When the Court is deciding what to do with your case they will want to know about:
You:

• Your age.
• Your financial situation. 
• Your home environment - are you in a relationship, single, living with parents, boarding, homeless?
• Do you have dependents or care for anyone?
• Do you work, what do you do?  
• If you are at risk of losing your licence - why is your licence important to you?  Will you lose your job? Do you need it for driving family and kids?
• Your income, your expenses, your ability to pay a fine if one is ordered.
• If you receive a conviction does that impact your work, ability to travel? Will you lose your job?
• Do you have people (family, friends) who support you. Are they happy to speak about you or provide a reference. If so they should also be available to appear in the case or email the Court a letter.
   

Why did the offending occur?

• Explain why it happened. Make sure you don’t give excuses or minimise what’s occurred.
• If driving offence - was it poor driving skills? Do you need help with education courses?
• Is there something else that is contributing to your offending for example, problems with drugs or alcohol, financial strain, family violence, anger issues? Please provide details.
• If there is something contributing to your offending, are you doing something about it?  For example, counselling, programs. You can email support letters to the Court.
   

What have you learned from the offending, being charged and having to come to Court?
Do you see any support services, programs or counsellors?

• If yes, who do you see? You can email support letters to the Court.
• Do you have any mental health issues? Please give details about your diagnosis and how this impacts your life.
• Do you have any physical disability? Please give details about your diagnosis and how this impacts your day to day life.
• Do you have any other disability? For example intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, autism, learning disability? Please give details about your disability and how this impacts your day to day life.

What have you done since the offence happened?

• Have you paid for any damage caused – if so do you have a receipt for payment? Email it to the Court.
• Did you help police, did you admit the offences when they interviewed you?
• Did you apologise to the victim?

Is paying a fine difficult for you?

Are you willing to or capable of doing community work as an alternative to a fine? What impact will this have on your family or others who rely on you?