Attorney Referrals for Criminal Cases in West Palm Beach, FL
When a criminal issue surfaces in the middle of a family law, estate planning, or business matter, doing right by your client often means referring them to an attorney who handles criminal defense exclusively and treats the referral relationship with the same care you'd expect for your own clients.
Whether this situation began with an arrest, an ongoing investigation, or a call from a detective, I can help.
I'm Brandon Dinetz. Before opening my own practice, I served as Division Lead Attorney at the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office, where I oversaw and trained other prosecutors. My practice is focused on criminal defense and closely related matters.
I invite attorneys in all areas of practice to refer criminal matters to me when the need arises. This page explains what I handle, what I don't, and how to reach me when that moment comes up.
Types of Criminal Referral Cases I Handle
If your client is facing a state criminal matter or a related issue that intersects with criminal law in Palm Beach, Broward, or Martin County, the case likely falls into one of the following areas:
- DUI offenses: First offense DUI, second offense DUI, third offense DUI, felony DUI, commercial driver DUI, and boating under the influence cases
- Domestic violence and protective order matters: Domestic violence charges and protective or injunction order proceedings, including cases that intersect with an active family law matter
- Drug crimes: Possession, trafficking, and other drug-related charges
- Theft and property crimes: Theft charges and shoplifting cases, ranging from misdemeanor to felony level
- White collar and fraud crimes: State-level fraud and white collar matters, including cases involving a client's business or professional conduct
- Violent crimes: Assault, battery, fighting or simple assault, and other charges involving alleged physical harm
- Weapons charges: Unlawful possession, carrying, or transport of a weapon, including cases that arise alongside a violent crime charge but stand on their own
- Pre-charge and investigation-stage representation: Representation before formal charges are filed, including pre-arrest investigations, police interviews and interrogations, search warrant matters, and cases where a client is under investigation but hasn't yet been charged
- Probation violations: Defense against alleged violations of probation terms
- Hemp and THCA compliance matters: Distribution, trafficking, seizure and raid, and THCA beverage-related charges arising under Florida's hemp regulations
- Family office and high-net-worth client defense: Discreet representation for high-net-worth individuals and family office clients facing criminal exposure
- Expungements and record sealing: Clearing or sealing a prior criminal record where a client qualifies
If you're unsure whether a case fits, send it my way. I'll tell you plainly whether it's a good match.
Types of Cases I Don't Take
For referrals through this page, I focus on Florida state criminal matters and related proceedings, and that scope comes with a few clear boundaries. I don't handle federal criminal cases, appeals, or juvenile delinquency matters. I also do not handle cases involving sex crimes or crimes involving children. While I handle DUI and traffic offenses specifically attached to DUI matters, I don’t handle standalone traffic citations, such as speeding tickets.
I defend clients in Palm Beach, Broward, and Martin counties, but not elsewhere in Florida.
If your client's situation falls into one of the categories of cases I don’t handle or in a geographic area outside the counties where I practice, I'm glad to point you toward someone who focuses on that specific area, even if that means the referral doesn't come to me.
Criminal Referrals for Family Law Attorneys
Criminal issues surface often in family law matters, and they can change the direction of a case quickly.
A client facing a divorce or custody dispute may be arrested for domestic violence while the case is pending. A DUI can surface in the middle of a parenting plan negotiation. An opposing party may file for a protective order as a tactic rather than a genuine safety concern.
Any of these criminal issues can affect custody, visitation, or the outcome of the underlying family matter, and the timing of the criminal response matters as much as the outcome.
Reach out if your client has a recent arrest, a protective order filed against or by them, or any mention of police involvement connected to the family case.
Criminal Referrals for Estate Planning Attorneys
Criminal exposure in estate planning work doesn't usually announce itself directly. A client may mention that a detective called. A family member may raise concerns about a beneficiary's access to an elderly relative's accounts. An allegation of financial exploitation may surface during trust administration or a contested estate.
These situations often sit at the edge of what your practice handles, but they can carry real criminal liability for the person involved.
Reach out if a client mentions law enforcement contact, a family member flags unusual account activity, or an exploitation allegation touches a client or beneficiary.
Criminal Referrals for Business and Corporate Attorneys
A subpoena arrives. An employee is accused of embezzlement. A regulatory inquiry touches on conduct that could expose the business or its owner personally. These situations often begin as corporate or employment matters and develop into something that requires criminal defense before they go further.
Reach out if a client receives a subpoena, faces a regulatory inquiry, reports an internal fraud or theft allegation, or is asked to come in for an interview.
Referrals I Send Out to Other Attorneys
Referral relationships go both ways. A client of mine facing a criminal matter may also need a family law, estate planning, or business attorney for something unrelated, the same way your client's case sometimes turns out to need me.
And when someone contacts my firm directly for something outside criminal defense, or outside Palm Beach, Broward, or Martin County, I look for an attorney I trust to take it.
If that's your practice, I'd like to build that relationship with you. Referrals should work both ways, and I'm glad to be one of the ones you can count on to send them.
More on Brandon Dinetz
When you refer your client to another attorney for a matter outside your scope of practice, the whole interaction reflects on your reputation and your client relationship. I realize what’s at stake for the referring attorney, and I also recognize how busy my fellow lawyers are, no matter what area of law they practice.
That’s why I’m eager to make it easier to do your research on a Palm Beach County criminal defense referral attorney before you send your client my way.
Find out more about me:
- Brandon Dinetz's member profile on The Florida Bar
- Brandon Dinetz’s bio on the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL)
- Brandon Dinetz’s member page on The National Trial Lawyers
- Brandon Dinetz’s bio on Super Lawyers
- Brandon Dinetz’s LinkedIn profile
- BD Law - Brandon Dinetz, Esq. Google Business Profile
Interested in Referral? How to Send Your Client to Brandon Dinetz for Criminal Defense Representation
There's no formal intake process for referrals. Call or email me directly, tell me what you know about the situation, and I'll take it from there.
Where the rules permit a division of fees, I'm glad to discuss it.
When appropriate and with your client's permission, I'll keep you informed as the case moves, and I won't use the referral as an opening to reach out to your client about anything outside what you sent me.
Let's Talk
If you have a client who needs criminal defense in Palm Beach, Broward, or Martin County, email me or call me at (561) 778-5213. I'm glad to talk through a case with you before you decide whether it needs a referral at all.
