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Hear from Our Satisfied Clients

Tim Lauschet

“I highly recommend Mate Lawyers. Their team is exceptionally skilled, prioritizes their clients’ needs, and communicates with clarity and professionalism throughout the entire process. I am extremely satisfied with their services and will not hesitate to engage them again if needed.”

Darren Ashley

“Mickaela is a consumate professional, kind and considerate. I would have no hesitation in recommending her services. She is hard working, and always delivers. It is a pleasure to work with her in my experience.”

Emma

“Michaela and her team are one of our most trusted referral partners. When we need reliable, results-driven representation for our clients in Sydney, we send them to her. She knows the law, delivers outcomes, and we can refer to her with confidence.”

Confidential Support. Proven Results in Sexual Assault Cases.

Sexual assault charges demand thorough preparation and unwavering advocacy. A conviction could lead to a place on the sex offender registry, impacting your life in serious ways. This can:

  • Restrict your movements and the places you can visit
  • Control the people you can interact with
  • Damage your reputation both personally and professionally
  • Affect your employment prospects and future opportunities

At Mate Lawyers, we defend clients facing all forms of sexual offence allegations with a focus on protecting rights and dignity.

Led by Accredited Criminal Law Specialist Mickaela Mate, our defence work is careful, precise, and grounded in years of courtroom experience. Every matter is handled with confidentiality and a commitment to achieving the strongest possible outcome.

You’ll have direct access to your lawyer and a defence built specifically for your case.

Why Clients Trust Mate Lawyers

  • Work directly with principal lawyer Mickaela Mate – no handovers, no confusion, just consistent, expert legal support from start to finish.

  • Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law, with advanced training and proven expertise.

  • Calm, straight-talking advice about your case, fierce and focused courtroom advocacy built on years of experience.

  • Strategic, detailed preparation that saves time, reduces stress, and improves outcomes.

Why Choose Us for Sexual Assault Matters

Discreet and Confidential Defence

We handle sexual assault matters with absolute confidentiality, protecting your privacy at every stage.

Careful Case Preparation

Sexual offence allegations demand precision. We examine every detail, from statements to forensic evidence, to build a strong defence.

Accredited Specialist Expertise

Led by an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist, your defence is managed with advanced knowledge of sexual offence laws and courtroom procedure.

Hear from Our Satisfied Clients

Diego Monterazo De Oliveira

“Mickaela explained me the process thoroughly and quoted promptly & fairly. She was very responsive and attentive to my needs. I’ll definitely use her services again whenever I need and would recommend to anyone as well. Thank you very much!”

Tracey Harvey

“I would recommend Mickaela in a heartbeat! She was extremely well organised and so easy to deal with. Her submissions were well documented and her presence in Court was impressive – the wow factor of the day! Mickaela is a true professional and I’m so glad we met with her – Thankyou for all you did Mickaela”

Ross Cooper

“I cannot thank Mickaela enough for all she has helped me with during a very difficult time in my life. Mickaela, is professional, very responsive and I was more than happy to have her on my side. Can’t recommend enough. Thanks again Mickaela.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Don’t do an interview with the police! Instead tell them you want to speak with your lawyer and then call Mickaela Mate from Mate Lawyers on 02 8528 2541. You can even make this call from the police station.

The police will prepare important paperwork and you will receive a copy. You need to give this copy to Mickaela as soon as possible.

If you have been granted bail, you also need to check that you understand your bail conditions to ensure you don’t accidentally breach any of them. If you aren’t sure, we can help you.

Remember to record your court date in your calendar and speak to us about what will happen and what you need to do.

The short answer is no. As your lawyer, one of Mickaela Mate’s jobs is to speak on your behalf in Court. She is also there to advocate for you and suggest how the law should be applied to your specific situation.

The judge or magistrate may ask you questions. If that occurs, you simply need to answer politely and honestly. When responding, you need to call them “Your Honour”.

Depending on your case, you may need to give evidence but this is unusual and we try to avoid it, if possible. We will always advise you on whether it is necessary and this decision is based on the evidence presented during the hearing.

Often, your likelihood of going to jail will depend on your charges. For example, charges relating to murder and manslaughter will include jail time as bail is usually denied. In these situations, the question should actually be about how long you can expect to be in jail. That’s why it is so important to have an experienced defence lawyer on your side – like the team from Mate Lawyers.

For other categories of crime, your chances of going to gaol will vary with your situation. Importantly, imprisonment is always considered a last resort for the Courts and we will tell you if we think it’s a possibility in your case.

That’s ok. It’s common and part of our role is to determine what charges have been laid against you. That’s why it’s so important to contact Mate Lawyers on 02 8528 2541 as soon as possible.

We understand the law and will explain the charges to you. We’ll also explain the evidence collected against you and get your side of the story. Often, there’s much more to the story than what the police are saying. Once we have that information, we’ll explain your defence options and any factors we believe will reduce your moral culpability. In turn, this could lead to a reduced sentence or possibly a finding of not guilty.

First and foremost, contact Mate Lawyers on 02 8528 2541 so we can prepare your case and your defence strategy to ensure you obtain the best possible results.

There are multiple ways we can do this for you.

  1. We can ask for the charges against you to be withdrawn and provide information on why the prosecution can’t prove those charges. If this is successful, the charges will be withdrawn and the case dismissed without any finding of guilt.
  2. We can evaluate the evidence and prepare a defence. In these situations, your matter will need to go to a hearing or trial where the prosecution will present their evidence. After that, we have the opportunity to argue there is no case and that the prosecution has failed to provide sufficient evidence to the standards required by the Courts.
  3. We can follow the process described in the previous point and take it further by asking you to give evidence to establish your defence. It means you will probably be required to speak in court, although there is also the possibility that a witness could provide evidence to support you.

Whichever approach is adopted, Mate Lawyers will ensure we get the best result for you.

This will vary depending on your charges. For example, you may only need to appear once in matters such as drink driving, negligent driving or if you are pleading guilty to charges such as possessing a prohibited drug.

However, some charges require many court appearances – especially if you are on bail. For example, in a sexual assault matter that goes to trial because you are not guilty, you can expect to appear before the Courts approximately 10-15 times before you even get to trial. The reason for this is due to specific procedures that some matters need to follow, and the Court wants to see that you are adhering to your bail conditions while in the community. The only way they can do this is for you to appear in person.

At Mate Lawyers, we understand appearing in Court is highly stressful for our clients. So we always try to minimise your court appearances wherever possible.

Mate Lawyers are experienced defence lawyers who will fight hard to obtain the best outcomes for your individual situation. We ditch the jargon to help you understand the charges and we will explain your defence options simply and clearly.

Mickaela Mate is an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law

Contact Us

p 02 8528 2541 (24/7)

e office@matelawyers.au

Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

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