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Criminal Lawyers

Criminal Lawyers: directory of firms

Criminal law in Canada is federal, and it is applied in courts run by the provinces. Justice Canada describes provincial and territorial courts as the courts that try most criminal offences, with superior courts handling the most serious matters and courts of appeal hearing appeals from them. A criminal lawyer is the person who stands between an accused and that machinery, from the first phone call after an arrest through to a resolution, a trial or an appeal.

Browse criminal lawyers by city, and see what to check before you hire.

Find criminal lawyers by city

This kind of work is often limited to licensed or registered professionals. Ask for their licence or registration number before you share any details.

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On this page

The rights that shape a defence are constitutional. Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and not to be deprived of it except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice; everyone arrested or detained has the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right; and anyone charged has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal. Those are not slogans, they are the framework a defence is built on.

Most criminal files never reach a jury. They are resolved through disclosure review, negotiation with the Crown, resolution discussions, diversion where it is available, or a guilty plea to a lesser charge. Which route fits depends on the evidence, the record and the consequences, and that assessment is the first thing a criminal lawyer does.

Charges criminal defence lawyers handle

  • Impaired driving: section 320.14 of the Criminal Code covers operating a conveyance while the ability to do so is impaired to any degree by alcohol or a drug, having a blood alcohol concentration of 80 milligrams or more per 100 millilitres of blood within two hours of driving, exceeding prescribed drug concentrations, or exceeding combined alcohol and drug limits, with heavier provisions where impaired operation causes bodily harm or death.
  • Assault and violence offences, including domestic matters, which often bring release conditions that affect where an accused may live.
  • Theft, fraud, and property offences, where the amount involved and the record shape the approach.
  • Drug offences, from simple possession through to trafficking allegations.
  • Weapons and firearms charges, which carry their own prohibition consequences.
  • Breaches of conditions, bail terms or probation orders, which are charges in their own right.
  • Youth matters, which run under a separate statutory scheme with different consequences.
  • Appeals and applications to reopen, where a conviction or sentence is challenged after the fact.

What happens from arrest to resolution

  • Arrest or charge: the police investigate, lay a charge, and either release with conditions or hold the accused for a bail hearing.
  • Bail: the court decides whether the accused is released and on what terms, which often matters more in the short term than the charge itself.
  • Disclosure: the Crown provides the evidence it holds, and defence counsel reviews it before advising on anything.
  • Crown pre-trial and resolution discussions: counsel explore whether the charge can be withdrawn, diverted, reduced or resolved.
  • Judicial pre-trial: the judge, Crown and defence narrow the issues and estimate how long a trial would take.
  • Trial: the Crown must prove its case, and the defence tests the evidence, calls witnesses if it chooses to, and makes legal arguments.
  • Sentencing or acquittal: if there is a finding of guilt, the sentence is argued separately, with its own evidence and submissions.

If someone has just been arrested

The Charter right to retain and instruct counsel without delay, and to be told about it, exists precisely for the hours after an arrest. Use it. An accused does not have to explain, justify or talk their way out of the situation before speaking to a lawyer, and conversations held in a police vehicle or a cell are rarely helpful to the defence later.

If no lawyer has been retained yet, duty counsel are the immediate answer at court. Legal Aid Ontario describes duty counsel as lawyers who can quickly assess a client's legal problems and provide advice, information and representation on the day of a court appearance, separate from its certificate program, which funds a private lawyer over the longer term and depends on financial eligibility. Every province and territory has its own legal aid plan, so check the one that applies where the charge was laid.

When to call a criminal lawyer immediately

  • The police have asked for a statement, an interview, or access to a phone or a vehicle.
  • Someone has been arrested, released on conditions, or given a date to appear in court.
  • A charge involves driving, since licence consequences can move on a different track from the criminal case.
  • Release conditions affect where someone can live, who they can contact or whether they can work.
  • The accused is not a citizen, because a criminal outcome can carry immigration consequences that need to be weighed before any plea.
  • There is an existing record, or the matter involves an alleged breach of conditions already in place.

How criminal defence is billed

Criminal defence is commonly quoted as a block fee for a defined stage, such as bail, disclosure review and resolution discussions, or a trial of an estimated length, with a retainer paid up front and held in trust. Some counsel bill hourly instead, particularly for complex or lengthy matters. Either way, get the stages, what each one covers and what would trigger a further fee in writing at the start.

Disbursements are separate: transcripts, expert reports, private investigators, translation and travel. If paying privately is not possible, ask about legal aid eligibility in your province at the first opportunity rather than after a court date has been missed, since applications take time to process and duty counsel assistance is limited to the day of an appearance.

Consequences that outlast the case

A criminal case ends, but a record does not end with it. The Parole Board of Canada is the only federal agency responsible for ordering, refusing to order and revoking record suspensions, which keep a criminal record separate and apart from other criminal records for a person who has completed their sentence and shown they are law-abiding for a prescribed number of years. Eligibility depends on the offence and the sentence, so the outcome negotiated today shapes what is possible years from now.

That is why the advice on a plea is worth more than the advice on a trial. Before accepting any resolution, ask your lawyer what it means for a record, for driving, for immigration status, for professional licensing and for travel, and ask for that answer before you say yes rather than after.

Criminal Lawyers: frequently asked questions

Do I have to answer police questions?

This guide cannot advise you on your own situation, but the constitutional starting point is clear: the Charter gives everyone arrested or detained the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right, and anyone charged is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal. Speaking to a lawyer before making any statement is the ordinary way to exercise those rights.

What exactly does an impaired driving charge cover?

Section 320.14 of the Criminal Code covers operating a conveyance while the ability to do so is impaired to any degree by alcohol or a drug, having a blood alcohol concentration at or over 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood within two hours of driving, being at or over a prescribed blood drug concentration within that period, and exceeding prescribed combined alcohol and drug limits. It also contains heavier provisions where impaired operation causes bodily harm or death.

What if I cannot afford a criminal lawyer?

Ask about legal aid in your province as early as possible. Legal Aid Ontario, for example, runs a certificate program that covers a private lawyer who takes legal aid work for a set number of hours, and duty counsel who can assess a problem and provide advice, information and representation on the day of a court appearance. Services depend on financial eligibility and on the type of matter, and every province and territory runs its own plan.

Can a criminal record be removed later?

A record is not erased, but it can be set aside. The Parole Board of Canada is the only federal agency responsible for ordering, refusing to order and revoking record suspensions, which keep a criminal record separate and apart from other criminal records for someone who has completed their sentence and been law-abiding for a prescribed number of years. Because eligibility turns on the offence and the sentence, discuss it before agreeing to any resolution.

How does LokalMatch work for criminal defence?

It works as a directory and only as a directory. LokalMatch lists criminal defence lawyers so you can contact them yourself, and we don't sell requests for this service, so no firm pays to have your case sent to it. We do not evaluate charges, rank counsel or recommend anyone. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice, and if a charge has been laid the useful next step is speaking with a licensed criminal lawyer or duty counsel, not reading further.

Sources

  1. Criminal Code, section 320.14: operation while impaired
  2. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  3. Legal Aid Ontario: certificates and duty counsel
  4. Parole Board of Canada: what is a record suspension
  5. Justice Canada: Canada's judicial structure

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed September 14, 2026. How we write and check our guides

Find criminal lawyers by city

Alberta

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British Columbia

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Manitoba

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New Brunswick

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Newfoundland and Labrador

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Northwest Territories

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Nova Scotia

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Nunavut

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Ontario

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Prince Edward Island

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Quebec

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Saskatchewan

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Yukon

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What affects the fees criminal lawyers charge

Fees depend on the work involved and how the professional bills. We only publish fee ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the fee:

  • Scope and complexity of the work
  • How the professional bills: hourly, flat fee or retainer
  • Experience and seniority of the person doing the work
  • Deadlines and how urgent the work is
  • Third-party costs such as filing, registration or government fees

How to compare criminal lawyers before you hire

  • Check that they are licensed or registered for this work where you live, on the regulator’s public register.
  • Look for experience with matters like yours, and ask who will actually handle your file.
  • Ask how they charge before any work starts, and get the terms in writing.
  • Compare two or three professionals before you decide.
  • Be wary of anyone who guarantees a particular outcome.

Questions to ask criminal lawyers before you hire

  • Are you licensed or registered for this work, and with which body?
  • Have you handled matters like mine before?
  • Who will do the work, and who will I deal with day to day?
  • How do you charge: hourly, a flat fee or a retainer?
  • What is included in your fee, and what costs extra?
  • Will you confirm the scope and fees in a written engagement letter?
  • Do you carry professional liability insurance?

Licences and registration

This kind of work is often limited to licensed or registered professionals, and the rules depend on where you are. Ask which body they’re registered with, and check their status on that body’s public register before you hire.

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