Ontario directory

Criminal Defence Law Firms in Waterloo Region, Ontario

44 law firms.

What does a criminal defence lawyer in Waterloo Region do?

A criminal defence lawyer in Waterloo Region represents people charged with a criminal offence, from the first bail hearing through to trial or a negotiated resolution. The work includes reviewing the Crown's disclosure, explaining the charges and the realistic options, challenging how evidence was gathered, and speaking for you in court. Most charges laid in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge are heard at the Ontario Court of Justice, and the region's criminal matters run through the Waterloo Region courthouse in Kitchener at 85 Frederick Street. The most serious cases move up to the Superior Court of Justice, which sits in the same building.

Which court hears a criminal charge in Ontario?

The offence itself comes from federal law. Criminal law is set out in the Criminal Code, which applies the same way in Kitchener as it does anywhere else in Canada. Where your case is heard depends on how the charge is classified. Summary and many hybrid matters stay in the Ontario Court of Justice, while the most serious indictable charges, such as the most serious violence offences, proceed to the Superior Court of Justice. Some charges also let you choose which court will hear the case, and a lawyer can walk you through what each path means for your file. Both courts hold their local sittings at the courthouse on Frederick Street.

Can you get help paying for a criminal lawyer?

Yes. Legal Aid Ontario funds criminal defence for people who qualify financially, either through a certificate that retains a private lawyer or through duty counsel who assist at the courthouse. Duty counsel can give you free advice at your first appearance and often help at a bail hearing, which matters because those early steps move fast. If you're arrested, you have the right to speak with a lawyer, and getting advice before you say anything is usually the safest step. Whether or not you qualify for legal aid, most defence firms in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge will talk through the charge and the likely process in a first meeting.

How do you choose a criminal defence firm in Waterloo Region?

Start with a firm that regularly handles your kind of charge, whether that's an impaired driving case, a domestic assault allegation, a drug charge, or a bail hearing. Ask who will actually appear with you at the Frederick Street courthouse, how they approach disclosure and Crown pre-trials, and whether they're ready to run a trial rather than only seek a plea. It helps to understand the fee arrangement up front, including what a Legal Aid Ontario certificate would and wouldn't cover. A local firm that knows the Waterloo Region court and its routines can save you time and worry.

You can confirm any lawyer's standing on the Law Society of Ontario directory. Browse the criminal defence firms in Waterloo Region below.

Adam Rice Law

1 lawyer

Adam Rice Law is a solo criminal defence practice serving the Waterloo-Wellington area. Adam P. G. Rice is a barrister and solicitor who focuses on criminal law.

Criminal DefenceCriminal Defence

Ardent Law Professional Corporation is a full-service law firm with offices in Mississauga and Cambridge, Ontario. Its team of lawyers handles real estate, immigration, criminal, family, civil litigation, personal inj…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawImmigration LawImmigration LawCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily Law

Biesbroek Law

Est. 2019

Biesbroek Law is a sole-practitioner practice based in Kitchener, Ontario, focused on criminal, quasi-criminal, and administrative law. Quasi-criminal work covers regulatory, bylaw, and traffic offences, and the admin…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory LawLandlord & TenantLandlord & Tenant

Collett Read LLP

9 lawyers

Collett Read LLP is a criminal defence firm headquartered beside the John Sopinka courthouse in Hamilton, with offices in Burlington, Brampton, Mississauga, Waterloo, St. Catharines, and Oshawa. It practises exclusive…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily LawLegal aidLegal Aid

Cooper Lord Law

3 lawyers · Est. 2013

Cooper Lord Law is a criminal defence firm in Kitchener, Ontario, founded by Cooper Lord in 2013 and expanded in 2023. It works exclusively in criminal law, defending charges that range from drug, driving, weapons, an…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceLegal aidLegal Aid

Daley, Byers

3 lawyers

Daley, Byers is a criminal defence firm serving clients across Ontario. It was founded by Bruce Daley and Kenneth R. Byers, who were both called to the bar in 1981, and it takes defence work only. Beyond Criminal Code…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefencePersonal InjuryPersonal Injury

David Lang Barrister & Solicitor is a solo criminal and family law practice in Kitchener, Ontario, run by David J. Lang for over 30 years. It handles criminal and family matters in the Ontario Court of Justice and the…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceFamily LawFamily LawLegal aidLegal Aid

Dhaliwal & Dhaliwal LLP is a law firm based in Toronto, with additional offices in Cambridge and Mississauga available by appointment. It practises criminal defence, Canadian immigration law, and family and divorce la…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceImmigration LawImmigration LawFamily LawFamily Law

Drake Law

10 lawyers

Drake Law is a multi-office family law, real estate law, and wills and estates firm with its head office in London, Ontario and branch offices in Sarnia, Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, Oakville, Mississauga, a…

Family LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Drexler Law

1 lawyer · Est. 2018

Drexler Law is a criminal defence practice led by Jordan Drexler, serving accused persons across Southwestern Ontario. It handles impaired driving, drug offences, assault, sexual assault, regulatory offences, and youn…

Criminal DefenceCriminal Defence

Edwardh Ghadiyali Law

2 lawyers · Est. 2021

Edwardh Ghadiyali Law is a criminal defence firm practising exclusively in criminal law, with its office in Kitchener, Ontario. It serves the Waterloo region, the GTHA, Oshawa and Ontario's Central East region, handli…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceLegal aidLegal Aid

Eric Uhlmann is a criminal defence lawyer practising on his own in Kitchener since 2014. He handles criminal matters mainly in Kitchener and Guelph, and he also does part-time work as a Crown prosecutor in Toronto. He…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceLegal aidLegal Aid

Gehl & Gehl

3 lawyers

Gehl & Gehl is a three-lawyer general-practice firm in Waterloo that's served the region for about 40 years. Its work spans real estate, wills and estates, corporate and civil matters, and criminal defence.

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & TrustsBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate Law

Godinho Zager Kraska LLP is a criminal defence firm with 20+ years of combined experience from former prosecutors. The firm serves clients across Ontario with expert representation in high-stakes and straightforward c…

Criminal DefenceCriminal Defence

Heighton Law is a criminal defence practice in Kitchener, Ontario. Its work covers criminal trials and appeals, including impaired and dangerous driving, drug offences, domestic violence, sexual offences, firearms cha…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceIndigenous LawIndigenous Law

HKS Law

2 lawyers · Est. 2020

HKS Law is a Kitchener, Ontario law firm founded in 2020 by Harpreet Kaur Singh. It serves Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and surrounding communities across real estate, family and divorce, immigration, wills and est…

Real Estate LawReal Estate LawFamily LawFamily LawImmigration LawImmigration LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Ichim Law

3 lawyers

Ichim Law is a multidisciplinary law firm in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. It practises family law, immigration law, criminal law, civil litigation, and personal injury. The firm is owned by lawyer Gloria Ichim.

Family LawFamily LawImmigration LawImmigration LawCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

JSS Law Professional Corporation is a law office in Cambridge, Ontario led by Jagrup Singh Sandhu. It offers services in immigration, civil litigation, family law, real estate, wills and estates, business law, crimina…

Immigration LawImmigration LawCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawReal Estate LawReal Estate Law

Kainth Law Group

2 lawyers

Kainth Law Group is a law firm in the Waterloo Region, based in Kitchener, Ontario. Its lawyers practise family law, criminal defence, real estate, wills and estates, and corporate matters. The firm is led by principa…

Family LawFamily LawCriminal DefenceCriminal DefenceReal Estate LawReal Estate LawWills, Estates & TrustsWills, Estates & Trusts

Kelly & Co.

2 lawyers

Kelly & Co., Barristers and Solicitors is a full-service law firm based in Waterloo Region, Southern Ontario. Its practice spans civil litigation, family law, business and commercial law, employment, personal injury, …

Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionCivil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionFamily LawFamily LawBusiness & Corporate LawBusiness & Corporate LawEmployment & Labour LawEmployment & Labour Law

Khela Law Professional Corporation is a criminal defence firm in Cambridge, Ontario, serving the Tri-Cities region and the rest of the province. It handles bail hearings, impaired driving, assault, weapons, drug and p…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceAdministrative & Regulatory LawAdministrative & Regulatory Law

Kraska Law

1 lawyer

Kraska Law is a boutique criminal defence practice serving clients across Ontario, operated by Robert S. Kraska, a former federal and provincial Crown prosecutor. It handles criminal defence, criminal appeals, and tra…

Criminal DefenceCriminal DefenceNotary & Commissioner ServicesNotary & Commissioner Services

Kruse Law Firm

6 lawyers · Est. 1993

Kruse Law Firm is a criminal defence practice founded in 1993 by Michael Kruse, a former Crown prosecutor. It defends Criminal Code and impaired-driving charges across Ontario, from sexual assault and domestic assault…

Criminal DefenceCriminal Defence

Lakin Afolabi Law

3 lawyers

Lakin Afolabi Law is a criminal defence firm based in London, Ontario, with a second location in Kitchener. It defends all criminal charges, with a particular focus on sexual assault and domestic assault, and also han…

Criminal DefenceCriminal Defence