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Top-Ranked Bankruptcy Lawyers in Clearwater, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.29 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked bankruptcy lawyers in Clearwater, Florida are Timothy Blaise Perenich (LexRank 80.00), Carolyn L Secor (78.60) and Rachel Marie Wagoner (76.40).

This ranking lists 9 bankruptcy lawyers in Clearwater, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 0 to 34 years in practice. 2 of the 9 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
9
Fully verified
9 of 9

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Timothy Blaise Perenich

    Perenich Law · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 34 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 17.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
  2. No change

    Carolyn L Secor

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 1.40 points behind #1, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 17.9)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    1.40 points behind #1 (Timothy Blaise Perenich): Data quality −1.4.

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

  3. No change

    Rachel Marie Wagoner

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 22 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 76.40: strongest in Experience (26.4/30) and Data quality (10/10). 2.20 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 26.4/30 (ranking avg 17.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)

    2.20 points behind #2 (Carolyn L Secor): Experience −3.6.

  4. No change

    Christopher Frederic Ikerd

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 76.20: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 0.20 points behind #3, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 17.9)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    0.20 points behind #3 (Rachel Marie Wagoner): Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Michael Andrew Ziegler “Mike”

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 16 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 69.20: strongest in Experience (19.2/30) and Data quality (10/10). 7.00 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 19.2/30 (ranking avg 17.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)

    7.00 points behind #4 (Christopher Frederic Ikerd): Experience −8.4.

  6. No change

    Nicholas Joseph Roefaro

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 15 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 68.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (18/30). 1.20 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 17.9)

    1.20 points behind #5 (Michael Andrew Ziegler “Mike”): Experience −1.2.

  7. No change

    Jay Jehad Maswadi “JAY”

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 7 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 58.40: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (8.4/30). 9.60 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 8.4/30 (ranking avg 17.9)

    9.60 points behind #6 (Nicholas Joseph Roefaro): Experience −9.6.

  8. No change

    Joshua William Bethea “The Florida Man Lawyer”

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 1 year experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 51.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (1.2/30). 7.20 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 1.2/30 (ranking avg 17.9)

    7.20 points behind #7 (Jay Jehad Maswadi “JAY”): Experience −7.2.

  9. No change

    Jonathan Michael Bendana

    Independent practice · Clearwater, FL

    Verified
    • 0 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 50.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (0/30). 1.20 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 0/30 (ranking avg 17.9)

    1.20 points behind #8 (Joshua William Bethea “The Florida Man Lawyer”): 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 · 9 profile pages91 facts for 9 lawyers

Bankruptcy market in Clearwater

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers and 1 law firm in bankruptcy law in Clearwater, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
9
Law firms
1
Verified professional data
9 of 9
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
16 years9 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 Clearwater

What sets these Clearwater 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 9 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 0 to 34 (median 16)
Languages besides English Spanish (2), Arabic (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Stetson University College of Law (2 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Clearwater office address and bankruptcy as a practice area on record. It compares 9 bankruptcy lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in bankruptcy, 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

Bankruptcy is federal law, but Florida decides what property a debtor keeps: filing stops most collection at once, and Florida protects a homestead and a vehicle worth up to $5,000.

Rule What it means
Automatic stay Filing a bankruptcy petition stops most collection actions and lawsuits against the debtor (11 U.S.C. § 362(a))
Credit counseling An individual must take a budget and credit counseling briefing from an approved agency within the 180 days before filing (11 U.S.C. § 109(h))
Repeat Chapter 7 No Chapter 7 discharge if the debtor received one in a case filed within the previous 8 years (11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(8))
Chapter 13 plan A repayment plan runs for at most 5 years (11 U.S.C. § 1322(d))
Meeting of creditors The U.S. trustee holds a meeting of creditors in every case (11 U.S.C. § 341)
Florida homestead A home is protected up to one-half acre inside a city or 160 acres outside one (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4)
Florida vehicle and property A vehicle up to $5,000, and other personal property up to $4,000 if no homestead exemption is claimed (Fla. Stat. § 222.25)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Pinellas County is in Florida's Sixth 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.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

Does filing bankruptcy stop collection calls and lawsuits?

Yes, in most cases. Under 11 U.S.C. § 362(a), filing the petition stops most collection actions and lawsuits against the debtor at once, with the exceptions the statute lists.

Do I need credit counseling before filing bankruptcy?

Yes. An individual must receive a budget and credit counseling briefing from an approved nonprofit agency within the 180 days before filing, under 11 U.S.C. § 109(h), unless an exception applies.

Can I keep my house if I file bankruptcy in Florida?

Florida protects a homestead from forced sale up to one-half acre inside a city or 160 acres outside one (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4). In bankruptcy, federal law caps the protection for home equity acquired in the 1,215 days before filing (11 U.S.C. § 522(p)), so ask a lawyer about your dates.

How often can I file Chapter 7?

A Chapter 7 discharge is denied if you received one in a case filed within the previous 8 years (11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(8)).

How long does a Chapter 13 plan last?

At most 5 years. A debtor whose income is below the Florida median usually has a 3-year plan, which the court may extend to 5 years for cause (11 U.S.C. § 1322(d)).

Which court handles cases in Clearwater?

State court cases in Pinellas County are heard in Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit. Bankruptcy cases are filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the federal district that includes the county instead.

Are there Spanish-speaking bankruptcy lawyers in Clearwater?

Yes. 2 of the 9 ranked lawyers list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

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?

9 of the 9 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Timothy Blaise Perenich, Carolyn L Secor, Rachel Marie Wagoner, Christopher Frederic Ikerd and Michael Andrew Ziegler “Mike” and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Timothy Blaise Perenich scores 80.00 and Carolyn L Secor 78.60, a gap of 1.40 points, mostly in data quality. 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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