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Guardianship

Top-Ranked Guardianship Lawyers in Brandon, Florida

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

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked guardianship lawyers in Brandon, Florida are Joseph Scott Reed (LexRank 80.00), Mary Greenwood McDermott (75.00) and Daniel Gene Drake (71.93).

This ranking lists 6 guardianship lawyers in Brandon, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 13 to 40 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

    Joseph Scott Reed

    Independent practice · Brandon, FL

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

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

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 15.3)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.6)
  2. No change

    Mary Greenwood McDermott

    Independent practice · Brandon, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10). 5.00 points behind #1, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    5.00 points behind #1 (Joseph Scott Reed): Practice-area relevance −5.

  3. No change

    Daniel Gene Drake

    Independent practice · Brandon, FL

    Verified
    • 31 years experience
    • Bankruptcy · Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 71.93: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 3.07 points behind #2, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 24.6)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 15.3)

    3.07 points behind #2 (Mary Greenwood McDermott): Practice-area relevance −1.7, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  4. No change

    Dawn M. Chapman

    Independent practice · Brandon, FL

    Verified
    • 21 years experience
    • Bankruptcy · Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 68.53: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (25.2/30); held back by Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 3.40 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Experience 25.2/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    Held back by

    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 15.3)

    3.40 points behind #3 (Daniel Gene Drake): Experience −4.8.

  5. No change

    Ramsey William Scheuerle

    Independent practice · Brandon, FL

    Verified
    • 14 years experience
    • Bankruptcy · Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 61.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (16.8/30). 6.73 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    6.73 points behind #4 (Dawn M. Chapman): Experience −8.4.

  6. No change

    Vincent T. Lyon

    Independent practice · Brandon, FL

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

    Ranks #6 with 60.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (15.6/30). 1.20 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 24.6)

    1.20 points behind #5 (Ramsey William Scheuerle): Experience −1.2.

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 pages61 facts for 6 lawyers

Guardianship market in Brandon

LexRanked tracks 6 lawyers in guardianship law in Brandon, 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
25 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 Brandon

What sets these Brandon 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 13 to 40 (median 25)
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 Brandon 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 Hillsborough County is in Florida's Thirteenth 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 Brandon?

State court cases in Hillsborough County are heard in Florida's Thirteenth 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: Joseph Scott Reed, Mary Greenwood McDermott, Daniel Gene Drake, Dawn M. Chapman and Ramsey William Scheuerle and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Joseph Scott Reed scores 80.00 and Mary Greenwood McDermott 75.00, a gap of 5.00 points, mostly in practice-area relevance. 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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