Bendigo is central Victoria's legal hub, and almost everything runs through the Bendigo Law Courts on the corner of Hargreaves and Mundy Streets in the heart of the CBD. It's a single complex that houses the Magistrates' Court, the County Court, the Supreme Court and VCAT, with the Children's Court using the Mundy Street entrance. As one of the largest regional centres in the state, Bendigo draws matters from a wide goldfields catchment — Castlemaine, Heathcote, Maldon, Kyneton and the smaller towns that don't have their own courthouse all feed in here. With the Calder Freeway carrying constant traffic to and from Melbourne, busy weekend nightlife around the city, and a fast-growing population, these courts deal with everything from assault and drink driving to family breakdowns and traffic charges every week. Whatever you're facing, you don't have to work it out alone or wait days to speak to someone.
Criminal Law in Bendigo
In Bendigo, the great majority of criminal charges begin at the Magistrates' Court in the Bendigo Law Courts on Hargreaves Street, where you'll have your first appearance, deal with bail, and have less serious (summary) matters finalised. More serious indictable charges — aggravated assault, sexual offences, armed robbery, major drug trafficking and large-scale fraud — are committed up to the County Court of Victoria, which sits on circuit at Bendigo in scheduled blocks across the year and hears these matters before a judge and jury.
Criminal offences in Victoria are dealt with chiefly under the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic). The city's pubs and the late-night strip around the CBD generate a steady stream of assault, affray, public order and drug possession charges, particularly on weekends. A charge is not a conviction, and what you do in the first 48 hours often shapes how it ends.
In Victoria you have the right to silence — beyond giving your name and address you generally don't have to answer police questions, and it's usually wise to speak to a lawyer before you do. A lawyer can advise you before any police interview, apply for bail, and start building your defence or a plea in mitigation straight away.
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Family Law in Bendigo
Family law in Bendigo — parenting arrangements and dividing property — is dealt with under federal law by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth). The court sits on circuit at the Bendigo Law Courts, but it is a circuit venue only: you cannot file documents in Bendigo, and matters are managed by the Melbourne registry at 305 William Street. For most parenting disputes you're required to attempt family dispute resolution (mediation) and obtain a section 60I certificate before applying to the court, unless there's family violence or genuine urgency.
Separating is one of the hardest things a person goes through, and the size of Bendigo's catchment makes these matters common across central Victoria. Property can be divided without going to court if you can reach agreement, and parenting arrangements are always decided on what is in the best interests of the child.
Where there's family violence, a Family Violence Intervention Order is a separate, state process heard in the Magistrates' Court at the Bendigo Law Courts and can be dealt with urgently. A lawyer can explain your options and protect your position from the very start.
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Divorce in Bendigo
Divorce is a federal process under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), and it's separate from sorting out property or parenting — it simply ends the marriage. You can apply once you've been separated for at least 12 months, and in some cases you can be "separated under one roof".
Applications are filed online through the Commonwealth Courts Portal rather than over a counter — which matters in Bendigo, because the Federal Circuit and Family Court is a circuit venue here and divorce filing is handled through the portal or the Melbourne registry, not at the Hargreaves Street courthouse. You can apply on your own (a sole application) or together (a joint application). You'll generally need your marriage certificate, and where there are children under 18 the court must be satisfied that proper arrangements are in place for them.
Getting the application right the first time avoids weeks of delay. A lawyer can prepare and lodge it for you and make sure property and parenting are handled properly alongside it.
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Drink Driving in Bendigo
Drink driving in Bendigo is charged under the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) and heard in the Magistrates' Court at the Bendigo Law Courts. Victoria's general limit is a blood or breath alcohol concentration under 0.05, with a zero limit for learner and probationary drivers and certain professional licences. The higher your reading, the heavier the penalty — and Victoria applies mandatory minimum licence loss for drink driving offences, even for a first offence.
Road policing is heavy across the Bendigo region, particularly on the Calder Freeway corridor, the Midland Highway and around the city on weekends and public holidays, and drivers are regularly caught at booze buses and random breath tests. A drink driving conviction in Victoria carries a mandatory licence disqualification, and once you get your licence back you will generally have to drive on a zero blood-alcohol limit with an alcohol interlock fitted to your car for a set period.
How long you lose your licence, and the interlock conditions that follow, depend on your reading and your history. It's worth understanding exactly where you stand — and whether anything can be done — with a lawyer before your court date.
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Traffic Law in Bendigo
Traffic matters in Bendigo run from speeding and demerit-point trouble on the Calder Freeway and Midland Highway through to serious charges like driving while disqualified, suspended or unlicensed, and dangerous or careless driving. These offences fall under the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic). Most are dealt with in the Magistrates' Court at the Bendigo Law Courts; the most serious — such as dangerous driving causing death or serious injury — are indictable and heard in the County Court when it sits on circuit at Bendigo.
Losing your licence in a regional centre, where so much depends on the drive to work or down the freeway to Melbourne, can put your job and your family under real pressure. If you've lost demerit points you may be offered an extended demerit-point option, and if your licence is suspended there may be grounds to challenge it.
The right move depends on your history and what's at stake. A lawyer can tell you quickly whether a charge is worth fighting, and how to keep you on the road wherever the law allows.
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Bendigo Courts
Where your matter is heard depends on the offence and its seriousness. The courts that serve Bendigo are:
Bendigo Law Courts (Magistrates', County & Supreme Courts and VCAT)
188 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo, on the corner of Hargreaves and Mundy Streets in the CBD. A single complex housing the Magistrates' Court, the County Court, the Supreme Court and VCAT, where most Bendigo criminal, traffic, drink-driving and civil matters begin. The Hargreaves Street entrance serves these courts; the Children's Court uses the Mundy Street entrance.
County Court of Victoria (on circuit at Bendigo)
Serious indictable matters — heard before a judge and jury — are dealt with by the County Court of Victoria, which sits on circuit at the Bendigo Law Courts in scheduled blocks across the year rather than continuously. Cases are listed for these sitting periods.
Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (circuit venue at Bendigo)
Handles Bendigo family law and divorce — parenting, property and divorce applications under federal law. The court sits on circuit at the Bendigo Law Courts, but it is a circuit venue only: documents cannot be filed in Bendigo. Applications are filed online through the Commonwealth Courts Portal and managed by the Melbourne registry at 305 William Street.
What to Do Right Now
1
If police want to question you, give only your name and address — you have the right to silence in Victoria. Politely tell them you want to speak to a lawyer first.
2
Write everything down while it's fresh: what happened, dates and times, the names of any witnesses, and anything the police said or did.
3
Check your paperwork for your first court date at the Bendigo Law Courts on Hargreaves Street. Missing a court date can lead to a warrant or losing your licence by default.
4
Call Legal Hotline now — free, any time. Tell us what's happened and we'll connect you with a lawyer who can act on your Bendigo matter, usually within the hour.
Bendigo Legal Questions
Which court will my Bendigo matter be heard in?
Most matters start at the Magistrates' Court in the Bendigo Law Courts at 188 Hargreaves Street. Serious indictable charges move up to the County Court of Victoria, which sits on circuit at the same complex, and the most serious matters can reach the Supreme Court. Family law and divorce are dealt with under federal law by the Federal Circuit and Family Court, which sits on circuit at Bendigo but is managed through the Melbourne registry.
Can I get a lawyer the same day in Bendigo?
Yes. Call the free hotline and we can have a lawyer working on your matter — a lawyer who can act in Bendigo's courts — usually within the hour. We are a free, Australia-wide information line, not a local firm with a Bendigo office, but we connect you straight to someone who can take your matter on.
I've been charged with drink driving in Bendigo — will I lose my licence?
Almost certainly. Victoria applies a mandatory minimum licence disqualification for drink driving under the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic), even for a first offence, and an alcohol interlock condition usually follows. How long depends on your reading and your history. Speak to a lawyer before your court date at the Bendigo Law Courts.
Do I have to go to a courthouse in Bendigo to start a divorce?
No. Divorce is a federal process and applications are filed online through the Commonwealth Courts Portal once you've been separated for at least 12 months. The Federal Circuit and Family Court sits on circuit at Bendigo but doesn't accept filing there — it's managed by the Melbourne registry. A lawyer can prepare and lodge the application for you.
Is calling Legal Hotline really free?
Yes. The information line is free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can call any time to understand where you stand — no cost, no obligation.