Mr. Joseph Lafayette Gufford III

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Mr. Joseph Lafayette Gufford III

Stuart, Florida

32 years of experience

Domestic Violence, General,

Florida

Biography

Joe Gufford has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1991. The Gufford Law Firm commitment is to provide exceptional client services that remain focused on results. We bring together attorneys and staff with decades experience.

At The Gufford Law Firm, we believe that both our attorneys and our staff must be knowledgeable about the specific areas of law that we practice in. That is why we ensure that each of our attorneys and staff members are constantly taking Continuing Legal Education courses so that we are up to date on the latest developments in the law. Joseph Gufford has also been a lecturer on legal developments to other members of the legal community. Additionally, not only is Joseph Gufford familiar with Courtroom procedures and local judges, but staff members are as well, as they frequently assist Mr. Gufford at trial. When Mr. Gufford has a trial or a complex hearing, the paralegal assigned to your matter will also be present. This allows Mr. Gufford to focus on the judge and his presentation in the Courtroom as opposed to fumbling about for exhibits or case law.

In each and every case involving a trial, Joe Gufford and his staff will prepare a trial notebook and a trial outline, that frequently becomes the guidebook for the trial. Not only is the trial notebook/outline helpful for the attorney but it frequently sets the pace and order of presentation of the evidence. The mere preparation of the trial notebook/outline forces the attorney and his staff to focus in on key issues long before the trial of the case. Ultimately, this process frequently results in a smoother and more precise presentation of the evidence. To learn more about the Joseph Gufford and the other lawyers at our firm, please review the profiles below or contact our office to schedule your free initial consultation.

Practice Areas

Divorce

Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce

Family Law

Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, Victims Rights , Victims Rights

Estate Planning

Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills

Personal Injury

Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death

Military Law

Veteran's Benefits

Elder Law

Arbitration & Mediation

Business Arbitration, Consumer Arbitration, Family Arbitration

Business Law

Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes

Fees

Free Consultation - We believe strongly that the potential new client of the firm needs to get to know us and vice versa. We have to feel comfortable that we can accomplish the client's goals and the client has to feel comfortable that we can do the same. We do not accept every case that comes through the door, but, we do take the time to properly evaluate the situation and advise the client accordingly. Typically, our initial consultations last between 1-2 hours. During this time, we determine the status of the case, the client's goals and whether we can accomplish those goals given the various factors that exist. Many law offices charge for their initial consultations. We don't. While that results in a lot of time spent by us at no charge, we feel that regardless of whether you hire us or not, you will feel good about the experience and not just had a "meet and greet" session.
Credit Cards Accepted - We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover
Contingent Fees - In a very limited number of circumstances, we do accept cases on a contingency basis. However, in the area of family law, the Florida Bar has prohibited attorneys from taking on cases on a contingency type basis.
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information - $300.00-$400.00 PER HOUR depending upon the complexity of the case. We tailor our retainers to meet the needs of each client. Some client's needs are greater than others. For example, a client may have a fairly simplistic needs with respect to the enforcement of alimony or child support. Other clients may need the massive collection of evidence and the involvement of experts such as psychologists, physicians or forensic accountants. That's why we do a full interview of a potential client so that we can identify the scope of the work that we are faced with. We also have a full staff of paralegals. Each of them has spent most of their professional lives doing family law. Cheryl started off in law enforcement. Donna started off in forensic accounting. Or receptionist, Marcia, worked for one lawyer for decades until her attorney retired. We were lucky to get her on board. So, you have a complete TEAM working for you and they charge a much lesser hourly rate than Mr. Gufford.

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

Florida, Since 1991

Languages

English : Spoken, Written

Spanish : Spoken

Professional Experience

Chairman- Family Law Committee The Martin County Bar Association

Year: 2008 - 2008

Description:

Member The Florida Bar

Year: 1991 - Current

Description:

President The Gufford Law Firm, P.A.

Year: 1991 - Current

Description:

Professional Associations

American Association for Justice Member (2005 - 2008)

Florida Equal Justice Center Board Member for the State of Florida (2010 - 2010)

Florida Rural Legal Services Board Member for the State of Florida (2010 - 2010)

Martin County Bar Association, Family Law Committee Chairman (2010 - 2010)

Florida Bar Association &nbsp# 0879576 Member (1991 - Current)

Florida Bar, Family Law Section &nbsp# 0879576 Member (2001 - Current)

Publications

How to Fill Out a Family Law Financial Affidavit Joseph L. Gufford, III (November, 2012)

PDF Version of New Alimony/Custody Law that is pending before Governor Scott Florida Legislature (April, 2013)

Florida Governor Scott Veto of Senate Bill 718 on Alimony and Child Custody Governor Rick Scott

Awards

Client's Choice Award 2012

Avvo.com 2012.0

Note: Client's Choice Award 2012
Client Champion - Platinum

Martindale-Hubbell 2019.0
Pro Bono Service Award

Martin County Bar Association 2008.0

Note: 2008-2009 Martin County Bar Association Pro Bono Service AwardMartin County Bar Association2009
Board of Directors

Florida Rural Legal Services 2010.0

Note: Board of DirectorsFlorida Rural Legal Services2010
Top Contributor for Divorce

Avvo.com 2012.0
10.0 Rating

Justia Inc 2022.0
Top Ten Rated Divorce Attorney

Avvo.com 2012.0

Note: Rated 10.0 Superb by AVVO.com

Education

University of Florida B.A. | Political Science

Year: 1984 - 1988
Stetson University College of Law J.D. | Law

Year: 1988 - 1990

Honors: 3rd Place Stetson College of Law Closing Argument Competition

Speaking Engagements

Changes to Chapter 61 of the Florida Statutes Seminar, Conference of the Bench and the Bar in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties, Stuart, Florida, 2008, Martin County Family Law Committee, In 2008, the legislature made dramatic modifications to child custody and child support laws. This was a CLE course which was presided over by Mr. Gufford with a panel of Judges and questions & answer session and substantive materials authored by Mr. Gufford.

Certifications

Level 1 Firearms Instructor- almost completed: USCCA 2022

Websites

https://www.treasurecoastlawfirm.com/

Main Website for Divorce and Family Law Attorneys- The Gufford Law Firm

https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/34994-fl-joseph-gufford-1278904.html

Avvo.com for The Gufford law Firm

The Gufford Law Firm, P.A.

Address:

101 SE OCEAN BLVD., SUITE 201, Stuart, FL 34994

phone no.

(866) 603-9936

(772) 221-1922

(772) 221-1990

Fax:

(772) 221-1990

3 Reviews

3 out of 5

Write a Review

Joe Gufford is a smart and effective communicator of his arguments and his critical thinking skills are superior.

Chadwick Joseph Lawrence
July 1, 2022
Mr. Gufford and his team are amazing! My divorce was the most vicious divorce known to man. It was a high conflict case, with multiple domestic violence injunctions, and constant arguments every step of the way. My ex-husbands lawyer did nothing. They didn’t properly submit financials. They didn’t prepare the final judgement for our review. They literally fumbled through the entire process. Joe and his team picked up the slack, and helped get us to the mediation table, and were even the ones to set the final hearing date. (Which was the Petitioners responsibility) I walked out of mediation, on the first try feeling like I didn’t lose everything I’ve worked my life to build. I may have a broken heart, but at least I have a healthy foundation to start my life over. Without Joe’s help, encouragement, knowledge of the law, and most of all his uplifting kindness and support to pull me through it, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thank you so much!!

D. Carrington
June 28, 2022
In my experience, Joe is a great attorney who works hard for his clients and is knowledgeable about the law.

Leanne Lynn Ohle
June 28, 2022

Mr. Joseph Lafayette Gufford III

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