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Mr. Joseph Lafayette Gufford III
Committed to You-We handle all things related to Family Law, Divorce, Paternity
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Biography
Joe Gufford has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1991. The Gufford Law Firm commitment is to provide exceptional client services that remain focused on results. We bring together attorneys and staff with decades experience.
At The Gufford Law Firm, we believe that both our attorneys and our staff must be knowledgeable about the specific areas of law that we practice in. That is why we ensure that each of our attorneys and staff members are constantly taking Continuing Legal Education courses so that we are up to date on the latest developments in the law. Joseph Gufford has also been a lecturer on legal developments to other members of the legal community. Additionally, not only is Joseph Gufford familiar with Courtroom procedures and local judges, but staff members are as well, as they frequently assist Mr. Gufford at trial. When Mr. Gufford has a trial or a complex hearing, the paralegal assigned to your matter will also be present. This allows Mr. Gufford to focus on the judge and his presentation in the Courtroom as opposed to fumbling about for exhibits or case law.
In each and every case involving a trial, Joe Gufford and his staff will prepare a trial notebook and a trial outline, that frequently becomes the guidebook for the trial. Not only is the trial notebook/outline helpful for the attorney but it frequently sets the pace and order of presentation of the evidence. The mere preparation of the trial notebook/outline forces the attorney and his staff to focus in on key issues long before the trial of the case. Ultimately, this process frequently results in a smoother and more precise presentation of the evidence. To learn more about the Joseph Gufford and the other lawyers at our firm, please review the profiles below or contact our office to schedule your free initial consultation.
Practice Areas
- Divorce
- Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
- Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, Victims Rights , Victims Rights
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Military Law
- Veteran's Benefits
- Elder Law
- Arbitration & Mediation
- Business - Arbitration/Mediation, Consumer - Arbitration/Mediation, Family - Arbitration/Mediation
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
Additional Practice Areas
- Baker Act
- General Civil
- Marchman Act
- Red Flag Law
- Risk Protection Orders
Fees
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Free Consultation
We believe strongly that the potential new client of the firm needs to get to know us and vice versa. We have to feel comfortable that we can accomplish the client's goals and the client has to feel comfortable that we can do the same. We do not accept every case that comes through the door, but, we do take the time to properly evaluate the situation and advise the client accordingly. Typically, our initial consultations last between 1-2 hours. During this time, we determine the status of the case, the client's goals and whether we can accomplish those goals given the various factors that exist. Many law offices charge for their initial consultations. We don't. While that results in a lot of time spent by us at no charge, we feel that regardless of whether you hire us or not, you will feel good about the experience and not just had a "meet and greet" session. -
Credit Cards Accepted
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover -
Contingent Fees
In a very limited number of circumstances, we do accept cases on a contingency basis. However, in the area of family law, the Florida Bar has prohibited attorneys from taking on cases on a contingency type basis. -
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
$300.00-$400.00 PER HOUR depending upon the complexity of the case. We tailor our retainers to meet the needs of each client. Some client's needs are greater than others. For example, a client may have a fairly simplistic needs with respect to the enforcement of alimony or child support. Other clients may need the massive collection of evidence and the involvement of experts such as psychologists, physicians or forensic accountants. That's why we do a full interview of a potential client so that we can identify the scope of the work that we are faced with. We also have a full staff of paralegals. Each of them has spent most of their professional lives doing family law. Cheryl started off in law enforcement. Donna started off in forensic accounting. Or receptionist, Marcia, worked for one lawyer for decades until her attorney retired. We were lucky to get her on board. So, you have a complete TEAM working for you and they charge a much lesser hourly rate than Mr. Gufford.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Florida
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Languages
- English: Spoken, Written
- Spanish: Spoken
Professional Experience
- Member
- The Florida Bar
- - Current
- President
- The Gufford Law Firm, P.A.
- - Current
- Chairman- Family Law Committee
- The Martin County Bar Association
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Education
- Stetson University College of Law
- J.D. | Law
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- Honors: 3rd Place Stetson College of Law Closing Argument Competition
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- University of Florida
- B.A. | Political Science
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Awards
- 10.0 Rating
- Justia Inc
- Client Champion - Platinum
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Top Ten Rated Divorce Attorney
- Avvo.com
- Rated 10.0 Superb by AVVO.com
- Client's Choice Award 2012
- Avvo.com
- Client's Choice Award 2012
- Top Contributor for Divorce
- Avvo.com
Professional Associations
- Florida Bar, Family Law Section # 0879576
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: The mission of the Family Law Committee is to promote the highest standards of professionalism and legal advocacy in the delivery of a wide array of family law services to Florida families as it seeks the consistent, fair, and expeditious administration of justice.
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- Florida Bar Association # 0879576
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: 31 years of practice in the areas of Divorce, Family Law, Child Custody, Alimony, Child Support, Domestic Violence, Marchman Act Cases, Baker Act Cases, Guardianships, Conservatorships, Adoptions, Parental Relocation under 61.13001, Temporary and Concurrent Custody by Relatives.
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- Martin County Bar Association, Family Law Committee
- Chairman
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- Activities: Working with fellow members of the Bar and the Judiciary on family law issues in the 19th Judicial Circuit. Also lecturing in the arena of family law with both the Bench and the Bar's involvement.
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- Florida Rural Legal Services
- Board Member for the State of Florida
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- Activities: Working on the statewide Board of Directors of Florida Rural for the purposes of budgeting and programming for the delivery of pro bono legal services for the poor.
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- Florida Equal Justice Center
- Board Member for the State of Florida
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- Activities: Justice-involved veterans are those who have previously served in the armed forces and have been arrested or incarcerated. These veterans are at high risk for psychiatric and substance disorders such as depression, violent behavior, homelessness, and alcohol abuse. Without the proper care and mental health treatment, the people who protected our nation, face a cycle of incarceration and substance dependency on levels higher than average justice-involved adults.
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- American Association for Justice
- Member
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- Activities: For over 70 years, AAJ has successfully defended Americans’ right to trial by jury. It fight continues each and every day to protect our practices, our clients’ rights, and our civil justice system.
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Publications
Articles & Publications
- Florida Governor Scott Veto of Senate Bill 718 on Alimony and Child Custody
- Governor Rick Scott
- PDF Version of New Alimony/Custody Law that is pending before Governor Scott
- Florida Legislature
- How to Fill Out a Family Law Financial Affidavit
- Joseph L. Gufford, III
Speaking Engagements
- Changes to Chapter 61 of the Florida Statutes Seminar, Conference of the Bench and the Bar in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties, Stuart, Florida
- Martin County Family Law Committee
- In 2008, the legislature made dramatic modifications to child custody and child support laws. This was a CLE course which was presided over by Mr. Gufford with a panel of Judges and questions & answer session and substantive materials authored by Mr. Gufford.
Certifications
- Level 1 Firearms Instructor- almost completed
- USCCA
- OK Corral Gun Club Competition Park Safety Certification Assessment
- OK Corral Gun Club
Grounds for Divorce in Florida- Juridiction, Residency Requirements and Other Related Issues
Legal Answers
8 Questions Answered
- Q. Will a Florida Judge order my 13 year old daughter to be returned to her grandmother that lives in a retirement home?
- A: I really need more background on the case to get an understanding of the nature of the claims being made and the procedural history of that matter. Courts are almost always going to recognize the superiority of a parent over a non-parent. That being said, there are situations such as abuse , abandonment and neglect that might have an impact on those natural rights that parents have over non-parents.
- Q. What sleeping arrangements does he need to provide for my daughter when she stays with them? My daughter is 8.
- A: Having a separate bedroom is not a requirement. But, that being said, such a small living place cannot be sufficient for so many people, regardless of whether they are children or adults. Consult with a qualified family law attorney ASAP
- Q. I need some answers on how I can get my child back. My child was taken because of domestic violence
- A: I’m not sure if the injunction was a civil one, a DCF injunction or a criminal no contact order. It may be a combination of things. In any event, you need to file an action for dissolution of marriage or a paternity action. I would strongly suggest that you hire a qualified family law attorney to do this for you as it appears complex due to the overall scenario
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