Criminal law · Melbourne, VIC
Criminal lawyers in Melbourne: 39 profiles of our own, researched and register-noted. Every card says which of those it is, and links the source.
Your first call for a criminal law matter. Runs the matter from the first meeting — advice, negotiation, the paperwork, and court if it comes to that — and briefs a barrister when one is needed.
Contact the firm directlyA solicitor a law institute has accredited in a field after formal assessment. We show it only where the listing says so. Shown on the Victorian register.
Ask the firm, or check the registerAn advocate for hearings, trials and hard points of law. Some accept direct briefs from the public; most work comes through a solicitor.
Usually through your solicitor21 law firms and 18 barristers, with Doyle’s Guide rankings where they exist and a register note on every listing. We group lawyers by what Doyle’s Guide published and what we have checked ourselves. Inside a group the order is alphabetical, and no lawyer here is rated above another by us.
Within this group the order is alphabetical. It is not a ranking.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide First Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide First Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide First Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide First Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Within this group the order is alphabetical. It is not a ranking.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Second Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Second Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Second Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Within this group the order is alphabetical. It is not a ranking.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Third Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Third Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Third Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Third Tier · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Criminal Defence
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Law firm
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Third Tier · Personal Injury & Compensation
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Within this group the order is alphabetical. It is not a ranking.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Owen Dixon Chambers East
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Leading · Planning & Environment
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Within this group the order is alphabetical. It is not a ranking.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Aickin Chambers
Melbourne, VIC
Doyle’s Guide Recommended · Family Law
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Within this group the order is alphabetical. It is not a ranking.
Independent barrister practising from the Victorian Bar
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister, Victorian Bar · Dever's List · Owen Dixon Chambers East, Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Independent barrister practising from the Victorian Bar
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Level 17 William Crockett Chambers
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Peta Murphy Chambers
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Owen Dixon Chambers West
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Peta Murphy Chambers
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Gorman Chambers
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Aickin Chambers
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Independent barrister practising from the Victorian Bar
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister, Victorian Bar · William Crockett Chambers · briefed through Meldrum's
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Independent barrister practising from the Victorian Bar
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Owen Dixon Chambers East
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Barrister at the Victorian Bar · Owen Dixon Chambers East
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Independent barrister practising from the Victorian Bar
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
Independent barrister practising from the Victorian Bar
Melbourne, VIC
We have not checked anything on this listing yet. That is about our coverage, not about this lawyer.
No lawyers match those filters.
Doyle’s Guide tiers are Doyle’s, from its peer survey, reproduced with attribution. Google ratings are ratings of the firm, not of an individual lawyer. Sponsored placements are labelled. Nobody pays to be listed.
Criminal law in Australia is state-based with significant procedural variation — each state has its own Crimes Act or Criminal Code plus sentencing statute. Matters proceed through the Local/Magistrates Court for summary offences and through the District/County or Supreme Court for indictable offences. Early engagement of a criminal lawyer materially affects outcomes, particularly for sentencing.
Melbourne is the second-largest legal market in Australia with substantial commercial and equity practices. The Supreme Court of Victoria, Federal Court (Melbourne Registry), and Federal Circuit and Family Court (Melbourne Registry) all sit here. The Law Institute of Victoria regulates solicitors; the Victorian Bar regulates barristers.
Regulators: Law Institute of Victoria (liv.asn.au) and the Victorian Bar (vicbar.com.au)
Magistrates Court of Victoria for summary; County Court of Victoria for mid-range indictable; Supreme Court of Victoria for serious. Crimes Act 1958 (VIC); Sentencing Act 1991 (VIC).
Indicative fees drawn from published cost data. Confirm in writing with any firm before engaging — written costs disclosure is mandatory under the Legal Profession Uniform Law.
| Pathway / matter type | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early guilty plea (Magistrates) | $2,000–$4,500 | |
| Defended hearing | $6,500–$14,000 | |
| County Court indictable | $8,000–$100,000+ |
For the full criminal law cost breakdown across Australia, see our Criminal law cost guide.
Matter types we see most often in our intake from Melbourne and surrounding suburbs.
The most common Local Court charge. Penalty bands run from novice/special through to high-range. Section 10 dismissals (no conviction recorded) are available in narrow first-offence circumstances with appropriate preparation. Mandatory interlock applies in most states for mid-range and above.
Common assault, AOABH (assault occasioning actual bodily harm), GBH (grievous bodily harm). Range from Local Court summary through to District Court indictable. Defended hearings require careful witness evidence preparation.
Possession, supply, trafficking. Quantity thresholds determine jurisdiction. Diversion programs available in most states for personal-use possession. Supply-quantity matters typically proceed indictably.
Defending an apprehended violence order application. Technically civil but heard in criminal jurisdiction. Most contested AVOs resolve at first mention through undertakings or withdrawal.
Theft, larceny, fraud, burglary. Court hierarchy depends on value and complexity. Sentencing options heavily affected by prior history.
Serious offences proceeding by indictment. Committal hearings, jury trials or judge-alone trials, complex evidence. Senior counsel commonly briefed.
Five questions that determine whether the lawyer in front of you is the right fit for your matter.
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