Alachua County Probate Lawyers

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...

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...

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 was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, where I continue to live and work. My journey in law began after completing my education at Riverside Presbyterian Day School and The Bolles School. I pursued higher education at Emory University, where I obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1998. I furthered my studies at Stetson University, earning both a Juris Doctorate and an M.B.A. in 2001 from the College of Law and School of Business Administration, respectively. I am married to Cameron Naugle, who runs Naugle Funeral Home, and we are blessed with two children, Abigail and Logan. My family is...

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...

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...

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...

Attorney Joy Owenby serves clients throughout Florida with aggressive and relentless representation for a wide-range of practice areas. While her knowledge and experience are extensive, Attorney Owenby particularly handles matters involving divorce, adoption, trusts / wills, probate, criminal defense, child support, and family law. Over the course of the years, she has obtained much recognition and has become an accomplished lawyer with an Avvo Rating. Prior to the founding of Owenby Law, P.A., Attorney Owenby serves as legal counsel for Florida’s Guardian ad Litem Program. During this time, she explored the intricacies of family law which have allowed her...

In 2016, Carla Trinca-Conley joined Berg Bryant Elder Law Group, PLLC, where she specializes in assisting elderly individuals and their families. Carla is passionate about getting to know each client's unique story and tailoring her legal services to their needs. She is a Board-Certified Elder Law attorney by the Florida Bar. At Berg Bryant, Carla is the lead attorney for guardianship cases, including guardianships over incapacitated adults, guardian advocacy proceedings for developmentally disabled individuals over 18, and guardianship proceedings for minors with funds from personal injury actions or inheritance. Carla is committed to helping her clients navigate the requirements of...

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...

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...

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.

Matthew C. Shapiro is a seasoned attorney concentrating in wills, trusts, estates, and civil litigation. Mr. Shapiro graduated with honors from Florida International University, ranking in the top ten of his class. His distinguished academic background laid a strong foundation for his legal career, where he has consistently demonstrated expertise and excellence. During his career, Mr. Shapiro has provided comprehensive estate planning services to thousands of clients, expertly drafting crucial documents such as revocable living trusts of varying complexities, wills, powers of attorney, health care surrogates, living wills, enhanced life estate deeds, trust amendments, and codicils. Having served as the lead or...

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...

WaveCrest Legal, P.A. was established to provide efficient, effective, and intelligent legal services to the greater Jacksonville Beaches area by incorporating business acumen with legal expertise. Our commitment is simple: compassionate client service and integrity in everything we do. Some of our areas of legal expertise are estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, guardianship, and business law.

Katherine Barski is an associate attorney with the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. Her primary areas of practice are Estate planning, Probate, Litigation, Elder Law, and Real Estate. She received her M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University (1993) and her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law (1996). Ms. Barski has held the distinction of SuperLawyer since 2016.

ADMITTED -Florida and U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1974 EDUCATION -Florida State University -B.S., 1972 -J.D., with Honors, 1974 -Law Clerk to the Industrial Relations Commission, 1973 PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS -Author: “Evaluating Job Searches and Earnings in a Self-Employment Setting,” News and 440 Report (Summer 1988) -“Wage Loss Under the New Worker’s Compensation Statute,” 63 Florida Bar Journal 10 (November 1989) -Guest Speaker, “The 1989 Legislative Changes Concerning Workers’ Compensation,” South Florida Risk and Insurance Management Society (February 1990) -Instructor, State of Florida approved for Adjuster Continuing Legal Education, 1991 MEMBERSHIPS -Orange County Bar Association -American Bar Association -The Florida Bar -Member, Worker’s Compensation Section -The Association of Trial Lawyers of America -Board Certified Workers’...

John W. Zielinski attended the University of Illinois, earning his bachelor's degree in 1983 and his Juris doctorate in 1986. Mr. Zielinski has more than 25 years of civil litigation experience, practicing in several jurisdictions, including Florida (2001) and Illinois (1986). He litigates disputes in both state and federal courts, including the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and the United States District Courts for the Middle District of Florida. He routinely and successfully litigates civil disputes, including commercial contract disputes, real estate contracts, commercial and residential landlord/tenant disagreements, mortgage foreclosure cases, and contested wills. In...

Attorney L. Reed Bloodworth, Founder and CEO of Bloodworth Law, PLLC, is a Florida U.S. News & World Report Best Lawyer® in Commercial Litigation Award 2019-22; in Trusts & Estates Litigation 2022; and in Real Estate Litigation 2022. Bloodworth Law is a U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Firm" 2020-22 and has established itself with an office in Orlando and one in Winter Haven. Reed, a 2019-22 Super Lawyer, was named a Florida Trend’s Magazine Florida Legal Elite™ in Civil, Commercial Litigation 2017-19, 2021, a group of less than 1.3% of Florida's attorneys. Reed has been an attorney since 2004...

Lisa M. Super is a real estate attorney with the Central Florida full service law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. Ms. Super has worked for title companies and legal practices since 2014, starting in Naples and then relocating to Orlando. Her practice areas include Residential Real Estate, Commercial Real Estate, Contract Law, Civil Litigation, Business Law, and Probate. She received her J.D. from the Ave Maria School of Law and her B.A. from Eastern Michigan University. She spent time as a student in Germany and is fluent in both English and German.

Keith Patrick Arago is a litigation attorney with the Central Florida full service law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. He practices Commercial Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Consumer Litigation, Probate Litigation, Defamation (Slander/Libel) Litigation. Mr. Arago attended Franciscan University of Steubenville for his undergraduate studies. He received his Bachelor of Arts in History in 2008. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2011. He is a member of the Christian Legal Society, Catholic Lawyers Guild, and Osceola County Bar Association. He has received numerous awards, including the Francis Parkman...

Providing expectional service to discerning clients in Central Florida for over 25 years in probate and estate planning matters, Astrid de Parry has extensive civil trial practice experience representing a broad range of interests. Upon graduating from Cornell University Law School in 1977, Ms. de Parry served as Assistant University Counsel for Cornell University from 1977 to 1980. Thereafter, she served as General Counsel for the University of Alaska Statewide System of Higher Education from 1980 to 1985. After moving to Florida in 1985, Astrid de Parry went to work for a large law firm in Orlando, focusing on...

Marcus Thompson attended the University of Georgia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism/Advertising. During his senior year, Marcus studied international media and history at Oxford University. He attained his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. During law school, Marcus clerked at a St. Petersburg law firm and gained a wide variety of experience handling cases in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense, business litigation, family law, and civil litigation. After law school and his admission to the Florida Bar, Marcus returned to his hometown of St. Augustine to build his...

Lyudmyla is passionate about representing each client to achieve the best possible outcome though numerous methodologies in resolving disputes including negotiation, pre-litigation mediation, litigation, and trial or arbitration. Her practice areas include: construction-related disputes, construction defect litigation, business disputes, including breach of contract and trade secrets claims, trusts and estates contests, protection of beneficiaries' interests in probate litigation. flbridgetrust.com

Gregory J. Lesak, Jr., places great emphasis on attaining a profound comprehension of his clients' underlying businesses and their specific needs. While being results-driven and assertive, Mr. Lesak consistently prioritizes cost-effectiveness in all his endeavors. With extensive experience as a transactional attorney and litigation attorney, he has cultivated a unique perspective in assisting clients. His dual role as both client and attorney equips him with a comprehensive understanding of clients' business requirements and enables him to solve problems effectively. As a solution-oriented lawyer with a strong foundation in business knowledge, Mr. Lesak views problem-solving as the core responsibility of legal...

Anthony “Tony” Chauncey practices in the areas of Bankruptcy, Foreclosure Defense, Criminal Defense, Traffic Citations, Family Law, and Personal Injury. Mr. Chauncey has counseled clients in many areas of the law including representation of numerous individuals and business entities in transactional and litigation proceedings in Florida’s state, federal, and bankruptcy courts. Mr. Chauncey has helped thousands of clients achieve a fresh start financially using the federal bankruptcy laws. He is experienced in Chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13 under the Federal Bankruptcy Code. His criminal practice includes the defense of clients accused of crimes such as DUI, traffic offenses, drug...

Andrea Anderson is an Of Counsel attorney for the Central Florida full service law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. Ms. Anderson is a graduate of Touro College, having received her J.D. in 1998. Since then, she has become licensed to practice law in Connecticut, New York, and Florida. Ms. Anderson practices a wide variety of areas, including Family Law, Probate, and Personal Injury. Her focus is in Bankruptcy and Criminal Law.

Attorney Kristine L. Tucker began her legal career in 2004 as a probate and estates paralegal shortly after moving to the Central Florida Area. The ability to comfort and assist people during some of their most difficult times, such as during the death or incapacity of a loved one, has always been of the utmost importance to her. In 2011, she began attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, College of Law, with the hope of receiving her law degree and continuing on in the area of trusts and estates.

Karen Harkness Houser is an attorney with the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns, operating out of the firm's Melbourne office. She specializes in Commercial & Residential Real Estate, Corporate Law, Estate Planning, and Elder Law.

She graduated from Virginia Tech with her B.S. in 1981 and received her J.D. from the St. Thomas University School of Law in 1991. In 1992, Ms. Houser earned her LL.M in Taxation from the esteemed College of William and Mary.

She has handled numerous cases including Office, Warehouse, Shopping Center & Hotel Projects, Acquisition & Disposition of Raw Land, Construction...

William "Bill" Wieland is an attorney for the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. He operates out of the firm's Melbourne and Orlando locations.

He graduated Pre-Med from Wake Forest University in 1973, and received his J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law of Samford University in 1984. Mr. Wieland has over 30 years' experience and practices in a wide array of fields.

He began his focus in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Products Liability, Insurance Defense, and Medical Malpractice. In 2004 he became a title insurance agent, expanding his practice areas even further to include Real...

Clay was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida in 2010. He then worked in the Orlando area and began law school the next year at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Orlando where he received his Juris Doctorate degree in 2014. He enjoys learning about the world around him and spending time doing outdoor activities. Coming from a large family, he is very passionate about helping others through his legal services.

S.I. "Sandy" Valbh is an Of Counsel attorney for the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. He practices Business Law, Estate Planning & Probate Law, Tax Law, Civil Litigation, and Commercial Litigation.

He received his B.S. from Florida State University, double-majoring in Finance and Accounting (1994). He earned his J.D. from Drake University College of Law (graduating With Honors in 1997) and his LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center (graduating With Distinction in 1998).

Mr. Valbh assists with Estate and Trust Administration, Business and Commercial Transactions, Corporate and Partnership Tax Planning, and representation before the Internal...

Justin Brick is an estate planning & probate attorney with the Central Florida full service law firm, Bogin, Munns & Munns. He serves the Orlando, Kissimmee, and Clermont areas. His areas of practice include Estate Planning, Probate, Trust Administration, Real Estate Transactions, and Landlord/Tenant matters. Justin received his undergraduate degree in Geoscience from Pennsylvania State University and his law degree from Barry University School of Law located in Orlando, Florida. While at Barry, Justin earned the highest grade (the book award) in Construction Law; Criminal Procedure; Animal Rights Law; Copyright Law; and Legal Research and Writing II. He...

Elan is a graduate of NYU School of Law (Masters in Tax Law), Emory University School of Law (Juris Doctorate), and Florida State University. Elan has devoted her practice (over 16 years) to estate planning, estate administration, tax and business law. She is respected by her peers and loved by her clients for her compassionate, knowledgeable approach to each matter she handles.

Andrew “Andy” Pascale. Andrew is a South Florida native. He attended the University of Central Florida where he achieved a B.S. degree in Business Management. He then went on to attend and graduate from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law School. Andrew prides himself on excellent client commutation, as well as strong legal research, writing and advocacy skills.

Professional: Admitted to The Florida Bar on September 17, 2002 (Bar Number 0568831); licensed as a Florida Certified Public Accountant (License Number AC34985) on June 11, 2002; admitted to the Federal Bar, United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, on November 13, 2002; United States Tax Court. on July 29, 2008. Personal: Born Lakeland, Florida, on February 8, 1967. Married to Melody A. Shipley nee Cottingham of New Port Richey, Florida on January 29, 1994. Three sons and two daughters. Education: B.S. in Management, The Florida State University, 1994 B.S. in Accounting, The...