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Emergency Criminal Defense Lawyers in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (2026)

Top 50 of 354 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 Rancho Santa Margarita: Braden & Tucci, 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 Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita at a glance
RankBusinessLFR ScoreGoogle ratingBased inHours
1Braden & Tucci704.8★ (198)Irvine, 9 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
2The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian705.0★ (268)Santa Ana, 16 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
3Ron Cordova Attorney At Law705.0★ (98)Irvine, 8 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
4Hart Levin - Orange County DUI Lawyers695.0★ (95)Irvine, 9 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
5Kia Law Firm695.0★ (602)Riverside, 27 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
6Law Offices of Stull & Stull695.0★ (81)Irvine, 8 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
7Johnson Criminal Law Group694.9★ (171)Irvine, 15 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
8Law Office of Diane C. Bass695.0★ (91)Irvine, 10 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
9Chambers & Ball695.0★ (156)Santa Ana, 17 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)
10Law Offices of Randy Collins694.9★ (152)Newport Beach, 15 mi awayOpen 24 hrs (Google)

Call an emergency criminal defense lawyer in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita, 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 354 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 Rancho Santa Margarita

    #1 Braden & Tucci

    Based in Irvine, 9 mi away

    70/100LFR Score

    Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 198 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.8★ from 198 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    82 Discovery, Irvine, CA 92618
    View profile for Braden & Tucci(949) 872-2700

  5. #5 Kia Law Firm

    Based in Riverside, 27 mi away

    69/100LFR Score

    Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 602 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 602 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    4275 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501
    View profile for Kia Law Firm(951) 686-4818

  9. #9 Chambers & Ball

    Based in Santa Ana, 17 mi away

    69/100LFR Score

    Ranked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 156 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 156 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    404 W 4th St L, Santa Ana, CA 92701
    View profile for Chambers & Ball(714) 760-4088

  15. #15 Shouse Law Group

    Based in Orange, 20 mi away

    68/100LFR Score

    Ranked #15 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 168 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 168 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    333 City Blvd W Ste 1750, Orange, CA 92868
    View profile for Shouse Law Group(714) 288-9455

  17. #17 Law Office of Hieu Vu

    Based in Tustin, 14 mi away

    68/100LFR Score

    Ranked #17 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 75 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 75 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    18002 Irvine Blvd Ste 108, Tustin, CA 92780
    View profile for Law Office of Hieu Vu(714) 589-3063

  21. #21 Greenberg & Greenberg

    Based in Riverside, 27 mi away

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 290 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 290 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    3750 University Ave Ste 550, Riverside, CA 92501
    View profile for Greenberg & Greenberg(951) 574-2281

  22. #22 JPLaw, P.C.

    Based in Costa Mesa, 18 mi away

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 100 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 100 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    131 E 18th St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
    View profile for JPLaw, P.C.(949) 991-7057

  23. #23 Poseidon Defense A.P.C.

    Based in Fullerton, 25 mi away

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #23 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 201 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 5.0★ from 201 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    1440 N Harbor Blvd #260, Fullerton, CA 92835
    View profile for Poseidon Defense A.P.C.(657) 255-6455

  25. #25 1-800-NoCuffs

    Based in Riverside, 19 mi away

    67/100LFR Score

    Ranked #25 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.9★ from 111 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Criminal justice attorney”.

    • 4.9★ from 111 Google reviews
    • Open 24/7
    Hours
    Open 24 hours, 7 days
    Address
    11801 Pierce St Suite 200, Riverside, CA 92505
    View profile for 1-800-NoCuffs(951) 999-4497

Top 50 of 354 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 Rancho Santa Margarita, ranks 26 to 50
RankBusinessLFR ScoreGoogle ratingDistance
26Attorney Scott Henry: Criminal & DUI Defense675.0★ (63)15 mi
27Liberty Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyers674.9★ (35)8 mi
28Simmons Wagner, LLP675.0★ (33)8 mi
29Law Office of Scott C. Thomas, PC674.9★ (70)16 mi
30The Law Offices of John L. Michels675.0★ (145)24 mi
31Seyb Law Group674.9★ (61)15 mi
32Chudnovsky Law - Criminal & DUI Lawyers674.9★ (60)16 mi
33Corrigan Welbourn Stokke, APLC675.0★ (50)15 mi
34Kenney Legal Federal Criminal Defense Lawyers674.9★ (65)17 mi
35Law Offices of John D. Rogers675.0★ (50)15 mi
36Duran Law San Juan Capistrano Criminal Defense & DUI Law Firm665.0★ (27)10 mi
37Law Office of Neeraj D. Singh, APC665.0★ (71)20 mi
38John Christl Law665.0★ (43)15 mi
39The Logrue Law Firm665.0★ (46)16 mi
40Frances Prizzia Criminal Defense Lawyers664.5★ (66)15 mi
41HJP Legal665.0★ (19)8 mi
42DeLimon Law665.0★ (121)28 mi
43Law Offices of David Chesley665.0★ (47)19 mi
44The Law Offices of Grant Bettencourt665.0★ (39)18 mi
45Wallin & Klarich - Criminal Defense Attorneys - Riverside Office664.9★ (86)24 mi
461-800-NoCuffs664.4★ (48)15 mi
47CCLG: Orange County Criminal Attorney664.8★ (35)15 mi
48Law Office of Wais Azami | OC Criminal & DUI Defense Lawyer655.0★ (88)27 mi
49The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian655.0★ (64)23 mi
50Law Offices of David Chesley655.0★ (13)9 mi

How we ranked emergency criminal defense lawyers in Rancho Santa Margarita

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 Rancho Santa Margarita: questions

Which criminal defense lawyers in Rancho Santa Margarita are open 24/7?

25 on this list post 24/7 hours, including Braden & Tucci, The Law Offices of Bryan R. Kazarian, Ron Cordova Attorney At Law, Hart Levin - Orange County DUI Lawyers and Kia Law Firm.

Who is ranked #1 for emergency criminal defense in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA?

Braden & Tucci is #1, with an LFR Score of 70 out of 100 on emergency weights.

How are emergency criminal defense lawyers in Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita

  1. November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 354 criminal defense lawyers serving Rancho Santa Margarita.

More emergency and criminal defense pages

Other emergency practice areas in Rancho Santa Margarita