The Law Office of Chris Van Vechten

The South Sound’s Most Dedicated Criminal Defense Attorney

Photo of Chris Van Vechten, Criminal Defense Attorney - Tacoma, WA

The Law Office of Chris Van Vechten – Criminal Defense Attorney – Tacoma, WA

Why I Work as a Criminal Defense Lawyer

“Van Vechten” means “ready to fight”

Van Vechten is a Dutch name which literally means “ready to fight,” “to struggle,” “to crusade” or “to zealously advocate.

Who We Represent

The Law Office of Chris Van Vechten is a criminal defense law firm that has served as counsel to criminal defense clients who represent every cross-section of our community – professional athletes, politicians and elected officials, the unhoused and the addicted, business owners and working class heroes, soldiers who serve our country, immigrants – documented or otherwise – who seek to join it.

We have represented high school drop-outs, college students, university professors and fellow attorneys, people as young as 10 and as old as 81, residents of countless communities, the famous, the infamous and a lot of people who wish to remain unknown.

Many lawyers employ an “assembly line strategy” for representing the accused, particularly those charged with petty crimes like Assault 4, DUI, or even high volume felonies like unlawful possession of a controlled substance. By contrast, our Tacoma criminal defense law firm strives to provide a criminal defense which is both powerful AND personalized to meet the individual goals/needs of every client, on every case.

This, along with a willingness to go to trial and the ability to win, has kept The Law Office Of Chris Van Vechten in demand across the South Sound for criminal defense law, juvenile defense law, and civil representation for years.

Take some free legal advice:

Contact us for a free case evaluation before you make any decisions.

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Avvo Client’s Choice Award

Criminal Defense

Avvo Reviews

Criminal Defense Law

Christopher Courtlandt Van VechtenReviewsout of 10 reviews

Google Reviews

Criminal Defense Attorney

Tyler BumgardnerTyler Bumgardner
17:56 22 May 23
Chris is a amazing lawyer and full of great advice he is my go to lawyer for everything
Kaleb ArnaultKaleb Arnault
18:02 05 Oct 22
Having Chris represent me in court was one of the best decisions I have ever made. He is extremely well spoken, intelligent, tenacious, and overall is just incredible. He fought for me every day and kept me updated on any changes, issues, and abnormalities that were occurring with my case. No matter what, he did not quit on me or my case. At the end of the day this man saved my career, and my name, with a Not Guilty Verdict and I will forever be thankful that I hired Chris to represent me! Thank You for your incredible work.
Branndi McCarterBranndi McCarter
16:11 18 Nov 21
Andrew lekowskiAndrew lekowski
19:59 28 May 21
Great service, 10/10, prepared for our alleged traffic violation as if he was prepared for war. Got the alleged violation dismissed with zero dollars in fines. Well worth his reasonable and competitive rates.Recommend Chris’s legal services for all situations in King and Pierce County where you need a professional familiar with the law. Great person as well!
Neely SipesNeely Sipes
21:33 19 Apr 21
He knows the law,he defends you as though you are his only client.answers your call day or night and helps you understand your rights,without making you feel like you are a waste of his time.
Chris really knows the law and has a high rate of winning. Chris is the lawyer to hire! His logic is impeccable He was incredible at helping me on my case and we won!
Rhishikesh BargajeRhishikesh Bargaje
03:48 22 Oct 20
My wife was civilly sued for defamation in Canada. Chris was able to accept service and assist in finding a Canadian attorney to defend her. We were also pleased with the quality of the nasty letter he sent to the plaintiff's counsel.
Michael HanssenMichael Hanssen
21:00 15 Oct 20
He is great! He is great at coming up with a game plan and explains everything very well. He is good about getting back to you in a timely manor and very professional!
Michael HensleyMichael Hensley
07:55 19 Aug 19
Young, well spoken, and a success driven attorney are just a few of the characteristics that jump to mind when trying to recall my experience of Chris representing me in court. Without a doubt, when the Judge swings his gavel closing your case and giving a ruling in your favor you walk away feeling like you definitely got your money's worth at a reasonable rate at that! Definitely would use his services again!
Quinn DieselQuinn Diesel
19:07 13 Dec 18
Chris is very professional and helped me out very much in my case saved me a lot of stress would recommend 100% worth every penny spent one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the area and has reasonable raits. Hire this gentleman! Plus the guy has a good sense of humor and made the whole experience less stressful for me. But when it was time to get things done he was on top of it all. 5 Star *****
J KJ K
18:25 24 May 17
Would HIGHLY recommend using the services of Chris Van Vechten. I was put in contact with him by a co-worker in regards to a speeding ticket I had received. He was very professional and his rates are very reasonable. I forgot all about the ticket until I received a call from him stating that it had been dismissed. Awesome job Chris! Thank you!
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Yelp Reviews

Criminal Defense Law

Law Office of Chris Van Vechten
5.0
Based on 4 Reviews
Kat L.
Kat L.
2023-05-15 21:30:07
If you want a lawyer that will defend you knowing you are lying but still does his best use Chris. He will help try to resolve your case pretending you are... read more
Zander R.
Zander R.
2023-05-05 12:37:09
chris has helped me out in a really huge way, and I highly recommend him as your lawyer for any sort of infraction in the road. by far the best lawyer I've had! read more
Allison W.
Allison W.
2023-03-15 15:20:22
When recently faced with a frivolous legal action I reached out to Chris based on finding a number of well thought articles that he authored. He was prompt... read more
Don M.
Don M.
2017-10-04 10:24:28
I hired Chris to handle three speeding tickets I had in three different counties. He was was always very responsive and better yet was successful in getting... read more
Traci M.
Traci M.
2017-10-02 19:13:46
Best damn trial attorney. You want him on your side, not Theirs! read more
T M.
T M.
2017-05-24 11:37:28
Would HIGHLY recommend using Chris Van Vechten. I was given his information from a co-worker so I could have someone represent me regarding a speeding... read more

I am a Canadian citizen living in Vancouver, BC and was charged with hit and run in April 2020 in the Pierce County District Court in Tacoma, Washington. This case went on for 29 months. I was trying to defend myself, but after numerous recommendations from the judge I hired Chris Van Vechten to represent me.

The case finally came to trial on October 17, 2022, and Chris was able to have the case dismissed with prejudice. When Chris pointed out the flaws in their case, the judge had no other choice than to dismiss the case. I was exonerated of the charges. I definitely recommend Chris Van Vechten, and now consider him a friend.

The Law Office of Chris Van Vechten

The Criminal Defense Blog

Keeping Your Driver’s License

There are many crimes that can cost you not only your freedom, future and finances but also your privilege to drive. These offenses are largely outlined in RCW 46.20.285, which was recently updated and now reads as follows...

Warrantless Seizures and Race

The Washington State Supreme Court recently declared that whether or not a person has been seized by a police officer may depend on what race the defendant happens to be.
photo - gunsligner with a revolver

Is Washington’s Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Statute Constitutional?

Washington's unlawful possession of a firearm statutes are unconstitutional as they constitute a due process violation.  Defense attorneys representing those accused of unlawful possession of a firearm should move to dismiss the charges and - if nothing else - preserve the issue for appeal.
Overturn, expunge, vacate your drug conviction

Overturn Your Conviction!

New laws make it easier to overturn your conviction! I was recently retained by an individual to vacate 11 separate convictions from his record that are dispersed across 8 jurisdictions and concern conduct spanning from 1995 to 2018 – all of which, as soon as the courts get through the backlogs created by the chaos of 2020 and these decisions, will be vacated!
Illustration of a police badge

When Is It Legal To Use Force Against A Police Officer?

Historically, a suspect had the right to resist an unlawful arrest by a police officer so long as the force applied was proportional to the threat presented.