Criminal defence lawyers · Melbourne
Charged or under investigation? Private, confidential criminal defence.
We defend individuals, professionals, business owners and families facing criminal, traffic and regulatory charges across Victoria. You get honest advice on the likely outcome, close work on the evidence, an experienced barrister matched to your case, and advice in English or Mandarin from the solicitor who runs your matter.
- Confidential advice from first contact
- Advice before police interviews
- Experienced barristers briefed for your case
- English & 中文 Mandarin
How it works
From first call to final hearing
Send us your documents
Email your charge sheet, police summary and court notice. We check we can act and review your matter confidentially.
Get advice on your case
Arrange a paid online consultation by video. We explain the charges, the evidence, your options and the realistic outcomes.
We prepare, and your barrister appears
We obtain the brief, negotiate with police and prosecutors and prepare your material. A carefully chosen barrister is with you for the whole day at court, with experienced cover available at short notice.
What we do
Practice areas
From a first drink driving charge to a County Court trial, we handle the full range of criminal matters.
Drink & Drug Driving
Exceeding the prescribed limit, refusing a test, drug-driving and the licence consequences.
Traffic & Licence Offences
Driving while suspended or disqualified, dangerous and careless driving, excessive speed.
Assault & Violence Charges
Common assault, recklessly or intentionally causing injury, affray and related charges.
Drug Offences
Possession, use, cultivation and trafficking under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act.
Theft, Fraud & Dishonesty
Shop theft, obtaining property by deception, handling stolen goods and white-collar allegations.
Intervention Orders
Responding to family violence and personal safety intervention order applications, and breaches.
Bail Applications
Urgent bail applications and variations in the Magistrates’, County and Supreme Courts.
Serious & Indictable Charges
Committal, County Court and Supreme Court matters, with senior counsel where warranted.
Fees
Clear costs, agreed in writing
Every matter is different, so we set our fees on what yours involves: the charges, the court, the evidence and the barrister it needs. Our fees and counsel’s fees are set out in a written costs agreement before any work starts.
- A confidential review when you send us your charge sheet, police summary and court notice
- Online consultations (video): $660 (inc. GST) for 60 minutes for indictable offences; $330 (inc. GST) for 30 minutes for summary offences and intervention orders
- Counsel’s fee included in your quote
- New stages quoted before work starts
Our approach
Cases turn on evidence and procedure
Before we advise you to plead or to contest, we test the prosecution case against the rules that govern it. That technical work is often where charges are narrowed, withdrawn or resolved on better terms.
- Evidence Act 2008 (Vic). Whether admissions are reliable and voluntary (ss 84, 85, 90), whether evidence was improperly or illegally obtained (s 138), hearsay, identification, tendency and coincidence evidence, and the court’s power to exclude unfairly prejudicial evidence (ss 135, 137).
- Criminal Procedure Act 2009 (Vic). The preliminary and full brief, disclosure requests and the prosecution’s ongoing duty of disclosure, case conferences, summary contests, committal proceedings and diversion.
- Police powers. Arrest, search and the safeguards that apply to police interviews, including the caution and the right to communicate with a lawyer.
- Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic). Sentencing options and the material that persuades a court, from character references to treatment reports.
Client reviews
What clients say
Chua Tan Associates is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 202 Google reviews. A selection from clients in criminal, traffic and intervention order matters:
Thanks Justin for getting my criminal charges withdrawn and going to court to help me solve my problems.
Google review, August 2023
He took the time to thoroughly understand my case and negotiated directly with the council, achieving a favourable outcome without the need for court proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.
Google review, February 2025
He was so patient and answered all my questions. He even went with me to the police station late at night to help me talk with police to explain my complicated situation about criminal charges and the intervention order.
Google review, February 2025
Know your rights
Court & process guides
Police Interviews: Your Rights
What police must tell you, your right to a lawyer, and why getting advice first matters.
Bail in Victoria
How bail decisions are made under the tightened Bail Act, and what an application involves.
Your First Court Date
What happens at a Magistrates’ Court mention, what to bring, and how to prepare.
Diversion: Avoiding a Criminal Record
Who is eligible for the Criminal Justice Diversion Program and how it works.
Plead Guilty or Contest?
How to weigh the evidence, the sentencing discount and the cost of a contested hearing.
Speak to a criminal defence lawyer today
Send us your charge sheet and police summary for a confidential review, or book a consultation for advice on your case. Costs are agreed in writing before any work begins.