How to Choose a Felony Defense Lawyer After an Arrest in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach

By Chad Piotrowski, former Miami-Dade prosecutor · Updated October 2026

After a felony arrest in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County, the person looking for a lawyer is often not the one in custody. It is a spouse at home or a parent on the phone, trying to make a decision that feels urgent and unfamiliar.

Chad Piotrowski, a former Miami-Dade prosecutor who founded Piotrowski Law in 2010, says most people he meets talk to about three lawyers before hiring one. Those calls go better when you ask every lawyer the same five questions:

Have you handled charges like mine?
Do you practice regularly in this county?
Who will handle my case?
What does the fee include?
Can you back up the results you’re describing?

Piotrowski Law is a South Florida felony defense firm that represents people facing felony charges in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach from offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. If your family is deciding now, you can request a free consultation with the firm and use this guide to compare every felony defense lawyer you talk to.

What happens in the first 24 hours after a felony arrest in South Florida?

Unless the person has already been lawfully released, Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130 requires that anyone arrested be brought before a judge within 24 hours.

At first appearance, the judge explains the charge and the person’s rights, takes up the question of counsel and addresses pretrial release. If probable cause has not already been determined, Florida rules require a nonadversary probable-cause determination within 48 hours of arrest and allow it to happen at first appearance when the necessary proof is available.

Anything said in those first hours can come back later. Statements to detectives can become evidence, and nonprivileged jail calls can be recorded and monitored. Give identifying information, say you want a lawyer, and stop talking about the case. Families should keep the facts off jail calls for the same reason.

Formal charges often come after first appearance. For someone still in custody, Rule 3.134 gives the state 30 days to file them. If no charges are filed, the court orders release on the person’s own recognizance on the 33rd day, or the 40th day if the state shows good cause. Under the rule, the 40th day is generally the outer limit.

A lawyer hired during that window can start preserving evidence and talk with prosecutors before they make the charging decision.

How soon should you hire a felony defense lawyer?

Hire a felony defense lawyer as soon as you can, ideally before or right after first appearance.

Start comparing lawyers right away, while bond, evidence and charging are still in motion, but don’t sign with the first name that comes up in a search.

If your husband is being held after a Broward County arrest, ask each lawyer whether they regularly handle felony cases in the 17th Judicial Circuit, and who would cover the first appearance, the bond hearing and the court dates after that. Piotrowski Law handles Broward felony cases from its Fort Lauderdale office.

For a Palm Beach County arrest, ask the same questions about the 15th Judicial Circuit. The firm handles those cases from its West Palm Beach office.

For an arrest in Miami, Miami Beach, Aventura or anywhere else in Miami-Dade, ask about the 11th Judicial Circuit specifically. The firm’s Miami office handles those cases, and its page on felony defense in Miami lists the charges it defends there.

A parent, spouse or anyone else can pay for the lawyer. Florida Bar Rule 4-1.8(f) allows it as long as the client consents, the lawyer’s judgment stays independent and the client’s information stays confidential. The person charged is still the client, and the lawyer answers to them.

Should you use the public defender or hire a private felony lawyer?

Anyone who qualifies financially has the right to a court-appointed lawyer. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach each have a Public Defender’s Office for their circuit.

Hiring privately means you choose the lawyer or firm and agree on the scope of the work and the fee yourself. A person who starts with a public defender can switch to private counsel later, and the court handles the substitution.

Which one makes sense comes down to what the case needs, what the family can afford and what the proposed agreement actually covers.

What should you ask a felony defense lawyer in the first consultation?

Piotrowski says few prospective clients ask the questions he considers the smart ones:

How many cases have you handled like mine?
What were some of the results?
Do you practice regularly in the county where my arrest occurred?
Do you know the judge?
Do you know the prosecutor?

Asking whether a lawyer is “aggressive” tells you very little. His questions get specific answers. Here are the rest of the questions to ask a criminal defense lawyer before you hire one:

Who will work on my case day to day?
Who will stand next to me in court?
What does your fee include, and what would cost extra?
If you mention past results, which cases are in those numbers and how were they counted?

A family in Downtown Miami or Miami Beach asking “Who’s good for a felony case here?” should get a Miami-Dade answer: how often the lawyer is in that courthouse and how well they know its judges and prosecutors.

How do you compare criminal defense lawyers after talking to three of them?

“I think that when someone ultimately retains, if they’re talking to multiple people, it will come down to price, of course, but it will also come down to how they feel after the consult,” Piotrowski said. “When you’re speaking to different lawyers, it’s who makes you feel the most comfortable.”

Pay attention to where that comfort comes from. A lawyer who gave you straight answers about your charge, your county, who handles the work, what the fee covers and how their results were counted has earned it.

Before you sign, look the lawyer up in The Florida Bar’s online member directory to confirm their license and any public discipline.

What does a felony defense lawyer cost in South Florida?

Felony defense fees vary with the charge, the scope of the work, the firm and how far the case goes.

Florida Bar Rule 4-1.5 bars lawyers from charging a contingent fee to defend a criminal case, so the written fee agreement carries real weight. Before you compare two quotes, find out whether they cover the same work:

Does the fee run through a plea, or through trial?
Are motions and depositions included?
Investigators and outside experts?
What happens to the fee if the case ends early?

Piotrowski is blunt about the cheapest quote:

“I deal with a lot of people that are going to go with the lowest quote. And I think that’s the most expensive mistake a person can make in this situation.”

A higher fee doesn’t make a lawyer better either. You can only compare two prices once you know what each one buys.

Is a solo lawyer or a firm with a team better for a felony case?

Either can handle a felony well. Size matters less than who works on the case: who appears in court, how you’ll get updates, and what happens when the case needs more than one lawyer can do.

If you’re comparing criminal defense lawyers in Fort Lauderdale or Boca Raton, ask who will handle your hearings in the 17th or 15th Judicial Circuit. Piotrowski Law covers Broward from Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach County from West Palm Beach.

At Piotrowski Law, one attorney is responsible for each file, and the firm’s lawyers strategize on cases together. When a felony case goes to trial, the firm’s practice is to put two of its lawyers in front of the jury. Since 2010, the firm has built a network of outside experts who can consult on a case and testify at trial. They include DNA, ballistics and bloodstain-pattern experts, plus specialists who review autopsy reports, medical records and injuries.

Ask any firm you’re considering who besides the lead attorney will review the file, and which experts it has used on cases like yours.

Can a felony defense lawyer guarantee that my case will be dismissed?

No. A Florida defense lawyer cannot promise a dismissal, a sentence without prison time or any other result.

Florida Bar Rule 4-7.13 treats any advertising a prospective client could read as a prediction or guarantee as deceptive. It also requires advertised past results to be objectively verifiable and presented in a way that doesn’t mislead.

Piotrowski hears the request constantly.

“A lot of people will want a guarantee. Will you guarantee me that I won’t go to prison? Will you guarantee me that I’ll get my case dismissed? I always tell people, I can’t make that guarantee to you.”

What you can ask for is the lawyer’s track record, with enough detail to know what the numbers cover.

Piotrowski Law posts a monthly report on its Instagram account listing the cases the firm closed, how many were dismissed and the sentences that followed. Each report covers misdemeanors and felonies together, so its dismissal percentage is not a felony dismissal rate. The August 2026 report lists 33 cases closed and 25 dismissed, which the firm reports as a 76% dismissal rate. July 2026 lists 19 closed and 13 dismissed, reported as 68%.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances. Prospective clients may not obtain the same or similar results. Not all case results are provided.

How can a felony case end in Florida?

A Florida felony case can end before charges are ever filed, in a dismissal, through diversion, in a plea to the same or a reduced charge, or at trial. Which of those is realistic depends on the charge, the evidence, the person’s record and what happens as the case moves.

Some eligible defendants can enter pretrial intervention under section 948.08 of the Florida Statutes. A judge can also withhold adjudication in the circumstances section 948.01 allows.

Timing runs on its own track. Under Rule 3.191, the ordinary speedy-trial period for a felony is 175 days from formal charging, with separate procedures for a defendant who demands a speedy trial and for seeking relief once that period has run.

Why does the county matter when choosing a felony defense lawyer?

Each county is its own circuit, with its own State Attorney’s Office, judges and courthouse habits.

Miami-Dade is the 11th Judicial Circuit and includes Miami, Coral Gables, Miami Beach and Homestead. Piotrowski prosecuted cases in that circuit as a Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney before founding the firm. Its Miami office is at 169 E. Flagler St., Suite 1600, (305) 204-5000.

Broward is the 17th Judicial Circuit and includes Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines. The firm’s Fort Lauderdale office is at 101 NE 3rd Ave., Suite 1500, (954) 947-5000.

Palm Beach County is the 15th Judicial Circuit and includes West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Delray Beach. For a criminal defense attorney in Palm Beach County, the firm’s West Palm Beach office is at 515 N. Flagler Dr., Suite P-300, (561) 614-5000.

A state felony is generally prosecuted in the county where the alleged offense happened, which is why “Do you practice regularly in this county?” is on Piotrowski’s list.

If you’re deciding who to call after a felony arrest in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach, ask every lawyer the same questions, get the fee scope in writing and ask what sits behind any results they quote. You can request a free consultation with Piotrowski Law at any of the three offices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does hiring a criminal defense lawyer make me look guilty?

No. Hiring a lawyer is a constitutional right, not an admission of anything, and you can do it before charges are filed or at any point after. Staying silent during custodial questioning isn’t an admission either, and prosecutors generally cannot use post-Miranda silence to argue guilt.

Can I switch from a public defender to a private lawyer during a felony case?

Yes. The court handles the substitution, and the new lawyer will need time to review discovery, prior filings and upcoming deadlines.

My husband was arrested in Broward County. Who should I call?

Call criminal defense lawyers who handle felony cases in Broward, and ask each one about their experience in the 17th Judicial Circuit, with his type of charge, who would handle the case and what the fee covers. Piotrowski Law handles Broward felony cases from its Fort Lauderdale office at 101 NE 3rd Ave., Suite 1500, (954) 947-5000.

I need a felony lawyer in Aventura. Should I look for a Miami-Dade lawyer?

Yes. Aventura is in Miami-Dade County, so the case will be in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Ask each lawyer how often they handle felonies there, who would work on the case and what experience they have with similar charges. Piotrowski Law’s Miami office is at 169 E. Flagler St., Suite 1600, (305) 204-5000.

Who handles felony cases in Palm Beach County?

Felony cases in Palm Beach County, including Boca Raton and Delray Beach, are prosecuted in the 15th Judicial Circuit. Ask any criminal defense attorney you call how often they appear there and who would handle your case. Piotrowski Law’s West Palm Beach office is at 515 N. Flagler Dr., Suite P-300, (561) 614-5000.

I already talked to the police after my arrest. Is it too late to get a lawyer?

No. Tell the lawyer exactly what you said and when. If police questioned you in custody without Miranda warnings, or kept going after you asked for a lawyer or invoked your right to stay silent, your lawyer can look at whether to ask the court to suppress the statement. From here on, don’t discuss the case with investigators, on jail calls or on social media.

Can a felony be reduced to a misdemeanor in Florida?

In some cases. It depends on the charge, the evidence, the person’s record, the law and the prosecutor’s position. A defense lawyer can tell you whether a misdemeanor outcome is possible in your case.

What should I bring to a consultation with a felony defense lawyer?

Bring the arrest paperwork, booking information, bond or release documents, the next court date and anything else tied to the arrest. Write out a timeline while it’s fresh. Don’t post about the case or delete anything that could be evidence. A family member can come, though the lawyer may need time alone with the person charged.

What happens at a felony arraignment in Florida?

The formal charge is read and the defendant enters a plea. A defense lawyer can often file a written not-guilty plea and waive the client’s appearance, so ask whether you need to be there.

How long does a felony case take in Florida?

It ranges from a few months to more than a year. For someone held without formal charges, Rule 3.134 sets the 30-, 33- and 40-day deadlines described above. Once charges are filed, Rule 3.191 sets an ordinary 175-day speedy-trial period for a felony. Motions, discovery, negotiations, continuances and the court’s calendar all affect the actual timeline.

This article provides general information about Florida law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.