An ex-families minister convicted of rape will make his case for leniency as a judge prepares to seal his fate.

Gareth Ward's case will return to the NSW District Court for a sentencing hearing after the former Kiama MP sexually assaulted an intoxicated political staffer in 2015 and sexually abused a drunken 18-year-old in 2013.

The 44-year-old has been behind bars since July, days after a jury convicted the then-sitting MP following trial.

He narrowly dodged expulsion from the state parliament by announcing his resignation from jail an hour before a vote.

His lawyers will on Friday lay out Ward's personal circumstances and other mitigating factors as Judge Kara Shead considers his sentence.

The most serious charge against Ward carries a maximum 14-year jail term.

The former families

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