Marion County Probate Lawyers

Ms. Kerkhoff is a general civil attorney who also handles probate an trust administrations throughout the State of Florida. She prepares estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, various types of deeds, contracts and business entity formation to provide peace of mind to families. Ms. Kerkhoff is a dispositive motion writer in both state and federal courts in Florida and accepts cases from individuals, firms and corporate clients to narrow issues and prepare cases for trial. Call today for a free consultation. (727) 300-6701

Many people ask me why I wanted to be an Attorney. It is a simple answer - It is what I always wanted to do. Everyone deserves a voice in a matter. That voice should be compassionate and realistic. That voice should explain to you what is going on in plain English. I went back to school later in life. I graduated with Honors, but the most important part of my journey was being a research assistant. Part of my job was to keep the first year students on track to succeed in Law School. I...

Attorney Patrick L. Smith was born in Lakeland, Florida. He graduated from Lake Region High School and went on to receive degrees in Political Science and Economics from Stetson University. He received his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Prior to coming to Pippen & Associates, Patrick Smith worked at the Walt Disney World East coast tax department from 2002-2003. Patrick Smith is currently an attorney practicing in the fields of estate planning, corporations, and charitable giving. In addition to his current position as a partner at Pippen & Associates, he serves on the...

Dallas Hedstrom is a proud Palatka native who earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from The University of Central Florida in 2007. From there, she went on to the Florida Coastal School of Law, graduating with her Juris Doctor in 2010. For two years following law school, she worked as an associate attorney at a Jacksonville general practice law firm handling cases related to estate planning, family law, criminal defense, contracts, and landlord-tenant actions. She now focuses mainly on probate and estate planning and works to provide clients with thorough, knowledgeable representation. Call Hedstrom and Harris today to...

Todd Mazenko is a decorated U.S. Navy veteran who received his law degree from the University of Florida (Cum Laude). Attorney Mazenko is the founder and owner of the Mazenko Elder Law Firm located in Mount Dora, Florida. His law practice focuses on estate planning, probate, Medicaid Planning, and will contests and trust litigation. Attorney Mazenko is the chairman of the Advent Health Waterman Foundation Board of Directors, is a member of the Christian Legal Society and is active in his local Church. He also serves as a volunteer for several Veteran’s groups including the Wounded Warrior Project...

Florida Bar Board Certified Elder Law Attorney focused on providing custom solutions and personalized legal and asset protection planning for caregivers and families in Northeast Florida. Offices located in Jacksonville, FL and Orange Park, FL. Kellen is a partner and co-founder of Berg Bryant Elder Law Group after having spent 7 years building his own practice from scratch. Kellen started his solo practice at 26 years old during the 2009 recession, with no contacts and no prior legal experience in elder law. Kellen has since built a practice that has served over 1500 families and supports a full office staff to...

I grew up in a large NAVY family. My father flew out of Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base in the sixties and I fell in love with the Tampa Bay community. After law school I came back to Florida to pursue my legal career with a passion for helping out individuals and families. I really enjoy the waterfront lifestyle here (when I can find the time to do so). I have a strong and long serving staff that makes client communication a top priority. My greatest joy is to work alongside my clients to help...

The passion to practice law is #1 in my life! I enjoy the everyday opportunity to work with individuals, families and businesses; I help them to save time and trouble! Outside of work, I enjoy a number of activities and hobbies. For me, travel is paramount; I have been to all 50 US States, seven of seven continents and 117 countries! I enjoy photography (travel and landscape particularly), public speaking, non-fiction reading, creative writing and publishing articles, visiting art museums, jazz, gardening, hiking, kayaking, backgammon, attending performing arts and theatre productions, and dining on exotic cuisine. I have offices in Winter Haven and...

Wendy A. Mara attended Stetson University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1993
Ms. Mara taught language arts in high school for 13 years. While teaching full time, she earned her MBA degree from the University of Central Florida in 2006. Deciding to pursue a legal career, she entered law school at Florida Coastal School of Law where she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class. While in law school, she was a teaching and research assistant, earned the Dean’s Certificate for Pro Bono Work and became an award winning oralist for the Jessup International Moot Court Competition....

Jason Turchin, Esq. is an Attorney, Author, Media Correspondent, Producer and Entrepreneur who has handled more than 6,500 Personal Injury, Accident, Product Liability, Life Insurance, and Wrongful Death Claims. Jason has appeared throughout the national and international news on various legal topics, including car accidents, wrongful death, product liability, Takata airbag shrapnel claims, exploding pressure cooker claims, life insurance, personal injury and more. Several major media outlets have turned to Jason for legal opinions or stories on his cases, including CBS Evening News, Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald, Bloomberg News, CBS Miami, Orlando Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, Telemundo, The New...

The firm works with Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Wills, & Trusts, Probate, Elder Law, Guardianship, Gun Trust, NFA Firearms, NFA Trust, Gun rights, Probate, Probate Litigation, Trusts, and Trust Litigation. Licensed in Texas and Florida

I give families peace of mind by helping them create estate plans that make sure their family is protected upon their death of incapacity. I also help families in difficult times when their elder is no longer to safely stay home due to the aging or disease process by helping protect assets and apply for Medicaid and VA benefits.

I was fortunate to grow up in Pinellas County with my father being a well-known and respected attorney. With my father’s encouragement and my own passion for helping others, I knew that estate planning and elder law was the career path for...

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...

Monica Balyasny is a licensed attorney in the States of Florida and New York. She is fluent in both English and Russian.

Mrs. Balyasny graduated from John Jay College with a Bachelors in Science in Criminal Justice in 2012. After graduation, she moved to South Florida to attend Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad College of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctor in 2018. While in law school, Mrs. Balyasny received her concentration in Health Law while actively participating in extracurricular activities at Nova. She was a representative for the Jewish Law Society Association and a member of the “Pulse” Health...

RISE UP LEGAL | Cain & Cain Wills & Trusts | Probate & Trust Administration | Business & Bankruptcy We help families with their estate planning, from basic Wills & Trusts to complex Private Family Foundations. Execute or update your Revocable Living Trust, Last Will & Testament, Durable Power of Attorney, HIPAA waiver, and nominate a Healthcare Surrogate. We also handle Florida Probate and Trust Administration matters. We generally represent Successor Trustees or Personal Representatives in this regard, helping them through the process of tracking, managing, and distributing estate assets. Finally, our firm offers business planning and asset protection. ...

You might find it helpful when selecting a lawyer to know a bit about them. You probably know all lawyers have to graduate from law school, but beyond the basics, who are they? As for me, you should know that I'm married to my wife Joan, and I have five children. They are all hard working, and each had their turn cleaning my Orlando office growing up. They are and will remain the most important part of my life. They are the lights of my life.

I met my wife Joan at a Methodist church picnic. We were married in...

David Pilcher is an attorney for the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. He specializes in Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration, Guardianship, Business Entity Formation, Business Law, Commercial Litigation, and Civil Litigation.

He is a native to Florida, born in Orlando and raised in Sanford. He attended Brigham Young University on a full academic scholarship, receiving his B.S degree in Computer Science.

He worked for large companies including IBM before deciding on a career in law. David Pilcher returned to Brigham Young University (once again on scholarship) to its J. Reuben Clark Law School...

We assist families avoid impoverishment from long term care and nursing home expense by qualifying their loved ones for Medicaid and VA benefits. We prepare Wills, Trusts and Durable Powers of Attorney and settle Estates and Trusts. We seek maximum recovery when loved ones are abused or neglected in a Nursing Home or ALF. Ted moved to Florida in 1960 from Michigan and began his firm in 1990. Over the 32 years that he has been in practice, Ted has helped many hundreds of families qualify for Medicaid and protect the assets that they have worked a lifetime to...

Walt Shurden is a Florida Board Certifed Elder Law Attorney and a former Georgia CPA who used to audit nursing homes and hopitals for a Medicare contractor. Now he represents families who seek Medicaid and VA eligibility because they need help paying for the high cost of long term care. He devises estate plans and asset protection plans for his clients. He also serves as fiduciary, and represents other fiduciaries in probate and trust administration proceedings. All four staff members are experienced and have been with the firm for over 10 years.

James W. Martin is an experienced probate attorney in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida with the highest lawyer ratings on Justia, Super Lawyers, Martindale, and Avvo and 50 years of law practice experience. Pinellas County probate matters are his primary focus. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law and serves on the Board of the Dali Museum. He welcomes new clients in Pinellas County probate cases involving wills, trusts, and probate estates. Most cases begin with a free phone consultation where he learns the facts of the case and decides whether it is one that...

Jason Mark Ranew is a litigation and corporate attorney for the Central Florida full service law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. Mr. Ranew practices Corporate Law, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law, Estate Planning, and Probate. He received his B.A. in Finance from Hillsdale College in 1998 and his J.D. from University of Akron in 2002.

Jason E. Havens is a Partner at Holland & Knight LLP, practicing in its Jacksonville (also serving Ponte Vedra Beach) and Tallahassee (also serving Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, and Rosemary Beach) locations. He specializes in complex estate and charitable gift planning (domestic and international), probate/trust administration, and probate/trust litigation for affluent individuals and families and on behalf of charitable organizations. He is admitted to practice law in Florida and Tennessee. Mr. Havens received his LL.M. in International Taxation from Regent University, his LL.M. in Estate Planning from the University of Miami, his J.D. from the University of...

Peggy is a founding partner of The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan, a family wealth and legacy planning law firm specializing in wills, trusts and estates and elder law. She is a three-time Stetson University graduate receiving her B.B.A., cum laude, in 1981, her M.B.A. in 1982 and her J.D., cum laude, in 1993. Her passion is her pets - all of them - including 4 horses, 6 dogs and 2 cats! She enjoys long distance trail riding on Heaven and Vogue. Peggy practices in the areas of family wealth and legacy counselling, including trust and estate planning...

A Queens, New York native graduating from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany in Political Science, History and a minor in Criminal Justice in 2010. Ms. Whitfield graduated Ave Maria School of Law, in Naples, FL in 2013 and became a member of the Florida Bar in 2015. She has established a practice in the Tampa Bay area where she lives and works. Having established several areas of practice including Estate Planning, Probate, Immigration, Criminal Defense, and Business Law matters. Her passion is to help those in her community through the court system with their legal issues and...

Judy-Ann Smith, BSN, MS, JD My passion as an attorney is being able to help people. Resolving someone’s legal issues is the most rewarding aspect of the work I do. I am an empathetic and compassionate lawyer, willing to listen to my clients’ issues, to get a deeper understanding of what they would like to achieve and accomplish. Most importantly, I am an assertive advocate for all my clients and I will fight for what is fair and just according to the laws of the land. My practice areas range from family law to estate planning and probate. I have extensive success...

Markus A. Sermons, Esquire is a litigation attorney focusing in the areas of Probate, Guardianships, Divorce, and other Family Law issues, along with Trust Litigation, and general Civil Litigation. Prior to starting Sermons Law, PLLC, he spent several years in the Office of the Public Defender litigating criminal matters in the Juvenile and Felony divisions, but began his law career with the Office of the State Attorney as a Legal Trainee. With countless hearings and many jury and bench trials to his credit, Mr. Sermons has extensive courtroom experience.

Additionally, Mr. Sermons has also worked with...

Katherine is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She is the immediate Past-President of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association. She is a member of the Jacksonville Chapter, D.A.R.. She attended Riverside Presbyterian Day School and is a graduate of The Bolles School. She is happily married to Cameron Naugle, owner of Naugle Funeral Home and has two small children, Abigail and Logan, who are the light of her life. Katherine graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University in 1998. She then graduated with a Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law in 2001, and an M.B.A. from...

Jerrold E. Slutzky, J.D., CFP® is a Florida-licensed Attorney at Law and owner of The Slutzky Law Firm, which focuses primarily on Estate Planning Services ( wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, health care surrogate designations, living wills, probate, guardianships, etc.) and Small Business Legal Services (start-ups, buy-sell agreements, drafting of legal documents, contract negotiations, succession planning, and general business law, counseling, and advice. Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Illinois ( Champaign -Urbana ), and a Juris Doctor Degree in Law from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois