When a family violence intervention order proceeding and criminal charges arise from the same alleged conduct, the respondent is managing two separate legal tracks simultaneously. The FVIO proceeding is civil, governed by the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic), and decided on the balance of probabilities. The criminal proceeding requires proof beyond reasonable doubt. The different standards mean the same evidence can produce different outcomes in each track. Evidence given or disclosed in the FVIO proceeding may be available to the prosecution in the criminal matter, and steps taken in one proceeding can affect the other in ways that require careful coordination. A respondent who contests the FVIO at a hearing before the criminal matter is resolved may expose themselves to evidentiary risks in the criminal proceeding that would not otherwise arise. The lawyers below are Victorian criminal defence practitioners with Doyle's Guide recognition in criminal law defence and experience in intervention order matters. Amelia Ramsay is a Partner at Doogue + George Defence Lawyers, admitted in 2013 and a Partner since 2024. Before joining the firm in 2014, she served as an Associate to a Judge of the County Court of Victoria and worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Doyle's Guide recognises her as a Recommended Criminal Defence Lawyer in Victoria for 2026. Her practice covers serious and complex criminal matters including assault and serious violence, sexual offences, fraud, money laundering, and foreign bribery. She acts in proceedings that sit alongside criminal charges: intervention order proceedings, asset seizure restraining orders, Chief Examiner examinations, and disciplinary hearings before AHPRA, VIT, and the WWCC. Where a respondent faces both an FVIO and criminal charges from the same conduct, the decisions in each track must be coordinated, including whether to contest the FVIO before the criminal matter concludes. She appears as solicitor advocate and instructs counsel in County Court and Supreme Court proceedings. Tony Hargreaves is Director of Tony Hargreaves and Associates with at least 30 years of serious criminal defence experience across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions. Doyle's Guide awards him a Pre-eminent ranking in Criminal Law Defence for 2026, the highest tier the guide awards. He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor and conducts every matter personally from intake to resolution. Peter Rankin is Director of Peter Rankin Lawyers, an independent Victorian criminal defence boutique he heads. He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor, appearing personally at contested hearings or instructing counsel as the matter requires. Chen Yang is Principal Solicitor of Paul Vale and Associates, where his practice focuses on serious indictable criminal defence in Victoria. He practises in both English and Mandarin and acts as both solicitor advocate and instructor. Emma Turnbull is Director and Founding Partner of Emma Turnbull and Associates, a Melbourne criminal defence boutique. She practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor across privately retained and legally aided indictable matters, with direct senior involvement throughout each brief. Selection of counsel where intervention order and criminal proceedings run simultaneously depends on the specific facts of each track, the stage each matter has reached, and the interaction between them. Early engagement of senior representation with experience across both proceedings materially affects what options remain available. The practitioners profiled above are a verified starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal and intervention order defence.Top IVO Lawyers Melbourne for Respondents Who Are Also Facing Criminal Charges for the Same Conduct
1. Amelia Ramsay, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers
2. Tony Hargreaves, Tony Hargreaves and Associates
3. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers
4. Chen Yang, Paul Vale and Associates
5. Emma Turnbull, Emma Turnbull and Associates