Private Criminal Defense in Chile
An alternative to the public defender: counsel with the time to read the whole file, build a strategy and explain it to your family in English.
What this involves
Chile's criminal procedure is adversarial and front-loaded. The initial hearing before the guarantee judge sets the charge, decides whether you stay free and whether you can leave the country, and it happens fast. What your defense does in that hearing shapes everything that follows, often more than the trial does.
A foreigner without Spanish and without counsel is at a structural disadvantage in exactly that window. Public defenders in Chile are competent, but they carry heavy caseloads. Private defense buys the one thing the file needs most early on: time to read it, commission evidence and choose a strategy rather than react to one.
What we handle
Representation from the first hearing
Appearing at the formalization hearing, arguing against pretrial detention and travel bans, and requesting the least restrictive measure that fits your case.
Review of the investigation file
Reading the whole record rather than the summary — including how evidence was obtained, which is where a significant share of defenses actually live.
Challenging unlawful evidence
Excluding evidence obtained through irregular searches, detentions or interrogations, which can remove the core of the prosecution's case.
Expert and witness evidence
Commissioning the technical reports and locating the witnesses the prosecution had no reason to look for.
Negotiated and alternative outcomes
Conditional suspension, abbreviated procedure and other routes that frequently serve a client better than a verdict — assessed honestly against the odds at trial.
How we run this for a client abroad
Assessment first
You send the documents you have. We tell you what applies, what it costs and how long it takes — before you commit to anything.
Power of attorney
Granted at a Chilean consulate or apostilled where you live. It lets us act for you in Chile without you travelling.
We file, you get updates
Our attorneys handle the filings and appearances in Chile. You get plain-English updates at every stage.
Private Criminal Defense — common questions
What English-speaking clients ask us most about this specific service.
I have been detained or formalized in Chile. What do I do first?
Can I be held in pretrial detention?
What does private defense do that a public defender does not?
Will a conviction in Chile affect my immigration status?
Talk to a Chilean lawyer about your defense in Chile
Get an initial assessment in English — confidential, with no obligation.
Book your consultation now →