Illinois Criminal Defense Attorneys

On September 18, 2023, Illinois did something no other state had done: it abolished cash bail outright.

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How we match your Illinois criminal defense case

When you submit a Illinois criminal defense matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A criminal defense matter needs someone who handles criminal defense work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Illinois law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Illinois who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a criminal defense claim in Illinois

Day 0
Arrest or charge.
Say nothing beyond identifying yourself and ask for a lawyer. Do not consent to searches. Everything after this is built on what you did not say.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Illinois criminal defense attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Days 1–14
First appearance and bail.
Your attorney addresses release conditions and gets the charging documents. In Illinois, this is where the tone of the case is set.
Weeks to months
Discovery and motions.
Police reports, video, lab work, witness statements. Motions to suppress or dismiss are filed where the evidence was obtained improperly.
Before trial
Negotiation or trial.
Most cases resolve by dismissal or plea; some go to trial. Your attorney advises on the risk of each with the actual evidence in hand.
Resolution
Outcome and record.
Fees are quoted before you commit — hourly or a retainer, spelled out in writing at the free consultation.

Felony Statute of Limitations: No limit
No limit for first-degree murder, second-degree murder, attempted murder, and many other serious felonies; 3 years for most other felonies (720 ILCS 5/3-5, § 3-6)
Misdemeanor Statute of Limitations: 18 months
18 months for most misdemeanors (720 ILCS 5/3-5(b))
Sentencing Structure: 85%
Class X/1/2/3/4 felony grading under 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5 (murder separate); Truth-in-Sentencing under 730 ILCS 5/3-6-3 requiring 85%-100% service for violent felonies; mandatory firearm add-ons under 730 ILCS 5/5-8-1(d); mandatory minimums for many drug and gun offenses
Expungement / Record Sealing: Sealing
Sealing and expungement under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2 — among the broadest in the country, reaching most felony classes after waiting periods; automatic cannabis expungement under 410 ILCS 705/; juvenile auto-expungement under 705 ILCS 405/5-915
Bail / Pretrial Release: Cash bail
Cash bail abolished statewide by the Pretrial Fairness Act (SAFE-T Act, eff. 9/18/2023) under 725 ILCS 5/110 — detention only on a State petition, for qualifying charges, on proof of dangerousness or flight risk
Typical attorney fee: Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee

Start with the math. Illinois grades felonies under 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5: Class X (6-30 years, probation prohibited), Class 1 (4-15), Class 2 (3-7), Class 3 (2-5), and Class 4 (1-3), with first-degree murder standing apart at 20-60 years, life, or natural life. The Truth-in-Sentencing Act (730 ILCS 5/3-6-3) then dictates how much of that number is real — 100% for first-degree murder, 85% for many violent felonies — so a "deal" that looks reasonable on paper can mean nearly every day served. Firearm enhancements under 730 ILCS 5/5-8-1(d) can bolt 15, 20, or 25-years-to-life onto a sentence. Then there is the front end: since the Pretrial Fairness Act (part of the SAFE-T Act, P.A. 101-652) took effect in September 2023, pretrial liberty turns entirely on a contested detention hearing — the State's Attorney must petition to detain you and carry the burden, and a prepared defense lawyer at that hearing is worth more than any bondsman ever was. Illinois also gives the defense unusual back-end tools: recreational cannabis has been legal since January 1, 2020 under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (410 ILCS 705/) with automatic expungement of many old marijuana records, sealing under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2 reaches most felony classes after waiting periods, and juvenile records auto-expunge under 705 ILCS 405/5-915. Knowing which tools fit your case — 410 probation, TASC, supervision, a specialty court — is the difference between a record and a clean exit.

Exhibit B

When to call a criminal defense attorney in Illinois

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

0of 5 apply

Tick anything that applies. Even one is reason enough to talk to a Illinois criminal defense attorney before you talk to an insurer.

Talk to an attorney anyway

Meanwhile, don’t

Treating the detention hearing casually — since cash bail ended, it is the one hearing that decides where you spend the next year
Answering questions from Chicago PD, ISP, or any Illinois officer without counsel, recorded interrogation or not
Consenting to a search of your car, home, or phone when the officer had no warrant and needed your "yes"
Pleading guilty before anyone checks 410 probation, TASC, court supervision, or specialty-court eligibility — those non-conviction outcomes usually vanish after a standard plea
Deleting texts or photos — obstructing justice (720 ILCS 5/31-4) and destroying evidence (§ 31A-4) charges turn a defensible case into two cases
Forgetting the long game: accepting a charge that can never be sealed under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2 when a one-class reduction would have preserved eligibility

Exhibit C

Criminal Defense cases we take in Illinois

Which one is closest to yours?

Gun and firearm charges

Possession without a FOID card (430 ILCS 65), carrying without a license under the Concealed Carry Act (430 ILCS 66/), UUW (720 ILCS 5/24-1) and Aggravated UUW (§ 24-1.6) as Class 4 or Class 2 felonies, and felon-in-possession (§ 24-1.1) at Class 3 or 2. Chicago cases frequently go federal under § 922(g).

Sound like yours? A Illinois attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.

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Exhibit D

How much do Illinois criminal defense attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

Illinois · Criminal Defense

Fee modelHourly / Flat Fee

Feequoted per petition or matter

Filing costsitemized upfront

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Criminal Defense matters in Illinois are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.

Illinois forbids contingency fees in criminal cases — Ill. R. Prof. Conduct 1.5(d), tracking ABA Model Rule 1.5(d) — so defense lawyers here charge flat fees for misdemeanors and most felonies and bill hourly for homicide, federal, and multi-count matters. Defendants who cannot afford counsel are entitled to appointed representation; the Cook County Public Defender's Office is one of the largest defender organizations in the country, with county public defenders serving the rest of the state.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Illinois criminal defense compensation can include

A Illinois criminal defense recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Charge Dismissal

Motions to quash arrest (725 ILCS 5/114-1) and suppress evidence (725 ILCS 5/114-12), limitations-based dismissal, and Illinois's aggressive speedy-trial statute (725 ILCS 5/103-5) — 120 days in custody, 160 days out — which genuinely kills cases when the State drags.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Illinois criminal defense questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Illinois attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

Usually, but not automatically. Under 725 ILCS 5/110 the default is release, and for most charges the only question is what conditions come with it. For qualifying offenses — forcible felonies, certain gun and DV charges, and similar categories — the State's Attorney can file a petition to detain you, and a judge holds a hearing where the State must prove by clear and convincing evidence that you pose a real threat or a flight risk no conditions can manage. Lose that hearing and you sit in jail for the whole case; there is no bond amount to post your way around it. That is why the detention hearing is the single most important early event in an Illinois case, and why showing up to it with a prepared lawyer matters enormously.

It means probation is off the table by statute. A Class X conviction carries a mandatory 6 to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections — no probation, no conditional discharge, no exceptions (730 ILCS 5/5-4.5). Stack a firearm enhancement under 730 ILCS 5/5-8-1(d) and the floor climbs by 15, 20, or 25-to-life. Defense work in a Class X case is therefore mostly about the charge itself: attacking the evidence, negotiating to a lower class where probation becomes legally possible, or trying the case. The class on the charging document, not the facts in the police report, is what controls your exposure.

For many felonies, yes — Illinois requires electronic recording of custodial interrogations under 725 ILCS 5/103-2.1, a reform born of this state's notorious false-confession history. Do not let the camera lull you. The recording protects the prosecution as much as you, and trained interrogators from Chicago PD, the Illinois State Police, or a county sheriff's office know exactly how to build a case on tape. Invoke your right to silence, ask for a lawyer, and say nothing else — recorded or not.

Read the truth-in-sentencing rules before anyone tells you about "day-for-day" credit. Under 730 ILCS 5/3-6-3, first-degree murder is served at 100% and many violent felonies — including most Class X offenses against persons — at 85%. Less serious felonies still earn substantial good-conduct credit. This is why an Illinois plea cannot be evaluated by the headline number alone: a 10-year offer at 50% and a 10-year offer at 85% are entirely different sentences, and a competent lawyer prices that difference before recommending anything.

Illinois is unusually generous here if you move early. 410 probation (720 ILCS 570/410) lets a first-time drug-possession defendant complete supervised probation and walk away without a conviction; 710 probation does the same for first-time cannabis cases. TASC probation routes eligible defendants into treatment. Court supervision can resolve many misdemeanors without a conviction ever entering. Cook County and other jurisdictions layer deferred-prosecution programs and drug, mental health, and veterans courts on top. Most of these doors close once a plea is entered the ordinary way — which is the whole argument for hiring counsel before your arraignment, not after.

Better than almost anywhere. Under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2, most misdemeanors and most felony classes can be sealed after waiting periods of a few years, and arrests that never led to conviction can typically be expunged outright. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (410 ILCS 705/) made expungement of many old marijuana records automatic. Juvenile records auto-expunge under 705 ILCS 405/5-915, one of the broadest such statutes in the country. The carve-outs matter, though: DUI, most sex and DV offenses, and Class X convictions generally cannot be sealed — one more reason charge reduction during the case pays dividends decades later.

That is the statutory summary suspension, and it runs on a separate administrative track from your criminal case. Under 625 ILCS 5/11-501.1, blowing .08 or higher triggers an automatic suspension, and refusing the test triggers a longer one — months before any judge rules on guilt. You have a short window to petition to rescind it, which doubles as an early test of the State's evidence. The DUI itself (625 ILCS 5/11-501) is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense, with BAIID ignition-interlock requirements under 625 ILCS 5/6-205.2, and aggravating factors — injury, a child passenger, a third offense (a Class 2 felony) — push it into felony territory fast.

Criminal Defense attorneys by city in Illinois

Same Illinois rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Illinois

All Illinois practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysIllinois holds dog owners strictly liable — the owner pays for unprovoked attacks even without prior knowledge of viciousness.

Business Dispute attorneysIllinois enforces non-competes only when they pass the courts’ reasonableness test — and state law sets income floors below which they can’t be enforced at all.

Car Accident attorneysIllinois is a fault state with 51% modified comparative — and mandatory uninsured-motorist coverage gives most plaintiffs a backup recovery layer.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe Illinois Consumer Fraud Act lets consumers recover actual damages plus attorney fees — and the state’s biometric-privacy law drives unique fingerprint and face-scan claims.

Defective Product attorneysIllinois holds manufacturers strictly liable for defective products, and the Illinois Supreme Court continues to shape how far that liability reaches.

Employment attorneysThe Illinois Human Rights Act covers more protected classes than federal law — and recent biometric-privacy decisions have reshaped employer time-clock liability.

Family Law attorneysIllinois divides marital property equitably — and state law presumptively splits property acquired during marriage between spouses.

Immigration attorneysIllinois is a Trust Act state — local law enforcement is restricted from cooperating with ICE detainers, which shapes detention and removal practice in Cook County.

Lemon Law attorneysIllinois’s Lemon Law covers manufacturer defects within 12 months/12,000 miles — narrower than many states, so timing is critical.

Medical Malpractice attorneysIllinois med-mal damages caps were struck down in 2010 — but the affidavit-of-merit requirement still gates every case.

Personal Injury attorneysA 2-year filing deadline and 51% modified comparative fault frame every Illinois PI case — Cook County culture often shapes settlement value.

Slip and Fall attorneysIllinois follows the natural-accumulation rule on snow and ice — landowners generally aren’t liable for natural ice unless they made the condition worse by their own actions.

Social Security Disability attorneysIllinois SSA hearing offices in Chicago, Oak Park, and Orland Park have moderate-to-long waits — counsel helps build the medical record SSA needs.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysThe Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission runs claims — and Illinois remains one of the more employee-friendly comp systems in the Midwest.

Illinois Criminal Defense Attorneys

How we match your Illinois criminal defense case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a criminal defense claim in Illinois

Arrest or charge.

Tell us what happened.

First appearance and bail.

Discovery and motions.

Negotiation or trial.

Outcome and record.

When to call a criminal defense attorney in Illinois

Criminal Defense cases we take in Illinois

Gun and firearm charges

DUI and Aggravated DUI

Drug possession and trafficking

Domestic battery

Battery and aggravated battery

Theft and burglary

White-collar and public corruption

Sex offenses

Homicide

Juvenile offenses

Probation violations

Federal crimes in Illinois

How much do Illinois criminal defense attorneys cost?

What your Illinois criminal defense compensation can include

Charge Dismissal

Charge Reduction

Non-Conviction Outcomes

Plea Agreement

Trial Acquittal

Post-Conviction and Record Relief

Illinois criminal defense questions, answered

Criminal Defense attorneys by city in Illinois

Other case types in Illinois

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