Charged with a Crime in Fort Lauderdale?
Broward County criminal practice is unusually trial-heavy: the State Attorney's Office files aggressively, the public defender carries one of the largest dockets in Florida, and the private defense bar includes some of the most experienced jury trial lawyers in the state. The right Fort Lauderdale firm will know the Broward judges, the local prosecutors, and the difference between a case that should be tried and one that should be plea-bargained quickly to limit damage.
We've shortlisted 10 Fort Lauderdale criminal defense firms with documented Broward County jury trial wins, Best Lawyers and Florida Super Lawyers recognition, and the experience to handle everything from first-time DUIs to first-degree felonies. Most charge a flat fee for misdemeanors and case-by-case fees for felonies. Initial consultations are free.
How we picked these 10: We reviewed published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Avvo, AAML, AILA), client review patterns, and bar association recognition. Firms that appeared consistently across independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: DUI/DWI manslaughter, vehicular fatality, criminal defense
The only attorney named in the DUI/DWI category by Best Lawyers for South Florida every year from 2018 to 2026. 40+ years of experience, including DUI manslaughter and vehicular fatality.
Practice focus: Criminal defense, jury trials, federal cases
Top Rated Lawyer by Legal Leaders – South Florida. 40 years of trial practice in Fort Lauderdale, with 300+ jury trials and 36 First-Degree Murder trials.
Practice focus: DUI defense, criminal defense, BUI
1,000+ five-star reviews and thousands of South Florida DUI wins. Volume-experienced practice with substantial Broward County trial coverage.
Practice focus: Criminal defense, DUI, white-collar
Adam Rossen is the owner of Rossen Law Firm — described as the largest criminal defense firm in Broward County. Substantial trial volume and aggressive motion practice.
Practice focus: DUI, criminal defense, federal cases
Long-established Fort Lauderdale criminal-defense firm with substantial Broward, Miami-Dade, and Volusia County volume. Jury-trial-ready on contested DUI.
Practice focus: Criminal defense, DUI, traffic, license matters
22+ years of criminal defense and DUI practice in Broward. Particular focus on driver-license-related defense — administrative DHSMV hearings alongside the criminal case.
Practice focus: DUI defense, criminal defense
Long-tenured Fort Lauderdale DUI boutique with substantial Broward trial experience. Strong on motion practice and pretrial diversion eligibility analysis.
Practice focus: Criminal defense, federal cases, white-collar
Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer (Florida Bar) — a credential held by fewer than 1% of Florida criminal lawyers. 40+ years of Broward and federal experience.
Practice focus: Criminal defense, federal cases, sex crimes
Former state and federal prosecutor; substantial Broward practice. Strong record on cases with federal-investigation overlap.
Practice focus: DUI, criminal defense, juvenile
Long-tenured Broward defense boutique with strong DUI and juvenile-defense practice. Substantial relationship history with Broward judges and prosecutors.
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with vetted criminal defense attorneys in Fort Lauderdale. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →Fill this out and we will match you with two or three vetted Fort Lauderdale firms within 24 hours. No fee. No obligation. Privacy policy.
A typical Broward County misdemeanor DUI case takes 3 to 6 months from arraignment to resolution. Step one is the first appearance and arraignment in Broward County Court. Step two is the DHSMV administrative license hearing (must be requested within 10 days). Step three is pretrial discovery, motion practice, and either plea negotiation, pretrial diversion (where eligible), or jury trial. Felony cases run longer: 6 to 18 months in Broward Circuit Court, often through depositions and pretrial hearings.
Fort Lauderdale DUI defense fees typically run $2,500 to $7,500 flat for first-time misdemeanor cases, with higher fees for contested matters that go to jury trial. Felony fees vary widely — $10,000 to $50,000+ depending on complexity. Federal cases regularly run $25,000 to $250,000+. Always get the fee structure in writing — and ask whether DHSMV hearing, motion practice, and trial are included or billed separately.
Florida DUI basics. Florida criminalizes driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher (0.04% for commercial drivers, 0.02% for under 21). First-offense DUI is a misdemeanor with mandatory minimums: 50 hours community service, $500–$1,000 fine, 6-month license suspension, and required ignition interlock for many cases. A second DUI within 5 years is a misdemeanor with longer mandatory minimums; a third within 10 years is a third-degree felony.
DHSMV — the 10-day rule. Refusing or failing the breath test triggers a separate Florida DHSMV administrative license suspension. You have 10 days from the date of arrest to request a formal review hearing — miss it and the suspension is automatic. Local DUI firms file within 24 hours.
Diversion programs in Broward. Broward County offers a Misdemeanor Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program for first-time eligible offenders and a Mental Health Court for qualifying cases. Successful completion can result in dismissal. Eligibility is decided early — your attorney needs to address it at the outset.
Broward Circuit Court — local-bar advantage. Broward judges and Assistant State Attorneys have particular tendencies on plea offers, motion outcomes, and sentencing. A firm with sustained Broward practice will know which AOs negotiate and which won't, and which judges grant suppression motions when the stop is questionable.
The legal directories you find on Google list thousands of Fort Lauderdale criminal defense firms. Most are competent. A few are problematic. The patterns to avoid:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery, dismissal, or approval, walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior attorney at intake, then never speak to them again. The case is handled by an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable firms give you the engagement letter in writing, time to read it, and the option to take it home. High-pressure intake is almost always a sign of a volume mill, not a craftsperson's practice.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar-association recognition. “We've helped thousands of clients” is marketing copy. Specific numbers, named cases, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. “Don't worry about cost” is a red flag. Every legitimate Fort Lauderdale lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what is covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them.
Most Fort Lauderdale firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign.
Refusing triggers a longer license suspension (1 year for first refusal; 18 months for second; second refusal is a separate misdemeanor) — but it also denies the prosecution a key piece of evidence. Whether to refuse is case-specific. Talk to a DUI lawyer immediately.
10 days from the date of arrest. Miss it and the suspension goes into effect automatically. This is the single most time-sensitive step in any Florida DUI case.
Often yes — through a DHSMV business-purposes-only application. Your attorney handles the paperwork and the hearing. Eligibility depends on whether you refused or blew over.
Florida DUI convictions cannot be sealed or expunged. This is one of the strongest reasons to fight a DUI case at the front end rather than plead quickly.
Sometimes — usually only when the BAC is borderline, the field-sobriety evidence is weak, or there's a credible motion to suppress. A 'wet reckless' plea is possible in Florida (reckless driving with alcohol involvement) but typically requires meaningful pretrial leverage.
Yes. The DHSMV 10-day deadline, the PTI eligibility analysis, and the long-term record consequences all benefit from counsel. The cost of doing it wrong far exceeds the fee.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many cases like mine have you handled in the last three years? The answer tells you everything. — The LawFirmSquare team