I have been charged with an offence in rural or regional Queensland. Can you represent me?

Our criminal lawyers represent clients all over Queensland. In fact, a significant portion of our work is representing clients in regional and rural areas. There are over 120 Magistrates Court locations across Queensland and our criminal lawyers can appear in every one.

This article will explain how we act for clients in regional and rural areas. We are extremely experienced in this area and will achieve the best possible result regardless of the court location.

Some of our most common regional and rural court locations include:

• Toowoomba;
• Mount Isa;
• Longreach;
• Emerald;
• Townsville;
• Bundaberg;
• Dalby;
• Gladstone; and
• Roma

Do I need a local lawyer?

The short answer is no.

Whilst many regional and rural towns have law firms and practising solicitors, it is not necessary to use a local lawyer for your case. There are numerous reasons why our clients choose not to use a local solicitor.

For example, we understand that it can be daunting to use a local lawyer in a small town after being charged with a criminal offence. Your lawyer does  not need to be in close proximity to the court location to represent you.

Can Potts Lawyers represent me if my matter is in a rural or regional town?

Absolutely. Our criminal lawyers are highly experienced in representing clients in regional and rural areas of Queensland.

We represent clients successfully all over Queensland. Some of the benefits to engaging Potts Lawyers for your matter include:

• Expert criminal lawyers;
• Highest standard of representation;
• Privacy and confidentiality; and
• Excellent communication.

Our criminal lawyers specialise in representing people charged with criminal offences. This means that we are well equipped to provide you with expert legal advice, explain your rights and guide you through the court system.

Do my lawyers need to attend court for each mention?

We often appear in court locations outside of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. For procedural court dates (ie mentions) there is often no need for our criminal lawyers to travel to the court location.

There are a range of other options which are more efficient and cost effective for our clients. For example:

• Telephone appearances – in some courts, we can seek permission to appear at a mention via telephone. The court calls us on the day of court, and we appear for our client via telephone.
• Town agents – another option is to engage a town agent in the local area. This is a local solicitor who we brief to appear in court only.
• Administrative adjournments – the Queensland courts have recently implemented an administrative adjournment system. This allows us to submit an online form requesting an adjournment which is then considered by the Magistrate ahead of court.

For more complex court appearances, our lawyers will travel to the court location to appear personally.

If you have been charged with a criminal offence in a regional or rural area, we will discuss the options specific to your situation.

How will I meet with my lawyer?

If you live in a rural or regional area, you  are still able to engage a Brisbane or Gold Coast Lawyer. With the technology available to us, it is not necessary to meet with our clients face to face. We often meet with our clients via video chat and telephone.

If you live in a rural or regional area and need legal representation, contact us to discuss how we can assist you.

Seek Legal Advice

While this article is intended to provide you with a guide of the general principles that operate in Queensland, it is not to be considered legal advice and may not cover important aspects that apply to your individual circumstances.

If you have been charged with a criminal offence or have been contacted by the police, you should seek our legal advice as soon as possible.

Contact us for a free consultation or call our Brisbane office on (07) 3221 4999 or Gold Coast office on (07) 5532 3133.