Parrish Family Lawyers

Born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, Richard Ellis graduated with honors from the University of Florida in 1976 and received his law degree from Loyola University New Orleans in 1979. Mr. Ellis has served on the City of Sarasota Planning Board, City of Sarasota Board of Adjustment, and currently serves as Special Magistrate for the City of Sarasota, a position he has held since 1999.

Mr. Ellis has filed in excess of 5,000 Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases over the past three decades and has handled hundreds of family law matters since beginning practice in 1979.

Mr. Ellis spends his...

I have 25 years experience in the legal field as a law clerk, judicial clerk, legal intern and attorney. Since 2000, I've had my own private law practice which has been a general law practice in the past. In the last several years, I have limited my practice areas to certain legal fields. Now approximately 95% of my practice is focused on divorce and family law.

I am a Partner in the Law Office of Ayo & Iken PLC, focused on all facets of Family Law. My practice areas include Uncontested and Contested Divorces (Equitable Distribution, Alimony, Time Sharing, Child Support), Paternity (time sharing and child support), Adoptions (Step-parent and relative), Dependency (DCF), and Domestic Violence (DVI).

I received my B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Florida in 2005. My J.D. was completed at Florida Coastal School of Law in 2008. For over 10 years, I have been practicing Family Law in Florida.

Confidence in my abilities and a fearlessness in the courtroom set...

Paul M. McDermott, Esq., practices exclusively in the area of Marital and Family Law. He has experience in litigation, mediation, and collaboration. After practicing law in Virginia for many years as a trial lawyer, he relocated to Florida and founded McDermott Law Offices, PLLC and now practices exclusively in the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida, which includes Manatee County and Sarasota County.

Mr. McDermott is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator. He is also trained in Collaborative Divorce Law, an emerging field within the Alternative Dispute Resolution realm focused on resolving cases with a "team" approach...

Experience, Respect and Reputation in the community for over 19 years. Dedicated and Aggressive Trial Defense, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Law, Domestic Violence, Family Law/Divorce, Probate, Estate Planning and Guardianship cases. Member United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, July 17, 1998 Member United States Middle District of Florida, August 14, 1998 Member of Sarasota County Bar Association, 1998-2017 Founding Member and Board of Directors of the Collaborative Family Law Professionals of Sarasota/Manatee Graduated Nova Southeastern University, Juris Doctor, January 31, 1998 Associate Editor for Nova Southeastern University Journal of International & Comparative...

James "Jay" Horne, Jr., is an AV Preeminent Rated trial attorney. He focuses his practice on medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death matters. He has successfully represented clients from intake through trial in state and federal court.

Jay and his team of medical professionals can handle any complex medical malpractice case. He has handled cases involving Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse (SUPC), misdiagnosis and misreading of MRIs and other diagnostic methods, which resulted in catastrophic injuries to the patient. A new study published by John Hopkins Professor of Surgery, Martin Makary, indicated that Medical errors,...

I am a native of central Georgia until I moved to Florida in 2011. While in Georgia, I attended Georgia Institute of Technology for Aerospace Engineering and obtained my degree in Business Administration and Business Economics from Georgia State University. After graduating from Georgia State in 2010, I moved to central Florida to attend Barry University School of Law, starting August 2011. In summer of 2012, I began an internship for a criminal defense attorney in Orlando, focusing on white collar defense. By late 2012, I was gaining experience family law matters and made the decision to shift...

I am a graduate of Boston University School of Law and have practiced in the area for over 35 years. I was formerly the Director of Litigation and supervisor of the Immigration Unit at Gulfcoast Legal Services.I have represented clients in all types of immigration matters, including family petitions, U-Visas cases, Removal of conditions, VAWA Self Petitions, Citizenship, Consular Processing, Application for Green Card, 601-A Waiver Applications, Asylum, Cancellation of Removal and Removal Defense.I also have experience filing immigration appeals in federal court.
i have been a speaker for AILA CFC annual conference and for FILIAA on immigration matters as...

For over 30 years Edward B. Sobel has provided specialized advice and representation for individuals involved in complex family law matters. Since 1991 he has been board certified by the Florida Bar as an expert in marital and family law. His areas of practice include Florida and interstate divorce, jurisdictional issues, prenuptial agreements, post nuptial agreements, domestic violence, paternity, parent, nonparent and grandparent child custody and timesharing, and alimony and child support. Mr. Sobel appears in original and modification cases. He has represented clients in numerous appeals, with many published opinions. His office is in Bradenton,...

With more than 20 years of Florida & NY City experience as an attorney, I am dedicated to fight for your legal rights. My family law practice includes divorce, adoptions and custody disputes. My personal injury experience includes complex litigation including a variety of medical malpractice cases.

My business law experience includes contracts, franchise law; commercial leases; sales of business entities; and bulk asset sales. I have further expertise in residential real estate sales.

My virtual office and traveling legal practice allow me to pass savings on to my clients. This winning combination has resulted in highly satisfied clients,...

Anthonia “Toni” Imudia graduated from Stetson University College of Law with a JD/MBA degree. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree from Columbia University in the City of New York. She also attended the University of Miami and graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

Toni has been an advocate for the most vulnerable in her community. She has years of experience in practice management, including providing visionary leadership and performance improvement strategies for organizations. Understanding the challenges of the medical field and their pursuit of finding qualified talent from around the world...

Mark Nelson is a third generation Florida lawyer. He was born in St. Petersburg Florida and moved to Bradenton Florida in 1987. He represents individuals, small businesses and large businesses primarily in civil litigation matters. In addition to being a licensed Florida lawyer, Mark Nelson is a Florida Supreme court certified circuit court mediator.

Paul Grondahl is a Massachusetts native who has made Florida home for twenty years. He earned a business degree from Bryant University in 1991 and his law degree from the University of Miami in 1996. Paul is Vice-Chairman of the Manatee County Family Law Section and a member of the Florida Bar's Family Law and Trial Lawyers Sections. Paul began his practice in 1996 as a personal injury trial lawyer in West Palm Beach, where he spent many years trying cases on behalf of prominent insurance companies. He now utilizes that trial experience to represent victims of automobile and other...

Robert is passionate about family law. Divorce and custody cases are just different from other types of litigation. Robert’s practice attempts to resolve divorce cases using collaborative divorce, mediation, uncontested divorces, and resolving divorce cases before any paperwork is filed with the court. Robert believes most divorce cases can be resolved using these non-litigation methods.

Kristi grew up in the Midwest and graduated from Manchester University in 2010 with a degree in political science and peace studies. Before attending Whittier Law School, she moved to Florida and began working as a paralegal in a Brandon, Florida firm practicing in estate planning and probate. During law school, Kristi was an extern for the Honorable Scott C. Clarkson of the United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. She also worked in the Law School’s Children’s Rights Clinic and represented the interests of parents and special needs students exposed to unique legal issues regarding the Individuals with...

John Cole has over 40 years of experience in bankruptcy ;aw and family law. His office is located in Sarasota Florida. In bankruptcy he has represented both individuals and companies assisting them in both Chapter 111 reorganizations and in liquidation proceedings under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. He is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. He was a member of the Law Review at the University of Florida where he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree with honors. Prior to law school he was an offcier in the United States navy and graduated from Auburn...

Jonathan May, Esq., M.A. studied communications at the University of Illinois, the University of Miami and Law at Nova Southeastern University. Attorney May developed skills in leadership, teaching, coaching and physical training as a collegiate football coach with the University of Miami, University of Illinois and Florida International University.
Attorney May then became a communications professor and has taught at over sixteen schools in the area. This is a unique background that has helped contribute to his success in the legal field. Most people are not aware that a communications background involves education and the development of...

Brett Szematowicz is originally from Chicago, Illinois, but moved to Tampa when he was in 1991. He attended high school locally at Tampa Preparatory School and graduated in 1999. Mr. Szematowicz attended college at The American University in Washington, D.C. and graduated with a B.A. in Justice. While at The American University, Mr. Szematowicz was a member of the highly selective Leadership Program in the School of Public Affairs. Mr. Szematowicz attended South Texas College of Law, located in Houston, Texas. During law school, Mr. Szematowicz interned with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office in...

Sarah is a trial-tested litigator Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar who also is experienced in collaborative divorce. She is a Certified Family Law Mediator by The Florida Supreme Court and serves as a Guardian ad Litem. Sarah is passionate about supporting her community by helping families resolve, reduce and perhaps even prevent family conflicts in positive, effective, efficient, and dignified ways. Because Sarah is experienced in both private dispute resolution and litigation, her family law and special needs law clients can choose from options that are the most beneficial to their cases....

Attorney Jason M. Melton, is a founding partner of Whittel & Melton. As a former state prosecutor, he continues fighting for victims bringing in some of the largest single event results in Central Florida. Jason is a lifetime member of the Multi-Million and Million Dollar Advocates Forum, AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and continues to be listed among SuperLawyers in Florida by Thomson Reuters. He is a Founding Member of the National Academy of Motorcycle Injury Lawyers, and in 2023 was named President. Attorney Melton is dedicated to providing clients with personalized, high-quality representation. We handle Auto Accidents, Slip and Fall, Injury, Nursing...

At the Law Office of Gale Moore, we are dedicated to helping clients restructure their families privately and respectfully. We practice both litigation and out-of-court dispute resolution though over the course of time we have expanded our out-of-court practice focusing on collaborative divorce and family law, mediation and direct negotiations. We maintain this out-of-court practice because we strongly believe that family disputes should be resolved in a private conference room, not in a hostile and public courtroom environment. As a result we bring a more peacemaking approach to family law.

Prior to opening her private law...

Christopher G. Frey is an accomplished lawyer with vast experience in representing clients in a wide range of cases. He has interned with State Attorney Mark Ober and clerked for the U.S. Supreme court. Chris was media consultant for numerous national media outlets and lectured on the law. He is a former Vice President of the Hernando County Bar Association and is actively involved in the community. Chris has tried over 250 jury trials to verdict and is currently practicing at Frey Law, P.A. in Tampa, Florida.

Attorney Darla K. Snead is a Polk County Florida native and focuses her family law and personal injury practice in the Central Florida area. Ms. Snead is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator and a Florida Arbitrator. She has been practicing law for over 25 years and has experience representing clients in many different areas of the law including family law, divorce, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and personal injury. Ms. Snead started Darla K. Snead, P.L. in 2009 after leaving a law firm in Lakeland, Florida where she was a partner in a firm practicing on the defense...

In January 1997, I founded the law firm of Lynette Silon-Laguna, P.A., now known as All Family Law Group, P.A. We are experienced and responsive attorneys concentrating in the areas of divorce, child custody/visitation/child support, stepparent and relative adoptions and name changes, as well as criminal defense, and consumer, personal bankruptcy.

Our objective is to provide professional and informed representation in the most expeditious and economical manner possible in consideration of each client's circumstances. Amicable settlement is the ultimate goal, if it is possible, to avoid the financial and emotional cost of litigation. Although we strive for an amicable resolution...

I am a former prosecutor in both Sarasota, Florida and Maui, Hawaii. I have prosecuted and defended some of the most serious crimes.

My focus is provided the highest caliber legal representation to all of my clients in contested legal matters. Your right to a trial by jury is a fundamental right if you have been injured in an accident, accused of a crime or suffered a wrong at the result of someone else's behavior. I differentiate my practice in that I routinely try cases before juries and courts.

I am authorized to practice in all state and federal courts for...

Gary Jodat enjoys living in Sarasota with his wife, 2 younger children and their dog Drake, a Yorkshire Terrier. During leisure time, his family enjoys swimming, boating and the beach. The 3 older children attended Manatee County schools and are no longer at home. Gary R. Jodat is the founding attorney of Jodat Law Group, P.A. started in 1994. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1993 and his undergraduate degree from Roger Williams University. Fresh out of law school he was an Assistant Public Defender trying criminal, Juvenile...

Moses DeWitt is a native Floridian and has lived in Central Florida since 1985. After graduating from Winter Park High School, he went on to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia to receive his undergraduate degree in Political Science and to Florida State University College of Law to receive his Juris Doctor. Mr. DeWitt is a regular commentator for the News Junkie on Real Radio 104.1. Although Mr. DeWitt has a wide array of legal experience, today he limits his practice primarily to domestic, commercial, personal injury, and real estate litigation. Additionally, Mr. DeWitt handles appellate matters and has prevailed for...

I am a practicing attorney with over twenty-seven years experience in Florida and New York. I currently actively litigating family law cases including modification of alimony, domestication of a foreign decree and dissolution of marriage cases. Additionally, I am appearing as local counsel for Plaintiff’s in debt collection, mortgage foreclosure and insurance subrogation cases. I previously served as a Child Support Hearing Officer/Magistrate for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, Bradenton, Florida.

Your family and your financial security are two of the most important areas of your life. At Quinn & Lynch, our attorneys have over 40 years of experience in the area of Marital & Family Law. Mary Quinn is a Florida Bar Board Certified Lawyer in the area of Marital & Family Law. Board Certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism in ethics in practice. Mrs. Quinn is also rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell. AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell reflects an attorney’s skill, experience, integrity, and overall...