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Overview
Criminal Defence Barristers
As a Criminal Defence Barrister Karen Harding represents people who are charged with offences or have to appear in Court for breaches of Laws, Regulations and Statutes.
We do not do Family Law cases such as custody and access issues and any other legal work such as civil cases, wills, house purchasing, debt collecting and general legal advice which is handled by Solicitors. We do work closely with some Solicitors and can refer you to a suitable person.
Our Clients
Our clients come from all walks of life and backgrounds. Many have transgressed a law for the first and only time in their life. Some have ongoing involvement with the law and will need assistance to get rehabilitation where drugs, alcohol or anger is the cause of the offending.
What we can do for our Clients
If you are in a situation of being charged with an offence Karen Harding can help you resolve the problem and remove the stress of coping with a highly emotional and unfamiliar environment. We can achieve the best possible outcome for you, whether it is for sentencing on a guilty plea or if you wish to defend the charges you are accused of.
For serious offences a jury trial may be required.
Counselling and Rehabilitation
Some clients have personal issues, anger and addiction problems which keep getting them into trouble with the legal system. Not only can Karen represent clients on their charges but she can also set up opportunities for clients to receive assessment and counselling which may give them the opportunity to turn their lives around, assisting them both personally and with the outcome of their Court case.
Legal Fees
Private Clients pay for the services of their selected Barrister either on a time charge out rate or by an agreed fee. The majority of our clients are Private clients. In most cases Karen can determine the course of action to be followed on the first interview and will be prepared to provide her services for an agreed fee. This removes the additional stress of worrying about money on top of the normal stress caused by the criminal system.
In more complicated cases and trials Karen Harding invoices at an hourly rate for time spent with regular invoices so that the client is aware of the costs incurred. A retainer is normally required and held in the Instructing Solicitor's trust account.
Legal Aid is a system set up by the Government to provide funding if your income is below a threshold and the offence is a reasonably serious matter. Under current Legislation Legal Aid is considered a loan and you may be required to repay the amount over time from your future income. Unfortunately our experience is that Legal Aid remuneration is insufficient to cover costs. Consequently Karen is very selective in which Legal Aid cases she takes on.
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Instructing Solicitor
Barristers' clients need to be referred to them by a solicitor
(known as the Instructing Solicitor). If you do not have your
own solicitor, or do not wish to use him, we can arrange one
for you at no extra cost.
We can recommend City Law located in Anzac Ave who are also available to do any general legal work such as wills, property sales and purchases, Trusts, civil legal cases and commercial matters where a Barrister is not required. |
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