71/100LFR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 353 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Criminal Defense Lawyers in Westminster, MD: 2026 rankings
168 criminal defense lawyers ranked by LFR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
The short answer
- 1
Highest LFR Score in Westminster: Albers & Associates, LFR Score 71/100; 4.8★ from 353 Google reviews; open 24/7.
- 2
Open 24 hours (per Google): Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #2 of 168.
- 23
Most-reviewed: Killian Law Group, LLC, 1,743 Google reviews at 4.9★, the most of 168 ranked; ranked #23.
Rankings can't be bought. Lawyers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
168 Westminster criminal defense lawyers are ranked here by LFR Score, from nine published factors. 55 are open 24/7, 73 open Saturdays and 67 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.8★ across 168 rated law firms.
Top 10 criminal defense lawyers in Westminster at a glance
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
| Rank | Business | LFR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Notable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albers & Associates | 71 | 4.8★ (353) | Westminster | Open 24 hrs (Google) | Top score |
| 2 | Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney | 69 | 4.9★ (72) | Westminster | Open 24 hrs (Google) | Open 24 hours |
| 3 | Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney | 67 | 5.0★ (251) | Lutherville-Timonium, 22 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 4 | The Law Office of Hillel Traub, P.A. | 66 | 4.9★ (430) | Baltimore, 19 mi away | Sat · Sun · Evenings | — |
| 5 | Maronick Law LLC | 66 | 4.5★ (25) | Westminster | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 6 | Maryland Criminal Defense Law Group | 66 | 5.0★ (280) | Columbia, 27 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 7 | Shepard Law | 65 | 4.9★ (127) | Towson, 24 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 8 | The Cohen Law Firm, A Professional Corporation | 65 | 4.9★ (66) | Baltimore, 20 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 9 | Grote Law LLC | 65 | 5.0★ (63) | Cockeysville, 22 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 10 | Law Offices of Allan Rombro P.A. | 65 | 4.8★ (124) | Baltimore, 23 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
All 168 criminal defense lawyers in Westminster, in rank order
Ordered by LFR Score, a 0–100 score from nine published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
Scores below: based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.
Based in Westminster
69/100LFR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 72 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Lutherville-Timonium, 22 mi away
67/100LFR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 251 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Baltimore, 19 mi away
66/100LFR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 430 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Westminster
66/100LFR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.5★ from 25 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Columbia, 27 mi away
66/100LFR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 280 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
#7 Shepard Law
Based in Towson, 24 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 127 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Baltimore, 20 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 66 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Cockeysville, 22 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 63 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Baltimore, 23 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 124 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Columbia, 29 mi away
65/100LFR ScoreRanked #11 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 192 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Frederick, 25 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #12 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 81 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Ellicott City, 24 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 119 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
#14 Maronick Law LLC
Based in Baltimore, 28 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #14 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 230 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
#15 FrizWoods LLC
Based in Columbia, 27 mi away
64/100LFR ScoreRanked #15 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 80 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Baltimore, 28 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #16 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 86 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Baltimore, 29 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #17 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 131 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Frederick, 26 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 764 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
#19 The Herbst Firm
Based in Baltimore, 29 mi away
63/100LFR ScoreRanked #19 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 91 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Baltimore, 27 mi away
62/100LFR ScoreRanked #20 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 37 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Frederick, 25 mi away
62/100LFR ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 30 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Frederick, 25 mi away
62/100LFR ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 25 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Owings Mills, 14 mi away
62/100LFR ScoreRanked #23 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 1,743 Google reviews, the most in Westminster.
Based in Columbia, 27 mi away
62/100LFR ScoreRanked #24 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 66 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Based in Towson, 24 mi away
62/100LFR ScoreRanked #25 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 293 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.
Criminal defense lawyers ranked #26 to #50
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in LFR Score order; each links to its profile. We publish the top 50 of 168 ranked criminal defense lawyers here; the rest are on their profiles.
Also serving Westminster
20 more criminal defense lawyers within 30 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a practice area we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Albers & Associates | 4.8★ (108) | 21 mi |
| Bauhof Legal LLC. | 4.4★ (37) | In Westminster |
| Blakeslee & Wallace, P.C. | 3.0★ (2) | In Westminster |
| Damian L. Halstad | 4.4★ (7) | In Westminster |
| Dulany Leahy Curtis & Brophy LLP | 4.3★ (6) | In Westminster |
| Killian Law Group, LLC | 5.0★ (30) | 21 mi |
| Law Office of Paul A. Capriolo & Cynthia Hatten Unglesbee, P.A. | 3.8★ (17) | In Westminster |
| Law Offices of Kevin M. Carr LLC | 4.9★ (109) | 24 mi |
| Luzuriaga Matthew G | 4.8★ (17) | In Westminster |
| Marlow Law, LLC | 5.0★ (11) | In Westminster |
| Matthew Farr Law | 4.9★ (55) | 18 mi |
| Michael A Freedman P.A | 4.6★ (68) | 16 mi |
| Portner & Shure, P.A. | 4.7★ (733) | 29 mi |
| Portner & Shure, P.A. | 4.9★ (54) | 29 mi |
| Portner & Shure, P.A. | 4.9★ (52) | 24 mi |
| Rice Law | 5.0★ (11) | In Westminster |
| Saylor Keith D | 3.7★ (3) | In Westminster |
| The Law Office of Phillip Corey Levin, P.A. | 4.8★ (48) | 27 mi |
| Ulsch & Wright, P.A. | 5.0★ (3) | In Westminster |
| Walsh & Fisher PA | 4.3★ (7) | In Westminster |
How we ranked Westminster criminal defense lawyers
We scored 168 Westminster criminal defense lawyers on nine factors, weighted as shown. A law firm is ranked when its practice area is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 9, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Attorney advertising businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Westminster data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Bar status | 10% | An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded) | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 10% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7 | Measured |
| Practice focus | 15% | How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Law Firms Ranked reviews | 10% | Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |
How to choose a criminal defense lawyer
- Check the lawyer’s status and any public discipline in the state bar or law society directory.
- Ask how many criminal defense matters the lawyer handles each year, and who at the firm will do the work.
- Get the fee arrangement in writing: hourly, flat or contingency, and which costs are charged on top.
- Ask how and how often the firm will update you, and how fast it answers calls and emails.
- Read recent reviews for how the firm communicated and billed, not only for outcomes.
- Ask whether the lawyer regularly appears in the court where your case is filed.
- Meet more than one firm; many offer a short first consultation, sometimes free.
Questions to ask a criminal defense lawyer
- How would you approach a matter like mine, and what are the realistic options?
- How do you charge, and what will the total likely cost?
- Who will be my main contact, and how quickly do you reply?
- What does the flat fee cover, and what costs extra if the case goes to trial?
- Who will appear with me at each hearing?
- Is there any conflict of interest that would stop you representing me?
Terms explained
- Contingency fee
- A fee that is a share of the money recovered, paid only if there is a recovery. Common in injury cases; not allowed for criminal defense or for securing a divorce.
- Retainer
- Money paid up front and held in a trust account, which the lawyer draws on as fees are earned.
- Flat fee
- One set price for a defined piece of work, such as a will or an uncontested matter.
- Limited-scope representation
- Paying a lawyer for part of a matter only, such as reviewing documents or coaching for one hearing (also called unbundled services).
- Statute of limitations
- The deadline to file a lawsuit or charge. It differs by state or province and by type of claim.
- Good standing
- A lawyer’s status as active and eligible to practise with a state bar or law society.
- Law society
- The body that licenses and disciplines lawyers in a Canadian province or territory.
- Board certification
- Recognition in a field of law by a state program or an organisation accredited for that purpose. Lawyers may only claim it when they hold it, naming the certifying body.
- Attorney–client privilege
- The rule that keeps confidential communications between a client and lawyer, made for legal advice, out of court.
- Conflict check
- The search a firm runs before taking a matter to make sure it does not represent someone on the other side.
- Pro bono
- Legal work done for free, usually for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
- Legal aid
- Publicly funded legal help for people with low incomes, through legal aid offices, public defenders or provincial legal aid plans.
Criminal defense lawyers in Westminster: frequently asked questions
Which criminal defense lawyer has the highest LFR Score in Westminster?
By LFR Score, the highest-ranked criminal defense lawyer in Westminster, MD is Albers & Associates with an LFR Score of 71/100. It has 4.8★ from 353 Google reviews. It is open 24/7. Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney (#2) and Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney (#3) follow. We ranked 168 criminal defense lawyers on nine factors, last updated November 9, 2026.
How many criminal defense lawyers are there in Westminster?
LawFirmsRanked ranks 168 criminal defense lawyers serving Westminster, MD. 5 of them are based in Westminster; the rest serve it from nearby towns. Another 20 within 30 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.
Which criminal defense lawyers in Westminster are open 24/7?
55 ranked criminal defense lawyers in Westminster post 24/7 hours. The highest-ranked are Albers & Associates (#1), Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney (#2) and Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney (#3). Hours come from each law firm's Google listing as of November 2026, so call to confirm.
Which criminal defense lawyers in Westminster work on weekends?
73 of 168 ranked criminal defense lawyers post Saturday hours and 67 post Sunday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are Albers & Associates (#1), Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney (#2) and Seth Okin Criminal Defense Attorney (#3). Posted hours are office hours; many firms meet clients by appointment outside them.
What Google rating do Westminster criminal defense lawyers have?
The median Google rating among 168 rated criminal defense lawyers in Westminster is 4.8★, with a median of 30 reviews. Killian Law Group, LLC has the most, 1,743 reviews, and ranks #23. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.
How does LawFirmsRanked rank criminal defense lawyers?
Each criminal defense lawyer gets a 0–100 LFR Score from nine published factors, led by reputation (25%), practice focus (15%), review volume (10%) and recency (10%). A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only law firms with a confirmed practice area and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.
Do criminal defense lawyers outside Westminster count in this ranking?
Yes, if they are within 30 mi of the Westminster city center, our service radius for criminal defense lawyers. Each listing shows where the law firm is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 5% of the LFR Score, so a nearby law firm gets a small edge.
Can criminal defense lawyers pay to rank higher on LawFirmsRanked?
No. The LFR Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured law firms may appear above the list, labelled Attorney advertising and showing their honest rank.
How do criminal defense lawyers in Westminster, MD charge?
Criminal defense lawyers usually charge a flat fee per stage (for example, through a plea or through trial) or an hourly rate. Contingency fees are not allowed in criminal cases under ABA Model Rule 1.5(d). Lawyers using Clio billed an average of $219 an hour in this area (Clio Legal Trends data, October 2026; all areas $362). Ask for the fee arrangement in writing before you agree.
What if I can’t afford a criminal defense lawyer?
If a charge can lead to jail, the court must appoint a lawyer for you if you cannot afford one (Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963; Argersinger v. Hamlin, 1972). Ask about a public defender at your first court appearance. This is general information, not legal advice.
How is this list of criminal defense lawyers in Westminster, MD ranked?
By LFR Score only, from public data on reviews, practice focus, office location and hours. Firms labelled “Attorney advertising” paid for that placement; payment never changes a rank, and a rank is not an endorsement.
Does a lawyer need an office in Westminster?
No, but the lawyer must be licensed in your state (or, for federal matters such as immigration, in some state). A local office makes meetings and court appearances easier, so proximity is one of our factors.
Update log for Westminster
- November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 168 criminal defense lawyers serving Westminster.
More criminal defense lawyers and Westminster pages
Criminal defense lawyers near Westminster
- Criminal defense lawyers in Reisterstown, MD209 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Eldersburg, MD305 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Owings Mills, MD228 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Randallstown, MD319 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Hunt Valley, MD208 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Milford Mill, MD331 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Cockeysville, MD207 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Pikesville, MD255 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Mays Chapel, MD205 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Lochearn, MD333 ranked
Other practice areas in Westminster
- Personal injury lawyers in Westminster564 ranked
- Workers’ compensation lawyers in Westminster5 ranked
- Social Security disability lawyers in Westminster53 ranked
- DUI and DWI lawyers in Westminster7 ranked
- Divorce and family lawyers in Westminster123 ranked
- Estate planning and probate lawyers in Westminster89 ranked
- Bankruptcy lawyers in Westminster134 ranked
- Immigration lawyers in Westminster150 ranked
- Employment lawyers in Westminster111 ranked
- Business lawyers in Westminster12 ranked
- Real estate lawyers in Westminster33 ranked
- Tax lawyers in Westminster73 ranked
- Intellectual property lawyers in Westminster54 ranked
- Insurance lawyers in Westminster97 ranked
- Mediators in Westminster46 ranked
- General practice lawyers in Westminster297 ranked
- All lawyers in Westminster