Menu
We’re here for you 24/7
5.0
Out of 91 reviews
Home | Criminal laws | Manslaughter
If you face a manslaughter charge, you likely have many questions about these allegations. What constitutes manslaughter, and how is it different from murder charges? Are there different types of manslaughter charges? What potential defences can you use when responding to serious criminal charges like these? What maximum penalties are you facing if convicted for such an offence?
Our manslaughter lawyer team, James & Jaramillo, has successfully represented and defended those who have been charged with Manslaughter. Call us to schedule a free consultation to discuss your sensitive legal matter.
Our manslaughter lawyer Sydney team is ready to discuss your rights, defence strategies, and potential penalties associated with a severe criminal offence like being charged with manslaughter. Our lawyers can help you make informed choices about how to proceed in your case.
The Australian legal system views defendants as being innocent until proven guilty. However, it may not feel that way. It can be helpful to have an advocate fighting for your rights when your will to fight is low.
Our experienced Sydney criminal lawyers can provide you with strong support to fight back against the charges you face for the best possible outcome.
Related Services
Sydney-Wide Criminal Lawyers
Trusted criminal defence services across Sydney, from the CBD to Liverpool, we provide professional legal support when you need it most.
Any accidental action or unintentional acts that cause someone else’s death may result in an accused facing manslaughter charges. Prosecutors often reduce murder to manslaughter charges if evidence doesn’t show that a defendant had any intent to kill or inflict grievous bodily harm.
Prosecutors may file involuntary manslaughter charges when there aren’t elements of a murder present. Involuntary manslaughter has two subcategories, including:
An instance in which there is no evidence of forethought or intent leading up to an individual’s death, but nonetheless, there’s evidence to suggest that the death occurred due to excessive self-defence, substantial impairment, provocation, or infanticide, may result in voluntary manslaughter charges.
While both crimes are grave and bring severe consequences to those convicted, the Australian legal system views murder as the more severe offence. The District Court or Supreme Court systems deal with such criminal cases.
One of the primary differences between murder and manslaughter is that the former involves deliberate actions and reckless indifference to human life that cause a person’s death. In contrast, the latter stems from unintended or accidental actions.
Choices you have if Sydney prosecutors charge you with the offence of manslaughter include:
Section 18 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) outlines how defendants will face a sentencing hearing in front of a judge upon pleading guilty in their case. The same outcome may occur if a manslaughter defence lawyer and prosecutors strike a plea deal.
Your case will go to trial in the Supreme Court if you enter a not guilty plea. A judge or jury may find a defendant guilty on manslaughter charges if they deem that the evidence presented by prosecutors proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Section 24 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) outlines punishments for manslaughter. Defendants found guilty of this offence face a maximum 25 years sentence in prison. Defendants accused of other crimes, such as sexual assault, in conjunction with manslaughter, may face additional charges and thus increased penalties if found guilty of it.
The responsibility for proving your guilt in a manslaughter case belongs to prosecutors. However, you and your criminal defence lawyer in Sydney must at least present a partial defence to shed doubt on the prosecution’s narrative of what happened.
Prosecutors generally don’t file manslaughter charges unless they believe they can secure a conviction. So, every manslaughter lawyer Sydney at our law firm, James & Jaramillo, will want to know your account of what happened to compare to the prosecution’s evidence to determine which defence strategy may be most appropriate to use.
When facing manslaughter charges, having a strong advocate counts. An experienced James & Jaramillo manslaughter defence lawyer can represent you for the best possible outcome. Schedule a free case evaluation today.
For a woman, it is very difficult to deal with harassment, stalking and intimidation. Last year, I have applied for APVO against my neighbour.
Although I had CCTV footages and other evidence, to actually go through the whole court process is stressful, especially because I decided to represent myself in the court. Once I stepped into the legal process the realization hit me that having evidence may not be enough to win and protect myself from the defendant. When you represent yourself, the defendant’s solicitor sees that as an easy winning for his client and uses intimidation tactics.
I have contacted several solicitors but was put off by their emotionlessness approach. I contacted Jonathan Jaramillo from James and Jaramillo Lawyers who offered free first consultation. Comprehensive information offered by Jonathan was very impressive. He listened attentively and took time to answer my questions. He did not tell me what I wanted to hear, but what I needed to hear. I decided to represent myself and asked Jonathan if he would guide me and advise me throughout the process. This would be more cost-effective for me. Regardless of the size of the case, Jonathan was from the beginning to the end extremely professional, prompt and kind. He explained everything clearly making me feel confident with the legal process.
I have managed to get Interim Order in the early stage of the process-mention, which was protecting me till the final hearing in March 2024 when I won the case. This outcome could not have been achieved without working with Jonathan and his professional guidance. I can’t speak highly enough about Jonathan Jaramillo and recommend him for anyone who is looking for a good, responsive and reliable solicitor, and a genuine person.
Maninder Kaur2023-03-30Just wanted to say we were so blessed that we chose James and Jaramillo Lawyers , couldn’t have asked for lawyers better than than . The situation and mess that we were in earlier these lawyers stepped in and took the stress of our shoulders. He took time to understand our circumstances and was always available to ease our minds and take pressure of our minds . We know we could count on him anytime. Thank you so much . Really appreciate all that you did .Martin Glascoe2023-03-28Very positive experience with J&J today. Despite late engagement, Jonathan was able to make the necessary time to assist, providing a detailed list of supporting artefacts I needed to support my case, even taking a call at 8pm! The case plan was fully explained and I felt confident the best result would be achieved. Thanks J&J team!Jennifer Vargas2023-03-23Thank you to Jonathan and Jamie for your support. I highly recommend J&J Lawyers as they are professional and effective. What a great outcome in my case... Gracias Jonathan!Michael Metherell2023-03-17Jonathan and his team are very good at what they do. I was dealing with Jonathan and his assistant Jamie, they were both extremely helpful and supportive with helping me prepare for my court case. Jonathan holds himself very professionally in court and is a confident lawyer. Considering my circumstances where not great and had a hard case, Jonathan handled it well and in result of this it all went in my favour. I highly recommend him and his team. Thank you Jonathan, I'm very greatfull to have found you.Gail2023-03-15Best lawyers ever very thorough has your best interests at heart I wouldn't goSidney C2023-03-08Positive experience & positive outcome - After being in contact with multiple different law firms, I found Jonathan was the right lawyer for us. He was very responsive (even outside working hours) and was able to provide us with one on one service. He took the time to understand our personal circumstances and was always available to ease our minds by providing clear and honest advice. Jonathan shows great confidence in his work which allowed us to place our trust in him for representation. During a highly stressful period, Jonathan definitely made the court process just that little bit easier. Your time and dedication to your work does not go unnoticed - thank you Jonathan!Jye Doyle2023-03-02I’d like to highly recommend Tom Seeney from James & Jaramillo Lawyers. Tom took me on as a client after I was struggling with a lawyer from another firm that took no care in my case. Tom has represented me in multiple cases now and has never failed to impress me with his professionalism and attention to detail, saving me from serious legal implications more times than I could’ve imagined. 5 stars, would not look past him.Angela Doyle2023-03-02I would like to highly recommend Tom Seeney. Mr Seeney took over my case at fairly short notice after my previous lawyer proved to be unsatisfactory. Tom was thorough, extremely knowledgeable about the law and professional in his demeanour at all times. I am so grateful that he took on my case as we got an outstanding outcome. Would highly recommend him. Big thank you from Jye, Liz and Anj.RIEG Wang2023-03-01I am so so grateful to find Tom to help my divorce case After almost one year with a really aweful law firm,which cost me a lot of money and put me in a very difficult position,i want to say big thank you to Tom,you are a great lawyer,but more importantly, a decent human To those who are stucking in a divorce case, i hope you can find a good lawyer like Tom and end the case soon!Mohammad Islam2023-02-26Very much professional and organised. I am really happy with the service they provided. Definitely recommend others to give them a call and book an appointment to see the difference.
Maninder Kaur2023-03-30Just wanted to say we were so blessed that we chose James and Jaramillo Lawyers , couldn’t have asked for lawyers better than than . The situation and mess that we were in earlier these lawyers stepped in and took the stress of our shoulders. He took time to understand our circumstances and was always available to ease our minds and take pressure of our minds . We know we could count on him anytime. Thank you so much . Really appreciate all that you did .Martin Glascoe2023-03-28Very positive experience with J&J today. Despite late engagement, Jonathan was able to make the necessary time to assist, providing a detailed list of supporting artefacts I needed to support my case, even taking a call at 8pm! The case plan was fully explained and I felt confident the best result would be achieved. Thanks J&J team!Jennifer Vargas2023-03-23Thank you to Jonathan and Jamie for your support. I highly recommend J&J Lawyers as they are professional and effective. What a great outcome in my case... Gracias Jonathan!Michael Metherell2023-03-17Jonathan and his team are very good at what they do. I was dealing with Jonathan and his assistant Jamie, they were both extremely helpful and supportive with helping me prepare for my court case. Jonathan holds himself very professionally in court and is a confident lawyer. Considering my circumstances where not great and had a hard case, Jonathan handled it well and in result of this it all went in my favour. I highly recommend him and his team. Thank you Jonathan, I'm very greatfull to have found you.Gail2023-03-15Best lawyers ever very thorough has your best interests at heart I wouldn't goSidney C2023-03-08Positive experience & positive outcome - After being in contact with multiple different law firms, I found Jonathan was the right lawyer for us. He was very responsive (even outside working hours) and was able to provide us with one on one service. He took the time to understand our personal circumstances and was always available to ease our minds by providing clear and honest advice. Jonathan shows great confidence in his work which allowed us to place our trust in him for representation. During a highly stressful period, Jonathan definitely made the court process just that little bit easier. Your time and dedication to your work does not go unnoticed - thank you Jonathan!Jye Doyle2023-03-02I’d like to highly recommend Tom Seeney from James & Jaramillo Lawyers. Tom took me on as a client after I was struggling with a lawyer from another firm that took no care in my case. Tom has represented me in multiple cases now and has never failed to impress me with his professionalism and attention to detail, saving me from serious legal implications more times than I could’ve imagined. 5 stars, would not look past him.Angela Doyle2023-03-02I would like to highly recommend Tom Seeney. Mr Seeney took over my case at fairly short notice after my previous lawyer proved to be unsatisfactory. Tom was thorough, extremely knowledgeable about the law and professional in his demeanour at all times. I am so grateful that he took on my case as we got an outstanding outcome. Would highly recommend him. Big thank you from Jye, Liz and Anj.RIEG Wang2023-03-01I am so so grateful to find Tom to help my divorce case After almost one year with a really aweful law firm,which cost me a lot of money and put me in a very difficult position,i want to say big thank you to Tom,you are a great lawyer,but more importantly, a decent human To those who are stucking in a divorce case, i hope you can find a good lawyer like Tom and end the case soon!Mohammad Islam2023-02-26Very much professional and organised. I am really happy with the service they provided. Definitely recommend others to give them a call and book an appointment to see the difference.
James & Jaramillo is the premier defence law firm in Sydney, NSW. It can be shocking to learn that you’re facing criminal charges as serious as manslaughter, which is why we handle your legal matter with the utmost discretion. We treat our clients more like family than a statistic, which translates to an unrelenting fight to preserve our clients’ freedoms.
I highly recommend Jonathan Jaramillo and his team to anyone for their legal needs. Jonathan was extremely professional and informative throughout the whole process. As someone who is not familiar with the court process, he was immensely helpful and compassionate in helping ease my stress and anxiety leading up to my case. He achieved the best possible result for me, for which I am very grateful. I will definitely use them again for my legal matters.
Katie F
One of the best lawyers in the market. Tom and Marykate helped me with everything from A to Z. They offered me the best possible advice and took care of the whole task in a speedy and timely manner. Throughout the procedure they made me feel calm and stress-free. Definitely recommend them for a hassle-free process.
Kartik R
We had Jonathan Jaramillo represent our son for a court matter. Jonathan was very helpful, provided us with possible options, suggested the best way forward and achieved a great result for my son. Highly recommend him and his team.
R Desa
While it can be overwhelming to entrust your future to someone else, you have little to lose when facing manslaughter charges. You can count on each manslaughter lawyer in Sydney at our criminal law firm to aggressively fight for your rights.
When you researched manslaughter defence lawyers and law firms in Sydney, NSW, you likely came across quite a few. We can’t comment on any other lawyers and their ability to assist you with the charges you face; however, we can share attributes that make our James & Jaramillo team the ideal manslaughter defence lawyer, including:
Each manslaughter lawyer Sydney at James & Jaramillo, takes pride in serving fellow NSW residents, including prioritising client needs.
Reaching out for help is never easy, but if you face manslaughter charges, call to schedule an initial consultation with our senior lawyers at James & Jaramillo. Our manslaughter lawyer Sydney team will help you get ahead of your charge and will help build a strong defence.
Prosecutors only know one side of the story. The evidence you produce can cast doubt on the prosecution’s case, making them unable to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, resulting in an acquittal.
Various defence strategies apply to manslaughter cases, including battered person syndrome, self-defence, necessity, duress, and mental illness.
Related Blogs
Our vision is to ensure everyone, regardless of their background, has their voice heard in Court. We do not tell our clients what they want to hear but what they need to hear. We pride ourselves on our responsive, honest, and professional representation. We will be your trusted advisors from the start until the end of your matter.
Free Consultation Available
5 Minute Walk From Wynyard Station
Free Consultation Available
Short Walk From Wollongong Family Court
Made by Digital Recipe