South Bay Family Lawyers

Caryn A. Van Matre, Attorney at Law, has been representing families in Northwest Florida in a variety of family law matters since 1993. Our practice first opened in the downtown Pensacola historic district, which is where our office remains. We represent clients involved in family law disputes in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Our focus areas include divorce and modification actions involving alimony, child custody, time-sharing and support and asset protection. We also assist clients in establishing paternity rights and support obligations for children. Associated with these matters are issues of enforcement and contempt...

I have been practicing law for over 17 years and for the majority of that time have practiced in some area of family law. In the last three years, however, I have devoted my practice on a full time basis to areas of family law and probate document preparation. The technicalities and long term implications of handling family law matters are often less than obvious. The legal forms available for pro se individuals are sometimes insufficient to address all the long term effects of decisions made today. Though engaging an attorney in what seems to be...

Matt has been named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine for seven years running. His peer review rating by other lawyers in the community is the highest possible rating (AV Martindale Hubbell). He maintains a 10.0 (Superb) rating through Avvo.com. Ask around about us. Look us up and see what our clients have to say about us. We have built our reputation one client at a time and would be honored to add you to our list of satisfied clients.

ELERLAW is a general trial practice law firm handling all family, criminal and general litigation matters in both State and Federal courts.

My 30 year legal career began as Assistant State Attorney in Duval County where I prosecuted criminal offenses.

For approximately 20 years thereafter I was a private practitioner in Jacksonville. I started as an associate attorney at the law Offices of Tassone & Ferebee and represented clients in criminal and civil litigation. I then went on to partner of Tassone & Eler, with a focus on complex and major litigation practices in criminal and...

We specialize in helping persons who are going through transitions which involve court actions because of divorce, family disputes, business disputes, criminal allegations and probate actions. We proactively help people and businesses plan for the future through wills, guardianships, trusts, incorporation and business planning. In addition, part of our practice helps persons qualify for disability income. Jeanine's background in criminal and family trials, mediation and economics is part of the experience that she uses to help persons secure their financial and emotional futures for themselves, their families and their businesses. Jeanine is a North Florida...

When you hire an attorney, you deserve caring and compassionate service from a competent professional. You also deserve solid, timely advice from someone you can trust. Finally, you deserve a zealous advocate that is prepared to represent your interests.

Attorney Michael Tupper is uniquely positioned to become your trusted legal adviser and advocate.

Experience:
Licensed to practice in the State of Florida since 2004.
Years of experience in the courtroom and numerous non-jury trials.
Experienced appellate advocate.

Admitted to Practice:
Supreme Court of the State of Florida (2004)
U.S. District Court - Middle District of Florida (2013

Education:
Graduate of...

Multiple locations in Jacksonville, Florida and the Midwest (Columbus and Marietta, Ohio): Our firm practices broadly in immigration and international law, assisting businesses and individuals with US immigration issues (including visas, greencards, and citizenship). Ms. Bunn has practiced immigration law exclusively since her law school graduation in 2000. She serves as the national liaison to the USCIS-Jacksonville offices and was elected to this position by her peers in 2000. She is active in her communities and is married to a first-generation immigrant from the Mediterranean. Her husband is also a Navy officer and pilot and she assists many military families...

Aggressive, Effective and Efficient! Ms. Brennan is a leading lady trial lawyer with over 30 years experience. You want Ms. Brennan on your side. Call now (904) 903-8233.

I have been a member of the Family Law Committee of the Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association and have participated as a speaker on Family Law topics. I am a member of the Florida Bar (both in Family Law and Criminal Law Sections), Escambia/Santa Rosa Criminal Defense Society and The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. I received my law degree from Florida State University College of Law (1994), and have been a member of the following Bar and Courts: Florida Bar since 1995; Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals for the Northern and Middle District of Florida since 1995. I am...

Attorney Ophelia Bernal-Mora graduated with her law degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2004. She was admitted to The Florida Bar and the U.S. Middle District Court of Florida, Mrs. Bernal-Mora has represented well over 1,000 clients in her career thus far.

Mrs. Bernal-Mora's has a strong litigation background, her experience and the focus of her practice remain with family law. Divorce, child custody, mediation, paternity, domestic violence, child support, alimony, and family law appeals are just some of the cases in which Mrs. Bernal-Mora has assisted her clients.

What differentiates Ophelia from other lawyers is over 10 years of experience...

A native Floridian who was raised in the Tampa Bay area, Mrs. Joyner is an alumnus of Plant City High School. She continued her education at Florida Gulf Coast University, graduating summa cum laude. Thereafter, she earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Florida A&M University College of Law graduating cum laude while maintaining full-time employment, actively participating in the Cherry Chapter of the International Legal Fraternity of Phi Alpha Delta, and volunteering at her son’s elementary school and cub scout den.

Mrs. Joyner is admitted to practice in all Florida courts as well as the United States...

William Vásquez is a native of Queens, NY. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000-2007. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and received the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his work as a Spanish linguist for the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2005. William graduated from Campbell University in 2007 with a degree in computer science. He earned his J.D. in 2011 from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. His practice areas include immigration law and criminal defense cases. He is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of North Carolina and...

Sherri K. DeWitt was born and grew up in Middletown, New York. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1982 and has been authorized to practice before the U.S District Court of the Middle District of Florida since 1983 and before the U.S. Court of Appeal since 1985. She received her B.A. Cum Laude in 1973 and Ph.D. in 1977 from State University of New York at Binghamton. Dr. DeWitt received her J.D. Degree from Cornell University in 1982. She was an editor of the Cornell Law Review and is the author of a book and numerous articles. Dr....

Board Certified Marital & Family Law attorney for Tampa Bay area.

Lee Karina Dani received her B.A. in psychology from Florida State University in 2000 and is a 2003 graduate of the University Of Florida College Of Law. Ms. Dani was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2004 and has been an associate with Korshak & Associates, P.A., since her admittance. Since joining the firm, Ms. Dani has handled hundreds of cases including civil litigation, probate, guardianships, divorces, child support, child custody, stepparent adoption, landlord/tenant, disputes with homeowners' associations, personal injury, and commercial and residential closings. Ms. Dani is the managing attorney for the probate, family law and guardianship sections of...

Pi Sigma Alpha; Pi Gamma Mu. Recipient, Chester H. Ferguson Scholarship. Certified Family Law Mediator, 2000-2006. Co-Editor: "Modification of Child Support," Florida Proceedings After Dissolution of Marriage," Ninth Edition (2008). Speaker, "Working With Divorce Clients and Opposing Counsel," Half Moon Seminars, (2002). Member, Family Law Inn of Tampa, American Inns of Court, (2000-2005). Member, Board of Directors, Vetmade Industries, Inc.

Mr. David A. Faulkner received his undergraduate degree in criminal justice/criminology from Florida State University. He later attended law school at FSU and received his Juris Doctorate with honors. Mr. Faulkner has practiced law for over 21 years. He focuses in the areas of criminal law and family law. In addition to practicing law, Mr. Faulkner is also a Florida Class C Licensed Private Investigator as well as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator.

I have been a resident of the Sarasota area for most of my life, attended Pine View School, and am fluent in Spanish. Upon obtaining my law degree, I knew I wanted to return to the Sarasota County area and started work immediately as an Assistant State Attorney in Sarasota County, where I worked as a misdemeanor and juvenile prosecutor for several years. Since leaving the prosecutor’s office, I have practiced in the areas of civil litigation, insurance defense, family law, domestic violence and criminal defense. My practice is focused on all aspects of the firm’s...

I am a trial attorney with more than nineteen years of courtroom experience helping individuals, couples, and families in Polk and Hardee Counties. I hold a Martindale-Hubbell AV Rating for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability. Due to the nature of my practice, I appear before the judges in the Family Law division practically every day of the week. Through my years of trial work I have grown to recognize which cases may ultimately have to be tried and which cases may be resolved without going to court. By focusing on solutions to my client’s problems rather than...

Managing Attorney of Bates-Buchanan & Savtisky Law Group since 2011 when the private law firm Bates-Buchanan Law Group, which is now Bates-Buchanan & Savitsky Law Group added Susannah Savitsky as a partner in October 2012. Specializes in Probate, Estate Planning, Trust Managment, Collaborative non- litigation family law cases, as well as animal trust planning, real estate and collections law, foreclosure defense, landlord/tenant law and bankruptcy. Dawn Marie is a graduate of Venice High School, Venice, FL and University of South Florida in Tampa. She graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 1998 and worked for Community Legal Services of...

I have practiced law for 32 years. My experience is broad, but has mostly focused on litigation, court practice, and document drafting and review. I have MANY YEARS of courtroom experience. I handle a variety of family and criminal law issues including, but not limited to, divorce, child support enforcement, alimony issues, parenting issues, domestic violence injunctions, mediation, DUI's, drug offenses, battery, probation violations, and theft-related offenses, among many others. I also provide many estate planning services, including the drafting of documents such as, Wills, Power of Attorney (durable or for a limited purpose), and Advance Healthcare Directives (Living Wills,...

Taylor is an associate attorney in our Orlando office, serving numerous counties throughout Central Florida. She helps parents, spouses, and families envision their new normal outside of the legal process. She provides a unique quality to the legal practice, as she has been noted for being able to hone in on the individual and family within each case and provide a level of service that leaves client’s feeling heard, acknowledged, and aggressively represented. Taylor was one of three students in her graduating class to participate in the accelerated law degree program, allowing her to complete her undergraduate degree and law degree...

Wayne F. Jentis, Esq.

• Member in Good Standing of the State of Florida Bar

• Member in Good Standing of the State of New Jersey Bar

• Member in Good Standing of the State of New York Bar

• Admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• Member Brevard County Bar Association

• Member Florida Bar Association and Family Law Section

• Member of the American Bar Association

• Member New Jersey Bar Association and Family Law Section

• Member Mercer County Bar Association

• Prior Law Clerk to the Honorable F. Lee Forrester.
(During Presiding Judgeship of the Family Part, Superior...

Keersten Heskin Martinez has over 20 years experience and is one of the few attorneys that is board certified in Marital and Family Law. A partner at a civil litigation firm for many years, she recently started The Heskin Martinez Law Group to focus solely on family law. Keersten tries to resolve cases amicably if possible. However, if not possible, she has the experience necessary to aggressively represent her client's interests in Court.

Caryna Fuller is your local legal advocate with a deep connection to the Tampa community that will fight for your rights. An experienced trial attorney with over 7 years as a seasoned prosecutor and the past 3 years specializing in personal injury claims. Fluent in Spanish, Caryna brings a diverse skill set, ensuring effective communication and representation.

Cheri Hobbs is a co-owner and managing partner of Compass Law. Cheri grew up in a family where service was not just something that was talked about, but something that was practiced daily in their lives. As a daughter of missionaries, she grew up helping people from all walks of life. From living with Indian tribes in the Amazon forest, to serving the needy in orphanages, to taking in domestic violence victims into their home, Cheri has always seen first-hand the real need that exists in all of humanity. It is this perspective and sincere compassion that propelled her into...

Michael Severe attended Revelle College at the University of California, San Diego, graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science, and minoring in English Literature. After graduation from University, Mr. Severe worked for seven years at Costco Wholesale as a department manager. During this time, Mr. Severe came to understand value of interacting with consumers. Mr. Severe prided himself on ensuring that both he and staff provided the highest quality care to the warehouse members. Mr. Severe left Costco in 2007 to spend some time in the area of finance assisting overseas investors, mainly form the U.K., to enter...

I was born and raised in the farmlands of the Midwestern United States. I earned an Associate in Science degree from Lincoln Trail College, marking a significant milestone as the first person in my family to obtain a college degree. My educational journey continued at Southern Illinois University, where I achieved both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry. My legal education began at the University of Houston and concluded at Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana, where I graduated with a Juris Doctorate cum laude in 2008. During my time in law school,...

EXPERIENCE: President, University of Miami School of Law Family Law Society 1999-2000, Criminal Law Society, Author: Drugs a Process of Death Florida Police Chiefs Association, Computer Animation Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Will it Become Tomorrow's New Form of Substantive Evidence? If so, Should it Be? University of Miami School of Law. CALI Award for RICO University of Miami School of Law, Member Golden Key National Honors Society University of Central Florida; Chief of Police City Of Oak Hill Florida 1988-1991Youngest Police Chief In Florida; Lake County Sheriff's Office, Investigator in Charge of Intelligence and Organized Crime 1985-1988; Lead Investigator 5th...