Waterloo Criminal Lawyers

At Collett Read LLP our lawyers hold the position as the premier criminal defence in Waterloo.

Waterloo’s Premier criminal defence law firm is Collett Read LLP. With a team of highly experienced and high achieving lawyers and a track record of successful defences, the team is known for being strong in the courtroom and meticulous with the details of criminal defence cases. When you retain Collett Read LLP as your legal defence team, you set yourself up for a favourable case outcome.

Having a team that is always focused on you, and aware of everything that you are facing, is a major advantage and an important piece of your overall defence. Our lawyers are always monitoring for any indications that your rights have been, or are being violated by the system, making for incredibly strong defence on all fronts.

We truly understand that being arrested is a difficult and overwhelming experience for everyone involved, including loved ones. You need a dedicated legal team that will be there every step of the way to help you through the entire process.

Our lawyers are among the most skilled in Ontario, holding an extremely high standard for the quality of legal defence provided to clients, while having passion and going the extra mile. Compassion is an important component in how we operate as we know this can be a very difficult time in your life, and we try to remove as much of that stress as we can.

Your team of lawyers get to know you, personally, to increase our chances of a positive outcome in your case. We learn everything we can about you and your specific situation in order to leverage these facts to your absolute advantage.

When retaining Collett Read LLP you retain an army of highly educated lawyers and support staff who truly care about our clients, refrain from judgement about your charges, and fight for your rights while helping to mitigate any mistakes you’ve made. Ultimately you will be surrounded by a team that will help you and your loved ones move on from this experience. 

Your charges do not define you as a person.

Helping you to see yourself in the near future, from where you stand now, is essential for us. In order to help, we’ve arranged a number of community resources to support and aid you and your loved ones in your journey forward. Our office is a fortress for you, allowing you to escape from all the stress you are currently facing.

There’s a reason why all our lawyers come from highly regarded law schools and institutions. First, these top law schools are difficult to get into; only the best and brightest students can make it into the schools, while fewer actually succeed and graduate. Our lawyers go through this difficult schooling, which is fundamental in molding them into resilient and incredibly smart and crafty lawyers. When you retain our firm, the talent of the entire team is behind you every step of the way, including our most senior lawyers.

With former prosecutors turned defence lawyers, your legal team is rounded out with lawyers that are able to defend against any strategies used by those looking to convict our clients. Truly experts in their respective areas of criminal law, all our lawyers are known to be a powerful force in the courtroom, while being well respected across Ontario with our judicial peers. 

We will defend your rights to the very end, and you can be confident in our abilities to get your life back to normal.

 With so many post-secondary schools in the area, the city of Waterloo has increased the usage of RIDE programs, as well as overall traffic stops for suspected DUI’s. Our lawyers are likely among the most experienced when it comes to defending against impaired driving charges in the Waterloo region, with an ex-prosecutor of DUI cases as a Partner of the firm.

A DUI Conviction will dramatically change a persons lifestyle compared to normal. Common penalties include large fines, massive car insurance rate increases or outright refusals of coverage, and even long driver license suspensions that could be indefinite. In special cases where anyone was injured as a result of the DUI, penalties are much greater and can include jail time. 

An often overlooked aspect by DUI offenders is the social judgement they face from their friends, family, and professional network. Not only can a DUI offence cause embarrassment, it could also lead to issues surrounding your profession. Our team at Collett Read LLP always provides a judgement free space while defending the rights of all our clients, working towards positive outcomes.

A major advantage of retaining Collett Read LLP for any impaired driving charges is that one of our Partners, Jessica Read, is an ex-prosecutor of DUI charges turned defender. Her training and skill in this area of criminal law is virtually unmatched across Ontario, giving you a major advantage with your case. With her experience as a prosecutor going against accused with some of the top legal teams in the province, She’s been exposed to the strongest legal arguments as well as ones that simply don’t work. This allows her to work beyond the level of a regular criminal lawyer, and defend you on any high level through complex intricacies that will put the law in your favour.

Our case successes are second to none when it comes to DUI’s. You can be confident that if you retain Collett Read LLP, you will get the best possible outcome to your case.

Drug trafficking and drug possession charges can quickly derail you or your loved ones future. Conviction of drug charges can bring heavy consequences that are life altering, therefore it is critical to have a solid defence. Rest assured when you retain Collett Read LLP in Waterloo, you retain an entire team of extremely skilled defence lawyers committed to you and your future. 

Attaining positive outcomes for our clients, in situations most consider to be hopeless, is what we do. It takes a team of highly educated and incredibly smart lawyers to find the every angle, every mistake, and every Right trampled on. One example is when our team successfully defended a client charged with possessing fentanyl with the intention of trafficking back in 2019. As the result of a combined effort across our team, all charges were stayed due to video evidence that was found to be in breach of our clients’ privacy rights. They simply walked away from it all.

This example is just one of many similar cases when it comes to serious drug charges. Our team was successful in defending against the importation of 330 grams of cocaine, where our client was arrested at Toronto’s Pearson Airport. Again, given our experience and unmatched attention to detail, we were able to find fatal errors in how the police handled the situation, and had all charges stayed; our client never had any jail time and they walked away without a criminal record.

We never let our clients’ rights to be breached!

Our clients’ mental health is critical and important to us during what is usually a stressful time dealing with charges. Our firm takes the steps necessary to help bolster your mental strength and resolve, while building your confidence about your case. To do this, our team keeps open lines of communication as well as ensuring you are well-prepared to face your day in court. We will always look for the best possible outcome for you, while also giving you the resources to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

Simply being accused of Sexual Assault can ruin your reputation for the rest of your life, not to mention formal charges or conviction. You need the strongest legal defence team you can get to fight against these accusations and clear your name.

The entire Collett Read LLP team is committed to helping you, remaining non-judgmental, and always being compassionate to your specific circumstances.

This is a frightening time, and it’s our goal to bring your life back to a comfortable normal. We cannot stress enough having a strong legal team by your side for these complex cases, as they can be difficult to win and are mentally taxing for all involved. Our lawyers have internal supports and teams that other law firms simply don’t have, ensuring your team of lawyers are always well rested and mentally sharp; we find the details others miss.

We take the presumption of innocence very seriously, especially in Sexual Assault cases. Sadly, often times other criminal lawyers will refuse to take on these types of cases due to their nature. We reserve all judgement to help you and your family through your case and this difficult situation.

When you choose to retain Collett Read LLP, you are assigned both a male and female lawyer, allowing for you to gain the benefit of gender perspective, which is often an essential element needed to achieve favourable outcomes in these cases. You also need incredibly talented lawyers as the rules surrounding sexual assault are extremely strict, limiting evidence used. Legal teams that don’t fully understand the complexities of Sexual Assault cases may miss critical pieces that will likely end up with a finding of their client convicted. 

Accusations alone can ruin your reputation. We are there to defend you from your charges, but also to help bring you perspective on where you stand and give advice on how to handle the predicament you’re in. Helping you and your family stay mentally strong is half the battle; the other have is protecting your rights.

 At Collett Read LLP, we treat all our clients as people first, regardless of their charges or accusations. This is a tough time for you and your loved ones, but our team of lawyers will help you get through it all, and get your life back on track.

The Youth Criminal Justice Act is an area of the law which gives accused Youth special rights and allowances. Having a lawyer that understands the depth of these special rights, and the many ways to apply these rights, is critical to getting a favourable outcome for your child or loved one. 

Our team of highly knowledgeable defence lawyers not only understand the Youth Criminal Justice Act inside and out, but are truly passionate in helping youth caught up in criminal charges. We want to help youth see their future possibilities, and follow the bright and exciting futures that we know they are capable of; sometimes we just need to mentor them to allow them to see it too. In doing this we can leverage it as part of the defence strategy that we set up, helping the judge see that our youth clients are growing and learning from past mistakes, allowing them to transition to become successful and meaningful members of the Waterloo community.

Call us 24/7 if you or a loved one has been arrested by the Waterloo Regional Police.

DO NOT MAKE ANY STATEMENTS OR TALK TO THE POLICE!

Police will try to pressure you to speak. Nothing you say can help you.

Call us to discuss your charges before speaking to any law enforcement.