Having a criminal conviction can complicate your life in ways you might not anticipate until it happens. Therefore, it's a common concern for individuals facing a criminal charge to explore options for keeping their record clean.

When it comes to domestic violence cases in New Zealand, the court's approach can be somewhat more lenient than in other cases when considering a discharge without conviction. This is because the court takes into account the impact a conviction may have on your family moving forward, such as employment issues and how these might affect your partner and children.

In New Zealand law, there's a provision that allows individuals to maintain a clean record even after pleading guilty or being found guilty of a charge. This is known as a discharge without conviction.