Laurel Divorce Lawyers

Melissa Karp Elsbree has lived in Sarasota since 1972. After graduating high school, she attended The American University in Washington, D.C., obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in 1983. Melissa subsequently earned her J.D. degree from Florida State University College of Law in December of 1990, immediately began her law practice in her hometown of Sarasota, and has practiced exclusively in Sarasota since that time. Formerly a partner of Karp & Karp, P.A., Melissa has longstanding experience in handling complex civil litigation matters, concentrated primarily in the areas of family law and divorce, foreclosure defense...

I practice law from my office in Venice, Florida. My practice areas include Divorce and Family Law, Business and Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, and Probate and Trust Litigation.

I am a registered patent attorney and member of the Florida Bar. I am licensed to practice law in the State of Florida.

I graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 2012 with my J.D., and I graduated from Tulane University with a B.S. in both Finance and Cellular Biology (2009).

I take a solution oriented approach to solving the legal problems of my clients. Whether that is a...

Brice Van Elswyk started his professional career as an investment banker in 1998. Over the next 14 years, Brice worked for several international investment banks eventually specializing in structured products with complex tax, accounting and regulatory capital constraints. Working closely with the top international law firms in the world as an investment banker inspired Brice to leave wall street behind and go to law school. Brice spent the next seven years at the State Attorney’s Office for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida. While at the State Attorney’s Office, Brice prosecuted crimes ranging from misdemeanors such as DUI’s and domestic batteries, all...

When you are considering divorce, you should not settle for just another lawyer. At Boeller Law, P.A., a Venice divorce attorney offers compassionate and diligent counsel for a variety of family law matters that focuses on the client’s emotional wellbeing during difficult moments. The firm’s attorney is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator who also holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. The team draws on both experiences when serving clients—they aim to help clients navigate through a divorce emotionally intact. The firm is dedicated to removing the stress involved in contentious matters such as divorce....

Kevin Sanderson serves your legal needs throughout all of West Central Florida, including Sarasota, Casey Key, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Bradenton, North Port, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Arcadia, Englewood, and Naples.

Education
Kevin F. Sanderson is a graduate of Boston University (B.A., Psychology) and obtained his juris doctor from St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, FL. He continued his education, obtaining his LL.M. (legal laureate masters) in international taxation and offshore finance, also at St. Thomas University School of Law. Kevin was born and raised in New Jersey.

Licenses
Mr. Sanderson is a member of the Florida Bar, a member...

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...

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 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...

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 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...

Ms. Loftus offers a concierge approach to her clients. She begins with the assumption that each case calls for special handling, since no two family law cases are alike. After the initial consultation, she works with her clients closely, to provide them with a basic understanding of Florida family law proceedings. Ms. Loftus and the client are then able to work together to ensure that there are articulated, agreed-upon, legitimate and realistic goals. After the goals are established, Ms. Loftus provides her clients with a range of options designed to meet those objectives. She reviews the advantages and disadvantages of...

After law school I was a prosecuting attorney for the State of Florida. This provided invaluable preparation for my future career in litigation. While working as a prosecutor, I recognized a need for attorneys with real litigation experience in Family Law.

I often represent clients that are having their first legal experience through a divorce. I am dedicated to client education as the first step towards achieving a successful outcome. By providing information and legal knowledge, our clients can then be active participants in their cases.

I have represented hundreds of clients with divorce and family law needs. Clients benefit from clear...

Originally from Buffalo, New York with an NY bar license still in effect, I have been living in Sarasota for the last 25 years. My Florida Bar license was obtained in 1978 and I have been practicing since then in the fields of personal injury and family law. I believe in settling cases with mediation when possible and saving clients both time and money whenever possible. I am a member of the Florida Justice Association and believe my motto of "Talk to a lawyer who cares " should be followed. My web page is www.divorcelawyersarasota.com where additional information including client...

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...

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,...

Whitney C. Coyne received his Juris Doctorate from The Florida State University College of Law in 2001. He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2002 and during that time has had the opportunity to litigate thousands of cases.Coyne Law, P.A. is dedicated to zealously advocating on behalf of our clients. Attorney Whitney Coyne has been practicing in the Sarasota/Bradenton area for over 15 years. During that time, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge to assist his clients with any situation or need that has arisen due to their legal issues. Mr. Coyne began his career as...

Mrs. Patel is a local resident of North Port, Florida where she lives with her husband and their 2 small children. She graduated from Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida in 2022 and is passionate about family law. Mrs. Patel is a firm believer in helping clients set their financial and family goals before a divorce is filed, and planning the process out to ensure a mutual resolution is achieved. If a divorce has already been filed, Mrs. Patel will work with her clients to understand what the other side is requesting, and zealously advocating for her client's...

Mr. Friedland is currently licensed to practice law in the State of Florida and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family, Appellate, and Circuit Civil Mediator. Mr. Friedland graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 1972 and from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1975. Mr. Friedland practiced in Connecticut from 1975 through 1988 when he relocated his practice to Sarasota, Florida. He is a member of the Family Law, Alternate Dispute Resolution Section, and the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Sections of the Florida Bar, Sarasota County Bar Association, and American...

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...

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.

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...

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