or alcohol dependency, homelessness, or a lack of social, family or economic support that contributes to your offending, ask about CISP at the Geelong court, phone (03) 4249 4871. You get a case manager and referrals to services such as drug and alcohol treatment, housing and mental health support, usually for about four months, and you may need to come back before a magistrate each month so they can check your progress.
Young people charged in Geelong
The Children's Court sits at the Geelong Magistrates' Court, the headquarter court for the Barwon South West region. The region's other Children's Court venues are Colac, Hamilton and Warrnambool.
Age of criminal responsibility: raised to 12 on 30 September 2025
Adult time: for offences allegedly committed on or after 27 February 2026, young people aged 15 to 17 charged with home invasion, aggravated home invasion, aggravated carjacking or causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, including machete attacks, have their cases heard in the adult courts. For 14 year olds charged with those offences, and for carjacking at 14 to 17, there's a presumption the case goes to an adult court
Filing hearings: for these charges are held at the Melbourne Children's Court. A child outside metropolitan Melbourne may be allowed to appear by video link
Youth Justice Act 2024: since 30 September 2026, most criminal procedure for children sits under this Act, which also sets up police youth warnings and cautions
The Children's Court has its own diversion scheme for young people. If your child has been charged with a designated violent offence, get a lawyer involved early, as the case may go to an adult court where much higher penalties apply.
Diversion, spent convictions and when a conviction isn't recorded
If the offence isn't too serious, such as shop theft, minor damage or a small amount of drugs, you may be offered the Criminal Justice Diversion Program in the Magistrates' Court. You accept responsibility, which isn't a plea of guilty, and complete a plan that might include an apology, counselling or a donation. The prosecution has to agree, and the plan usually runs for up to 12 months. If you complete it, you're discharged without any finding of guilt, so there's no conviction. Diversion isn't available for offences with a minimum penalty or licence loss, or for drink or drug driving.
The court can also find you guilty without recording a conviction, after looking at the offence, your character and history, and the effect on your work and wellbeing. A finding of guilt without conviction is spent straight away. So are all convictions for offences committed under 15, and infringement convictions.
Conviction
When it's spent
Aged 15 to 20 when sentenced
5 years with no further offending
Aged 21 or over when sentenced
10 years with no further offending
Serious convictions: a jail term of more than 30 months, or any sexual or serious violence offence
Only by a Magistrates' Court order, and only for some. If you were 21 or over when sentenced, you can't apply if you were jailed for a sexual or serious violence offence, or sentenced to 5 years or more in prison for any charge
Once a conviction is spent, it no longer forms part of your criminal record and in most cases you don't have to disclose it.
If police want to interview you
Geelong Police Station is at 110 Mercer Street, and its counter and phone line, (03) 5225 3100, are open 24 hours. Before questioning, police must tell you that you don't have to say or do anything, and that anything you say may be used as evidence. They must also tell you that you can contact a friend or relative and a lawyer, and give you a reasonable time to do it, with a private conversation with your lawyer where practicable. If your English isn't good enough, you have the right to an interpreter. Police can skip some of these steps if it's urgent or evidence could be destroyed.
You can refuse to answer questions. Police can ask for your name and address if they have a lawful reason, and refusing then is an offence. Police generally can't question a young person under 18 in custody unless a parent, guardian or independent person is there, except where the delay would put someone's safety at risk, or contacting the adult would let an accomplice escape or evidence be destroyed.
Free and low cost criminal law help in Geelong
Victoria Legal Aid, Geelong: Level 2, 199 Moorabool Street, (03) 5226 5666 or 1800 196 200. Make an appointment before you visit. For criminal charges, ask for its free Help Before Court service online or through Legal Help on 1300 792 387, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Free advice from a lawyer depends on whether you're eligible
Duty lawyers: Victoria Legal Aid's Geelong office runs the duty lawyer service at the Geelong and Colac courts. It may not be available every day and not everyone is eligible, so contact Victoria Legal Aid before your court date
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service: 1800 064 865
Djirra: 1800 354 772
Barwon Community Legal Service: Level 1, 63 Thomson Street, Belmont, 1300 430 599. Free legal information, advice and casework for people in Geelong, the Surf Coast, the Bellarine Peninsula and Colac Otway, with priority for people on low incomes and people experiencing family violence. Call to check whether it can help with your matter
Law Institute of Victoria: its Find Your Lawyer referral service can put you in touch with a firm offering a free 30 minute consultation
Geelong criminal law: common questions
Where will my Geelong criminal case be heard?
Most cases are heard at the Geelong Magistrates' Court on Railway Terrace, next to Geelong Railway Station. More serious charges go through a committal and usually on to the County Court, and the most serious, such as murder, to the Supreme Court. Charges against young people go to the Children's Court, which also sits at the Geelong Magistrates' Court.
Do I need a lawyer for a Magistrates' Court hearing?
Not always, but you should get advice first. A Victoria Legal Aid duty lawyer may be able to help on the day if you're eligible, and Victoria Legal Aid can tell you whether you qualify for a grant of aid. If you're facing jail, a community correction order or a large fine, it's worth having a lawyer from the start.
What is an accredited criminal law specialist?
A lawyer who has passed the Law Institute of Victoria's specialist accreditation in criminal law, which needs at least five years in practice and three in the area, and is renewed every three years. You can search for one on the LIV's accredited specialist directory.
What happens if I'm arrested in Geelong at night or on the weekend?
Geelong Magistrates' Court only sits on weekdays. If you're arrested when it's closed, police can grant bail, call a bail justice, or take you before the Bail and Remand Court in Melbourne, which sits seven days a week until 9pm. For the most serious charges, only a court can decide bail. If bail is refused, you stay in custody until you can be taken to court. You can ask to speak to a lawyer before any police interview.
Can I avoid a criminal record?
Often, for a less serious offence. Diversion means no finding of guilt if you complete the plan, so there's nothing on your record to spend. A court can also find you guilty without recording a conviction, and that's spent straight away.
What is the Koori Court at Geelong?
A part of the Geelong Magistrates' Court for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have taken responsibility for a criminal offence and pleaded guilty. A magistrate decides whether your case is eligible, with advice from Koori Court officers and Aboriginal Elders and Respected Persons.
How much does a Geelong criminal lawyer cost?
It depends on the charge and the court. Several firms here offer a free first consultation, and some quote a single or fixed fee for Magistrates' Court matters. Ask for a written estimate, and check whether you qualify for legal aid.
General information only, not legal advice.
Looking in another city? See all our criminal lawyers by city, with a plain English guide to how it works.
