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Guardianship

Top-Ranked Guardianship Lawyers in Bradenton, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.26 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked guardianship lawyers in Bradenton, Florida are Anne Sheffler Douglass (LexRank 80.00), William Donovan Shaffer “Will” (70.40) and Jessica Wright “Jessica Wright” (69.20).

This ranking lists 6 guardianship lawyers in Bradenton, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 9 to 48 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
6
Fully verified
6 of 6

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    Anne Sheffler Douglass

    Independent practice · Bradenton, FL

    Verified
    • 48 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
  2. No change

    William Donovan Shaffer “Will”

    Independent practice · Bradenton, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 70.40: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (20.4/30). 9.60 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    9.60 points behind #1 (Anne Sheffler Douglass): Experience −9.6.

  3. No change

    Jessica Wright “Jessica Wright”

    Independent practice · Bradenton, FL

    Verified
    • 16 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 69.20: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (19.2/30). 1.20 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Experience 19.2/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    1.20 points behind #2 (William Donovan Shaffer “Will”): Experience −1.2.

  4. No change

    Robert Matthew Elliott

    Independent practice · Bradenton, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 69.00: strongest in Experience (24/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 0.20 points behind #3, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 19.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    0.20 points behind #3 (Jessica Wright “Jessica Wright”): Practice-area relevance −5.

  5. No change

    Jami Carrel Worley

    Independent practice · Bradenton, FL

    Verified
    • 9 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 60.80: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (10.8/30). 8.20 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.3)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Experience 10.8/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    8.20 points behind #4 (Robert Matthew Elliott): Experience −13.2.

  6. No change

    M. Brandon Robinson “Brandon”

    Independent practice · Bradenton, FL

    Verified
    • 11 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 58.20: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (13.2/30). 2.60 points behind #5, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 10)

    Held back by

    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 19.6)

    2.60 points behind #5 (Jami Carrel Worley): Practice-area relevance −5.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 6 profile pages62 facts for 6 lawyers

Guardianship market in Bradenton

LexRanked tracks 6 lawyers in guardianship law in Bradenton, Florida. 6 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
6
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
6 of 6
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
16.5 years6 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Bradenton

What sets these Bradenton lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 6 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 9 to 48 (median 16.5)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Stetson University College of Law (3 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Bradenton office address and guardianship as a practice area on record. It compares 6 guardianship lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in guardianship, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

A Florida guardianship starts with a verified petition to determine incapacity, and the court-appointed guardian must report to the court within 60 days and file a plan every year; the ward keeps rights such as yearly review and restoration as soon as possible.

Rule What it means
Petition Any adult may file a verified petition to determine that a person is incapacitated (Fla. Stat. § 744.3201)
Who may serve A Florida resident 18 or older; a nonresident only if related to the ward as the statute lists (§ 744.309)
Disqualification A person convicted of a felony may not serve as guardian (§ 744.309(3))
Initial report The guardian files an inventory or initial plan within 60 days after letters of guardianship are signed (§ 744.362)
Annual plan A guardian of the person files an annual guardianship plan within 90 days after the anniversary month (§ 744.367)
Rights kept The ward keeps rights including an annual review, continuing review of restrictions and restoration to capacity at the earliest possible time (§ 744.3215)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Manatee County is in Florida's Twelfth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

Who can file for guardianship in Florida?

Any adult may file a verified petition to determine that a person is incapacitated, under section 744.3201. The court then decides on capacity and on who should serve as guardian.

Can someone outside Florida be a guardian?

Only if related to the ward in a way section 744.309 lists, such as by blood or adoption, or the spouse of such a relative. Florida residents 18 or older may serve unless disqualified.

Who cannot be a guardian in Florida?

A person convicted of a felony, or one who cannot carry out the duties because of incapacity or illness or is otherwise unsuitable (section 744.309(3)).

What reports must a Florida guardian file?

An initial report within 60 days after letters are signed (section 744.362) and, for a guardian of the person, an annual guardianship plan within 90 days after the anniversary month (section 744.367).

What rights does a person under guardianship keep?

Among others, an annual review of the guardianship report and plan, continuing review of any restriction of rights and restoration to capacity at the earliest possible time (section 744.3215).

Which court handles cases in Bradenton?

State court cases in Manatee County are heard in Florida's Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

6 of the 6 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Anne Sheffler Douglass, William Donovan Shaffer “Will”, Jessica Wright “Jessica Wright”, Robert Matthew Elliott and Jami Carrel Worley and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Anne Sheffler Douglass scores 80.00 and William Donovan Shaffer “Will” 70.40, a gap of 9.60 points, mostly in experience. Compare them side by side

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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