ADA Defense

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Auto Accidents

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Child Support & Alimony

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Civil Litigation

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Civil Rights Defense

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Collaborative Law

Collaborative family law is a process in which both parties take charge of negotiating their divorce, post judgment matters, and/or future relationship instead of leaving it to their lawyers or the courts. In collaborative family law, each party hires a specially trained and certified collaborative attorney who is a legal advisor and settlement specialist, and all four work together in a cooperative, non-adversarial process with a mutual goal of reaching a fair settlement of all issues.

Consumer Rights

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Criminal Defense

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Divorce Law

The traditional divorce is an adversarial process in which the parties are unable to agree on decisions concerning parenting, division of property, alimony, and child support. The attorney advocates positions based on the personal needs and viewpoints of the client. The attorney provides legal advice and represents the positions of the client in negotiations and court hearings.

D.U.I. Defense

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Elder Law

As we get older, many of us are faced with difficult and important decisions regarding our health care and our financial welfare. I am a lawyer who helps families protect their assets and plan for the future through the use of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, guardianships, living wills and health care directives.

Estate Administration

The provisions of a will, or state statutes in the absence of a will, usually determine how an individual's debts are paid and assets are distributed upon his or her death. Estate administration includes the probate process as well as non-probate transfers of the deceased's assets, such as life insurance, annuities, qualified plans, and trust assets and compliance with applicable estate tax requirements.

Estate Planning

Advice as to the basic building blocks of any thoroughly thought-out, well-written estate plan: the will or trust that transfers your property at death; the power of attorney that helps in transfers of property and health care decisions during your lifetime; a living will to help you avoid the cost and family strife that results when a person is in a persistent vegetative state; and the health care surrogate designation that identifies the person who will make your health care decisions if you become unable to do so.

Estate Planning for Families

If you or your spouse passes away, the impact on surviving family members can be significant from both an emotional and financial perspective. A comprehensive estate plan can help minimize this impact by securing assets for your family, facilitating the probate process and establishing guardianships for your children. In addition, should an accident or illness leave you disabled, a living will or healthcare proxy can make end-of-life decisions much less difficult for your family. Consequently, even if you're just starting a family and are still young, an estate plan is an effective means of addressing important legal and financial matters that will directly impact your family.

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Landlord / Tenant

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Out of State Clients

People throughout the United States buy primary or secondary homes in Florida. Many go on to become seasonal or full-time Florida residents during their retirement years. This often leads to complex estates, with property and family members in different states. Advice and assistance from a Florida attorney can protect your interests both when buying property and when planning your estate. A Florida attorney can also efficiently distribute property to beneficiaries after death.

Parenting Plans

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Personal Injury

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Probate & Trust Administration

Probate is the legal process by which a person's will is validated by the Probate Court. The provisions of the will dictate how the individual's debts are paid and assets are distributed upon death. Estate administration includes the probate process as well as non-probate transfers of the deceased's assets, such as life insurance, annuities, qualified plans, and trust assets and compliance with applicable estate tax requirements.

Probate & Trust Litigation

There are many circumstances in which a beneficiary who has been wrongfully deprived of his or her inheritance can recover what is rightfully theirs. The procedures usually involve attacking the will or trust that deprived the beneficiary in the first place. In addition, gifts made before death can be overturned if they were procured by fraud or undue influence.

Real Estate Closing Services

The final act in the purchase or sale of a home can be extremely complicated, with substantial amounts of money changing hands and equally substantial obligations between individuals spelled out in accordance with state and federal requirements.

Real Estate Litigation

The development, ownership, sale or purchase of real property can, unfortunately, lead to disputes that can only be resolved through litigation. Real estate litigation can result from complex title issues, commercial leases, property insurance, broker listing agreements, loan agreements and mortgages. Government regulations can also trigger litigation arising from guidelines in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Residential & Commercial Real Estate

When you need a real estate lawyer for a residential or commercial transaction, you should expect a lawyer with a track record of performance in concert with mortgage lenders, title companies, builders and real estate brokers.

Settling the Estate

The surviving spouse or adult beneficiaries should be able to settle the estate without much difficulty. Assets owned jointly or with a beneficiary designation are not subject to probate or trust administration.

Other important financial considerations in settling an estate are life insurance policy and annuity contracts, out-of-state assets, the roles of creditors and rights of a surviving spouse, if any.

Summary Administration

Expedited proceedings for estates valued at less than $75,000 or when the decedent has been dead for more than two years.

Caveat: Summary Administration is useful only when an administrator is not necessary. The property is distributed directly to the beneficiaries by court order and cannot be sold from the estate.

Estate Planning for Families