If you believe you’re under investigation in Toronto, the steps you take right now matter more than you might think. A lawyer from our team can:
- Talk to the investigators.
- Prevent you from saying anything that harms your case.
- Protect your legal rights.
Strategic Criminal Defence in Toronto has handled more than 1,000 cases. We have over 25 years of combined criminal defence experience, supported by over 120 five-star Google reviews.
Our team, led by Dylan Finlay, is available 24/7 to start work on protecting your future. Talk to us before you talk to the police.
What should you do right now if you believe you’re under investigation?
Take these three steps first:
- Do not agree to a voluntary interview with police without a lawyer present, even if it’s framed as routine or in your best interest.
- Do not delete, alter, or destroy anything connected to the investigation, since this can become a separate crime on its own.
- Contact a lawyer as soon as you believe you’re under investigation, even before you know whether a charge is coming.
Waiting until you’re charged can mean losing your best chance to change how things unfold.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Why early legal advice matters more in Ontario
Any charge under the Criminal Code of Canada can lead to a criminal record and life-changing consequences. Currently, in Ontario, police decide whether to lay a charge. The Crown does not screen charges first here.
Other provinces work differently. In some provinces, prosecutors screen charges before police lay them.
In Ontario, the officer on your case often holds that power directly. The prosecutor then takes up the case. This makes early legal advice aimed at that officer more valuable than it might be elsewhere in Canada.
What do our pre-charge legal advice packages include?
Pre-charge legal advice means getting involved before a charge exists, not after. It can look different depending on your situation. Here’s what our packages usually include:
| SITUATION | HOW WE CAN HELP |
|---|---|
| Understanding where things stand | We take a close look at everything that's happened so far, so we understand exactly what you're facing. |
| You've already had contact with the police or investigators | We check what you've told the police so far. |
| You've had contact with witnesses or the complainant | We look at any messages or contact you've had with anyone involved in the case. |
| You want to know what you're actually facing | We explain, in plain terms, what could happen if you're charged and convicted. |
| Police ask you for a 'voluntary' interview | We can attend with you, or advise you not to attend at all. |
| You believe you're a suspect, but haven't been contacted yet | We can reach out to the investigating officer directly and make the case against charging you. |
| Police execute a search warrant | We can advise you on how to respond in the moment and review whether the warrant itself was valid. |
| You've been asked to provide a statement or documents | We can review what's being asked for and advise you on what you're actually required to provide. |
Not every investigation ends in a charge. The goal of early legal advice is to give you the best possible chance that yours doesn’t. If your situation keeps changing, we stay available to advise you as things develop, not just for a single meeting.
How does a Strategic Criminal Defence lawyer help?
You may not know what the police are looking for, what you should and should not say to the authorities, or how the criminal court process works in Toronto.
Without legal advice, you put yourself at risk of providing the police with the very information they need to charge you with an offence. We get involved as early as you need us to, sometimes even before you’ve even been formally identified as a suspect:
- We review what investigators already have.
- We advise you on every interaction with the police.
- We work to resolve matters before they become formal charges.
When is pre-charge legal advice most useful?
Pre-charge advice can help in almost any investigation. It matters most in cases that take time to build, such as:
- Sex crime investigations. These often involve lengthy interviews and a lot of evidence gathering before any charge is laid.
- Drug crime investigations. Cases with surveillance or an ongoing investigation can take weeks or months to build. We can challenge weak evidence or push for diversion instead of a charge.
- Financial crime investigations. Fraud cases often involve piles of documents and forensic accounting. Early input can shape how the evidence is understood from the start.
- Domestic violence investigations. Ontario’s charging policy is strict here. But early advice can still protect you from saying or doing something that makes things worse.
What happens if a charge is laid anyway?
If you face a criminal charge, we’re already prepared, since we’ve been building your defence from the start.
Your case will move into the regular court system. If the police arrest and don’t release you:
- Men are usually held at the Toronto South Detention Centre.
- Women are held at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton.
From there, you go to a bail hearing at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Finch Avenue West. We can represent you at your bail hearing and work to secure your release.
The Ontario Court of Justice on Armoury Street hears most criminal cases. More serious cases can go to trial before a judge and jury, usually at the Superior Court of Justice on University Avenue.
Testimonials
While past results do not guarantee future outcomes, here’s what some of our recent clients have said about us:
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