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Top-Ranked Family Lawyers in Coral Gables, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.25 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked family lawyers in Coral Gables, Florida are Luis Manuel Padron (LexRank 84.00), Ana Martin-Lavielle (84.00) and Robert Joseph Merlin “Bob” (84.00).

This ranking lists 5 family lawyers in Coral Gables, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 5 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 36 to 47 years in practice. 3 of the 5 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
5
Fully verified
5 of 5

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Luis Manuel Padron

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Family
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  2. No change

    Ana Martin-Lavielle

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Family
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  3. No change

    Robert Joseph Merlin “Bob”

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 47 years experience
    • Family
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  4. No change

    Barry Michael Wayne

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 39 years experience
    • Family
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
  5. No change

    Marcia Soto

    Independent practice · Coral Gables, FL

    Verified
    • 39 years experience
    • Family
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 82.60: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.40 points behind #4, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

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

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)

    1.40 points behind #4 (Barry Michael Wayne): Data quality −1.4.

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

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 · 2 profile pages23 facts for 2 lawyers

Family market in Coral Gables

LexRanked tracks 5 lawyers in family law in Coral Gables, Florida. 5 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 9, 2026.

Lawyers
5
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
5 of 5
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
39 years5 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 Coral Gables

What sets these Coral Gables lawyers apart

All 5 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 5 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Marital and Family Law 5 of 5
Years in practice 36 to 47 (median 39)
Languages besides English Spanish (3)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (2 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Coral Gables office address and family as a practice area on record. It compares 5 family lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Florida divorce is no-fault, requires six months of residency, and presumes equal time-sharing of children unless shown otherwise.

Rule What it means
Residency to file for divorce One spouse must have lived in Florida 6 months before filing (Fla. Stat. § 61.021)
Waiting period At least 20 days from filing before a final judgment (§ 61.19)
Time-sharing Rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in the child's best interests (§ 61.13)
Grounds No-fault: the marriage is irretrievably broken (§ 61.052)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Miami-Dade County is in Florida's Eleventh 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

How long do you have to live in Florida to get divorced?

At least one spouse must have lived in Florida for 6 months before filing the petition.

Does Florida favor equal time-sharing?

Yes. Florida law presumes equal time-sharing is in the child's best interests, but a parent can rebut that by showing it is not.

What does Board Certified in Marital and Family Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 5 of the 5 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Coral Gables?

State court cases in Miami-Dade County are heard in Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking family lawyers in Coral Gables?

Yes. 3 of the 5 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?

5 of the 5 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Luis Manuel Padron, Ana Martin-Lavielle, Robert Joseph Merlin “Bob”, Barry Michael Wayne and Marcia Soto.

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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