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Emergency Criminal Defense Lawyers in Chesapeake, VA (2026)

Top 50 of 163 criminal defense lawyers, in emergency orderUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank

25 of the 50 criminal defense lawyers on this list post 24/7 hours. 24/7 law firms come first, then same-day, each ranked by LFR Score with availability weighted higher.

If you or someone you know is arrested: you can stay silent and ask for a lawyer before answering questions. Calls from jail are usually recorded, so do not discuss the facts of the case on them.

The short answer

  1. 1

    #1 for emergency criminal defense in Chesapeake: Driving Defense Law, open 24/7.

Rankings can't be bought. Lawyers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank

Top emergency criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake 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.

Top emergency criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake at a glance
RankBusinessLFR ScoreGoogle ratingBased inHours
1Driving Defense Law724.9★ (304)Norfolk, 2 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
2Anthony Montagna, III, a Partner at Montagna Law725.0★ (225)Norfolk, 2 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
3The Law Office of Peter John Louie715.0★ (439)Virginia Beach, 12 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
4Welch & Wright, PLLC714.9★ (209)Norfolk, 4 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
5Dorsk Law Office, Plc704.8★ (169)Norfolk, 3 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
6Cole Roberts Attorney with the Decker Law firm Criminal/Traffic Defense705.0★ (107)Norfolk, 2 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
7The Law Office of Robert L. Wegman, PLC704.8★ (104)ChesapeakeOpen 24 hrs (Google)
8Hampton Roads Law Group, PLC694.7★ (49)ChesapeakeOpen 24 hrs (Google)
9McCormack & McCormack684.8★ (129)Virginia Beach, 12 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
10Randall, McClenney & Daniels, P.C.674.8★ (51)Virginia Beach, 8 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)

Call an emergency criminal defense lawyer in Chesapeake now

24-hour hours mean the firm lists itself as open around the clock on Google; that does not show its phone is answered. A lawyer may not be able to visit a jail or appear in court the same day: ask what they can do now and what it costs before you agree.

The 50 emergency criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake, ranked

24/7 first, then same-day service, then the rest. Each group is in LFR Score order on emergency weights. The full ranking of all 163 is on the criminal defense lawyers page.

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.

  1. Ranked #1 in Chesapeake

    Based in Norfolk, 2 mi away

    72/100LFR Score

    Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 304 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 304 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    300 E Main St Ste 300, Norfolk, VA 23510
  2. Based in Norfolk, 4 mi away

    71/100LFR Score

    Ranked #4 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 209 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 209 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    716 W 20th St, Norfolk, VA 23517
  3. Based in Norfolk, 3 mi away

    70/100LFR Score

    Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 169 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.8★ from 169 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    409 Duke St Suite 100, Norfolk, VA 23510
  4. Based in Virginia Beach, 12 mi away

    68/100LFR Score

    Ranked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 129 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.8★ from 129 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    641 Lynnhaven Pkwy Ste 201, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
  5. Based in Virginia Beach, 16 mi away

    63/100LFR Score

    Ranked #16 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 16 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.8★ from 16 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    1206 Laskin Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
  6. Based in Newport News, 23 mi away

    63/100LFR Score

    Ranked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 21 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 21 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    501 Village Ave, Yorktown, VA 23693
  7. Based in Virginia Beach, 15 mi away

    60/100LFR Score

    Ranked #19 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 321 Google reviews.

    • 4.9★ from 321 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    1244 Perimeter Pkwy Suite 443, Virginia Beach, VA 23454
  8. Based in Norfolk, 2 mi away

    59/100LFR Score

    Ranked #20 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 44 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 44 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    999 Waterside Dr #2525, Norfolk, VA 23510
  9. Based in Virginia Beach, 6 mi away

    58/100LFR Score

    Ranked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 49 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 49 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    313 Office Square Ln Ste 101, Virginia Beach, VA 23462
  10. Based in Virginia Beach, 8 mi away

    58/100LFR Score

    Ranked #23 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 55 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 55 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    4856 Haygood Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
  11. Based in Newport News, 22 mi away

    58/100LFR Score

    Ranked #24 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 249 Google reviews.

    • 4.9★ from 249 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    11747 Jefferson Ave Suite 3-E, Newport News, VA 23606
  12. Based in Hampton, 15 mi away

    57/100LFR Score

    Ranked #25 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 73 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.

    • 4.8★ from 73 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    34 Wine St, Hampton, VA 23669

Top 50 of 163 criminal defense lawyers by emergency score

#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #50, in LFR Score order; each links to its profile.

criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake, ranks 26 to 50
RankBusinessLFR ScoreGoogle ratingDistance
26Portner & Shure, P.A.564.8★ (34)11 mi
27Reynolds Law Offices Of Jennifer564.9★ (9)8 mi
28Virginia Beach Law Group563.7★ (43)8 mi
29Stephen P. Pfeiffer555.0★ (1,079)8 mi
30The Phoenix Trial Firm545.0★ (367)In Chesapeake
31Smith Law Group, PLC544.0★ (7)8 mi
32Mark Andrews Law, a Partner with Wolcott Rivers Gates, Attorneys at Law545.0★ (276)In Chesapeake
33Law Office of Michael S. Davis545.0★ (3)8 mi
34James E. Short, PLC534.9★ (201)In Chesapeake
35Curcione Law, PLC535.0★ (179)2 mi
36Peninsula Law Center525.0★ (8)21 mi
37Fidelity Law Firm, PLLC525.0★ (133)2 mi
38Legal Defense Center - Law Office of Matthew Barbero525.0★ (256)10 mi
39Shuttleworth Ruloff Swain Haddad & Morecock513.7★ (3)17 mi
40Dunnigan Law514.6★ (105)In Chesapeake
41The Phoenix Trial Firm515.0★ (306)15 mi
42The Griffin Law Firm, PLLC515.0★ (74)2 mi
43Invictus Law514.8★ (385)15 mi
44JRLaw505.0★ (100)8 mi
45Brian M. Latuga, Esq.505.0★ (92)8 mi
46The Law Offices of Daniel J. Miller - Criminal Defense & Family Law504.6★ (255)12 mi
47Robert Herron Law, P.C.504.9★ (103)8 mi
48The Collins Law Firm, P.C.504.6★ (148)7 mi
49Westendorf & Khalaf, PLLC494.9★ (84)8 mi
50Pettrey Law, PLC495.0★ (22)In Chesapeake

How we ranked emergency criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake

Emergency lists move 10 points of the LFR Score from reputation to availability: 15% and 15%. Availability credits 24/7 hours, same-day service, weekend hours and weekly open hours. 24/7 criminal defense lawyers are listed first, then same-day, then the rest; ranks follow that order. Paid placement never changes a rank.

Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Attorney advertising businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.

Read the full method: formula, sources and exclusions

LFR Score factors and weights
FactorWeightComputed from
Reputation15%Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it
Bar status10%An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded)
Review volume10%Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list
Recency10%Share of reviews from the last 12 months
Availability15%Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7
Practice focus15%How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name)
Proximity5%An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is
Claimed profile10%The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same)
Law Firms Ranked reviews10%Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are

Emergency criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake: questions

Which criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake are open 24/7?

25 on this list post 24/7 hours, including Driving Defense Law, Anthony Montagna, III, a Partner at Montagna Law, The Law Office of Peter John Louie, Welch & Wright, PLLC and Dorsk Law Office, Plc.

Who is ranked #1 for emergency criminal defense in Chesapeake, VA?

Driving Defense Law is #1, with an LFR Score of 72 out of 100 on emergency weights.

How are emergency criminal defense lawyers in Chesapeake ranked?

Emergency lists move 10 points of the LFR Score from reputation to availability: 15% and 15%. Availability credits 24/7 hours, same-day service, weekend hours and weekly open hours. 24/7 criminal defense lawyers are listed first, then same-day, then the rest; ranks follow that order. Paid placement never changes a rank.

What should I do before the criminal defense lawyer arrives?

If you or someone you know is arrested: you can stay silent and ask for a lawyer before answering questions. Calls from jail are usually recorded, so do not discuss the facts of the case on them.

How many emergency criminal defense lawyers here list a phone number?

25 of the 25 law firms ranked in full list a phone number. Tap Call to dial it.

Update log for Chesapeake

  1. November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 163 criminal defense lawyers serving Chesapeake.