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Home | Traffic laws | Drink Driving Lawyers
As Sydney’s leading drink driving lawyers, we understand the gravity of a drunk driving charge. Yet, we firmly believe in the path to resolution and reinstating your licence. While the costs might seem insurmountable, our seasoned team of drink-driving law specialists has the skills and experience to help appeal your case effectively.
Our professional legal team aims to get you back on the road quickly and smoothly. We’re your steadfast ally in navigating the complexities of drink-driving laws, ensuring you a chance at the best possible outcome.
If you have recently been charged with drunk driving, it’s important to understand the range of possible allegations against you. Under Australian law, drunk driving is defined into six categories based on your PCA (prescribed concentration of alcohol) at the time of the incident:
The outcome of your case will depend on your blood alcohol concentration at the time of the incident. The police will conduct a breathalyser exam to gauge your blood alcohol concentration when pulled over. Lower concentrations may be let off with a simple fine. Still, higher concentrations or the inclusion of other controlled substances may permanently lose your licence.
Under NSW State law, individuals with blood alcohol concentrations below 0.05 are within the legal limit and may operate a motor vehicle. Suppose your PCA fell within the novice or special range and you were not a provisional or learner driver at the time of the incident. In that case, the prosecution has no case against you. If you have been wrongly charged, we can quickly have the allegations dismissed.
Additionally, you may have reason to dismiss the allegations if you only operated a motor vehicle while inebriated due to an emergency or under duress. These are mitigating circumstances that the court will consider when it hears your case.
Our drink driving lawyers will represent your interests and fight for your rights, no matter the situation.
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If you’re charged with driving with a blood alcohol concentration in the mid to high range PCA, the court will likely find you guilty. While you can plead not guilty and present mitigating factors, admitting the offence can result in severe penalties, including a limited prison sentence or a permanent licence suspension.
Therefore, we highly recommend speaking with a legal representative before entering a guilty plea to the court. Our expert drink driving lawyers Sydney can help reduce your sentence and protect your right to operate a motor vehicle.
The penalties for drink driving vary greatly, depending on the circumstances of your case and your PCA at the time of the incident. Suppose you were charged with a low concentration. In that case, you may be immediately fined $572 and have your license suspended for 3 months. On the bright side, you will not have to appear in court to process the case.
However, if this is not your first offence, you will have to appear in court and may face:
The penalties will be far steeper if charged with a medium- or high-range PCA. For first-time medium-range offenders, you may face:
If this is not your first offence, the fines may increase to $3,300, and you could face up to 1 year in prison. First-time high-range charges carry penalties ranging from:
If you have previously been convicted of driving with a high-range PCA, you could face a $5,500 fine and a maximum prison sentence of 2 years. Seeking legal representation can help reduce these penalties, so you should contact us immediately.
We’re dedicated to fighting for your rights. Whether you are facing novice or high-range PCA charges, rest assured that you are not alone throughout this process. Our expert drink driving lawyers are well versed in the appropriate law and will represent your interests to the best of their ability.
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.
Our experienced drink driving lawyers have the knowledge and experience to help you through this difficult time. We understand how a traffic offence conviction surrounding a serious legal matter can affect your life, which is why we will work tirelessly on your behalf.
We’re a professional law firm serving the great Sydney area. We have dedicated our careers to supporting clients and specialising in Family Law, Criminal Law, and Traffic Law. With years of combined experience, we have a proven track record of success.
If you have been charged with a drug driving, or drink driving offence, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced drink driving lawyers at James & Jaramillo. We understand the severity of these charges and will work tirelessly on your behalf to get the best possible outcome. For a free consultation, call us today.
Yes, it will. For more information on this topic, click here for a complete breakdown of how a drunk driving charge will give you a criminal record.
Yes, you have the legal right to refuse a breath test. However, if you refuse, you will be arrested for Refusal to Provide Samples, at which point the police will take a blood sample.
Special-range PCA refers to a blood alcohol concentration above 0.02, which is considered the legal limit for a bus, taxi, or professional driver. Special refers to special category drivers.
PAC stands for prescribed concentration of alcohol. The reading is determined by an alcohol breathalyser. The breathalyser provides a reading of your blood alcohol content from a breath sample you provide.
Suppose you are arrested for driving as a provisional driver under the influence of alcohol. In that case, the police may confiscate your driver’s permit within 48 hours, and you will have to appear in court. The maximum and minimum penalties mirror the penalties for a low-range conviction.
Generally, emergencies are only considered a valid excuse for drink driving in the case of a medical emergency. If you can prove that someone was in immediate need of medical attention, you may have a case to dismiss your charges.
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