The Pinch Points
Why Criminal Defense Firms Come to Us for Capital
Revenue walks in the door on its own schedule — a serious case this month, a quiet stretch the next — but payroll, the office, and the advertising that signs the next client don’t take a quiet month off. Our lenders read the firm’s revenue across the swings. Sound familiar?
The Case-Driven Revenue Swing
Revenue arrives with the cases — a serious felony retainer this month, a quiet stretch the next — while a $25K–$65K monthly burn runs regardless of who walked in the door.
The Payment-Plan AR
Clients facing charges rarely pay a major retainer in full up front; payment plans leave $30K–$80K in scheduled payments outstanding while the work happens now.
The Marketing-to-Case Lag
Criminal defense is referral- and advertising-driven — $4K–$15K a month to stay top-of-mind for the next case, spent ahead of the retainers it generates.
The Big-Case Resource Spike
A serious case needs investigators and experts up front — $15K–$60K — fronted long before the matter resolves and the fee is fully collected.
The Capacity to Staff Up
Adding an associate to take more cases is $8K–$14K a month, carried before the caseload fills in.
Buying In or Acquiring a Practice
A partner buy-in or acquiring another defense practice is a $150K–$600K move that won’t wait on a slow approval queue.
What an operator said
“Some months a couple of serious cases come in, some months nothing — but rent and payroll don’t care. The working line evened it out, and now when a big case lands we can put investigators on it the same week instead of waiting on a retainer to clear.”
D. Frank · criminal defense firm · Phoenix, AZ
Start Here
See Your Range in 60 Seconds
No credit check, no documents to start, and an estimated funding range on the spot. No one contacts you until you’re ready to move forward.
What Happens When You Start
Estimate Your Capital Range
Slide to your annual gross revenue. We size capital off your top line — not your credit score.
Estimated Capital Range
A conservative range based on 10-15% of annual revenue — many businesses qualify for more with strong receivables or assets behind them. Lenders return real term sheets once they see your file.
60 seconds · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for the Trade
What We Fund for Criminal Defense Firms
Working Capital Through the Case Swings
An unsecured, revenue-based working line carries payroll and overhead through the quiet stretches between cases, so a slow month doesn’t force a hard decision.
A Line Against Payment-Plan Receivables
A working line advances against scheduled client payments, turning months-out retainers into cash now.
Capital to Take the Serious Cases
When a major case lands, financing lets you commit the resources it needs from day one, instead of pacing the defense to what the operating account can cover.
Revenue-Based Acquisition & Buy-In Capital
Buy in or acquire a practice on revenue-based, capital-stacked financing — not an SBA queue.
Match Your Situation
The Funding Gaps We Bridge for Criminal Defense Firms
Match your situation to the structure. Every one of these funds on the firm’s revenue across the swings, not a perfect credit file.
| What It Looks Like | Funding Solution | Amount | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banks won’t lend against case-driven, lumpy revenue | Revenue underwriting across the swings | Working Capital | $75K–$5M+ | 1–3 days |
| Clients pay major retainers over time | A line advances against payment plans | Business LOC | $75K–$5M+ | 1–5 days |
| Overhead is fixed; cases aren’t | Working capital carries the quiet stretches | Working Capital | $75K–$5M+ | 1–3 days |
The Products
How Criminal Defense Firm Financing Is Structured
Most law-firm files fund between $75K and $5M+, structured to the case swings, the payment-plan AR, or the office and case-tech build. Larger lines available when revenue, cash flow, and story qualify.
| Amount | Term | Best For | Funding Speed | Typical Structure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business LOC | $75K–$5M+ | Revolving | Payment-plan AR, case swings | 1–5 days | Unsecured line, no PG by default |
| Working Capital | $75K–$5M+ | 6mo–10yr | Payroll through quiet stretches | 1–3 days | Often unsecured, daily/weekly ACH |
| Invoice Factoring | $75K–$5M+ | Per invoice | Scheduled retainer payments | 1–2 days | Receivables secure the line |
| Equipment Financing | $75K–$5M+ | 2yr–7yr | Case and investigation tech | 3–7 days | Equipment serves as collateral |
Tax Strategy
Section 179 on Office & Case-Tech — Worked
If last year was strong and you’re about to write a check to the IRS — stop. Acquire qualifying equipment with as little as 10% down, finance the rest, and write off the full purchase price in year one. Section 179 covers it up to the annual cap; 100% bonus depreciation — made permanent in 2025, with no cap and no income limit — carries the rest.
At the top bracket, that first-year deduction can return meaningful tax savings — and for an established business with strong cash flow, it’s the difference between writing a check to the IRS and putting the same money into your own equipment. Your CPA models the exact numbers for your bracket and structure.
Worked scenario · top bracket · illustrative
You financed the machine and put down a fraction of its price — but you deduct the full price in year one. The write-off is bigger than your down payment, and the equipment keeps working the whole time.
Scales with your numbers
Illustrative only. Actual savings depend on your tax bracket, entity type, state conformity, and CPA guidance. Section 179 and bonus depreciation are elections your CPA makes for your situation; above the Section 179 cap, 100% bonus depreciation carries the balance.
Terms reflect credit, revenue, time in business, and each lender. Every file is unique — see what the desk structures for yours in the 60-second qualifier.
Bobby’s Take
“Criminal defense is a business where the revenue walks in the door on its own schedule — a serious case this month, a quiet stretch the next — but the payroll, the office, and the advertising that signs the next client don’t take a quiet month off. The firms that grow are the ones that can carry the gaps and resource a big case the day it lands, instead of pacing the defense to the bank balance. We fund that — the swings, the payment-plan AR, the big-case resourcing — on an unsecured, revenue-based line. The firm that can resource a serious case the day it lands — instead of pacing the defense to the bank balance — is the one that keeps winning the work worth taking.”
Bobby Friel · Founder · 20+ years in banking and finance
How It Works
From Application to Funded
One application, 70+ lenders competing, a dedicated specialist, and most files funded in days.
60-second estimate
Enter your numbers — no credit check, no documents. You see an estimated funding range on the spot.
A specialist is assigned
A real funding specialist — not an algorithm — reviews your file, usually within 24 hours.
70+ lenders compete
Your application goes to the marketplace. Competing offers typically land 24–48 hours later.
You pick the offer
Compare structures and terms with your advisor. No obligation until you choose to sign.
Funded in days
From same-day working capital to a multi-piece stack, most files fund in days — not the bank’s 60–90.
Underwriting
What Underwriting Looks At
Funding here leads with what your business actually does — your revenue and cash flow. The specialist desk reads the real picture from your statements, then matches it to the lenders most likely to fund it.
How you’re evaluated
Revenue-first
sized off your top line, not just your balance sheet.
Cash-flow driven
your bank statements show how the business really runs.
Bank-statement underwriting
even a down year is read off 4 months of statements.
Story-driven
a big new contract, a seasonal swing, a turnaround in progress: context the raw numbers miss counts too.
What to have ready
↳Had a loss year? It’s read off the bank statements — 4 months, not 6.
Start fast, finish complete
The operators who fund quickest come to the specialist review with these ready — but you don’t need all of it to start. Your signed application and bank statements are what unblock the review; the rest can follow as trailing docs. Real term sheets come once the lenders can see a true business overview, so the move is simple: get the application and statements in right away, and don’t let a missing tax return hold up your term sheets.
Credit, straight
Qualification
Who Gets Funded — and Who’s Not Ready Yet
A straight read saves everyone time — here’s the line between a criminal defense file that funds and one that isn’t ready yet.
↳Time in business is a factor, not a gate — newer crews with strong revenue still qualify.
Not ready yet isn’t a no — it’s a checklist. Most of it is fixable in a quarter or two, and your advisor will tell you straight which gaps to fix before a file goes in.
The Operator's Guide
Criminal Defense Law Firm Financing
Revenue on the Case’s Schedule, Not Yours
Criminal defense revenue arrives with the cases — a serious felony retainer one month, a quiet calendar the next — but the payroll, the office, and the advertising that signs the next client cost the same every cycle. The firms that grow are the ones that can carry the gaps and resource a major case the day it lands, instead of pacing the defense to the bank balance. We fund that — the case swings, the payment-plan AR, and the big-case resourcing — on an unsecured, revenue-based line, so a slow month never forces a hard call.
One Application, 70+ Lenders
Whether it’s a working line through the quiet stretches, a line against scheduled retainer payments, or equipment financing for case and investigation tech, we connect you with 70+ lenders who fund law firms every week. Working capital, lines of credit, receivables advances, and equipment financing — $75K to $5M+, on the firm’s revenue, with §179 writing off qualifying equipment the year it’s placed in service. One application, soft-pull review to start.
Common Questions
Criminal Defense Financing — Questions, Answered
Yes — an unsecured, revenue-based working line carries payroll and overhead through the quiet stretches between cases.
Yes — a working line advances against scheduled retainer payments.
A line of credit is unsecured and revenue-based by default; receivables financing can be secured against the payment plans for better terms, but it’s optional.
A signed application plus four months of bank statements, a P&L, a balance sheet, and two years of returns. If recent years show losses, the specialist desk can underwrite on four months of bank statements.
Yes — revenue-based and capital-stacked on firm revenue, not an SBA 7(a) loan.
Recommended Funding
The Products That Fit Criminal Defense Work
Business Line of Credit →
A revolving line carries the case swings and draws against payment-plan AR.
Working Capital Loans →
Carry payroll and overhead through the quiet stretches between cases.
Invoice Factoring →
Advance against scheduled retainer payments instead of waiting on the plan.
Equipment Financing →
Finance case-management and investigation tech — §179 included.
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