Summary Hearing Lawyer Cairns — Contesting a Criminal Charge — Fixed Fee
$5,500 — Fixed Fee
Fixed Fee: Summary hearing — up to one day, Cairns Magistrates Court — $5,500; Multi-day hearing — Quoted on scope. Covers : full brief review, conference with you, cross-examination preparation, written submissions, and full appearance on the hearing date. No hidden fees. One invoice. Additional mentions after the first adjournment are $950 each. All fees +10% GST.
What Is Included
Initial conference to take your full instructions and assess the strength of the prosecution case Complete review of the police brief, QP9, and all witness statements Identification of weaknesses in the prosecution case — evidentiary issues, witness credibility, procedural deficiencies Preparation of a hearing strategy and advice on realistic prospects Cross-examination preparation for each…
What a Summary Hearing Is
A summary hearing is a defended trial in the Magistrates Court. It is the process by which you exercise your right to have the prosecution prove its case against you beyond reasonable doubt. On the hearing day, the prosecution calls its witnesses. Sacha cross-examines each one. You may give evidence or call witnesses of your own. Both sides then make submissions to the Magistrate. The Magistrate…
Why Preparation Is Everything
A summary hearing is not won on the day. It is won — or lost — in the weeks before it. The difference between a lawyer who has read the brief carefully and identified the weak points in the prosecution case, and one who has not, is the difference between an acquittal and a conviction. The work that matters most happens before the hearing: Brief analysis. Every statement, every exhibit, every…
Sacha Sarah Smith — Summary Hearing Experience
Sacha brings a decade of criminal bar experience to every contested hearing at Civic Law, in addition to her time in Queensland, where she has practiced since 2024. As counsel in hundreds of matters before the New Zealand District Court and High Court — including as lead counsel in District Court jury trials and contested hearings — she has run proceedings across the full spectrum of criminal law.…
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What happens if I plead not guilty? Your matter is adjourned and a hearing date is set. Before then, the prosecution must serve its full brief of evidence — the statements, exhibits, and documents it intends to rely on. You and Sacha will review that material and prepare for the hearing. How long does a summary hearing take? Most summary hearings in the Cairns Magistrates Court are listed for a…