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Top-Ranked Guardianship Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.222 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked guardianship lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are Nina Zuckerman Chepp “Nina” (LexRank 80.00), Julio E Gonzalez Jr. (78.60) and Gary Antonio Gonzalez (78.60).

This ranking lists 22 guardianship lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 1 to 38 years in practice. 7 of the 22 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
22
Fully verified
22 of 22

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Nina Zuckerman Chepp “Nina”

    Wintter Law · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 36 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 22.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
  2. No change

    Julio E Gonzalez Jr.

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #2 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20). 1.40 points behind #1, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)

    1.40 points behind #1 (Nina Zuckerman Chepp “Nina”): Data quality −1.4.

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

  3. No change

    Gary Antonio Gonzalez

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)

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

  4. No change

    Maureen Anne Ryan “maureen ryan”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 26 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)

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

  5. No change

    Scott Rosen

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10). 3.60 points behind #4, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    3.60 points behind #4 (Maureen Anne Ryan “maureen ryan”): Practice-area relevance −5.

  6. No change

    Antonette Patrice Russell “ANTONETTE”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #6 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  7. No change

    Alan Scott Levine

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
  8. No change

    Robert J Fraxedas

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 74.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (24/30). 1.00 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    1.00 points behind #7 (Alan Scott Levine): Experience −6.

  9. No change

    Omar F Guerra Johansson “Johansson Law Family & Criminal Law”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #9 with 74.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (24/30).

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
  10. No change

    Pamela Sue Schatten “Pamela”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 74.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (24/30).

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
  11. No change

    Jacqueline Banke Trumbore

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #11 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 0.40 points behind #10, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    0.40 points behind #10 (Pamela Sue Schatten “Pamela”): Practice-area relevance −5, Data quality −1.4.

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

  12. No change

    Lance David Lyons

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #12?

    Ranks #12 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

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

  13. No change

    J Samantha Vacciana “Samantha”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #13 with 70.20: strongest in Experience (25.2/30) and Data quality (10/10). 3.40 points behind #12, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 25.2/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    3.40 points behind #12 (Lance David Lyons): Experience −4.8.

  14. No change

    Jason Allen Rosner

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 22 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #14?

    Ranks #14 with 70.00: strongest in Experience (26.4/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 0.20 points behind #13, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 26.4/30 (ranking avg 22.0)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    0.20 points behind #13 (J Samantha Vacciana “Samantha”): Data quality −1.4.

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

  15. No change

    Shawn Charles Samuel Newman

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 19 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #15?

    Ranks #15 with 67.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (22.8/30). 2.20 points behind #14, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Experience 22.8/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    2.20 points behind #14 (Jason Allen Rosner): Experience −3.6.

  16. No change

    R Daniel Sirois

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #16?

    Ranks #16 with 64.00: strongest in Local relevance (5/5) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (20.4/30). 3.80 points behind #15, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    3.80 points behind #15 (Shawn Charles Samuel Newman): Experience −2.4, Data quality −1.4.

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

  17. No change

    Michelle R. Kenney “Michelle”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #17 with 62.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (12/30). 2.00 points behind #16, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Experience 12/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    2.00 points behind #16 (R Daniel Sirois): Experience −8.4.

  18. No change

    Daniel Lee McDermott “Danny McDermott”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #18?

    Ranks #18 with 59.40: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (14.4/30). 2.60 points behind #17, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    2.60 points behind #17 (Michelle R. Kenney “Michelle”): Practice-area relevance −5.

  19. No change

    Talhia Rangel

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 7 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #19?

    Ranks #19 with 58.40: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (8.4/30). 1.00 points behind #18, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Experience 8.4/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    1.00 points behind #18 (Daniel Lee McDermott “Danny McDermott”): Experience −6.

  20. No change

    Lorena Cantisani Friger

    Offit Kurman, P.A. · Fort Lauderdale, FL

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

    Ranks #20 with 54.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (9.6/30). 3.80 points behind #19, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 9.6/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    3.80 points behind #19 (Talhia Rangel): Practice-area relevance −5.

  21. No change

    Fanny Elizabeth Valentin “Liz Valentin”

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 1 year experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #21?

    Ranks #21 with 51.20: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (1.2/30). 3.40 points behind #20, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)

    Held back by

    • Experience 1.2/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    3.40 points behind #20 (Lorena Cantisani Friger): Experience −8.4.

  22. No change

    Melissa Betancourt

    Independent practice · Fort Lauderdale, FL

    Verified
    • 2 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #22?

    Ranks #22 with 47.40: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (2.4/30). 3.80 points behind #21, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.6)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 2.4/30 (ranking avg 22.0)

    3.80 points behind #21 (Fanny Elizabeth Valentin “Liz Valentin”): 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 · 22 profile pages226 facts for 22 lawyers

Guardianship market in Fort Lauderdale

LexRanked tracks 22 lawyers and 3 law firms in guardianship law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 22 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
22
Law firms
3
Verified professional data
22 of 22
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
20.5 years22 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 Fort Lauderdale

What sets these Fort Lauderdale 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 22 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 1 to 38 (median 20.5)
Languages besides English Spanish (7), French (2), Portuguese (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Nova Southeastern University - Shepard Broad College of Law (5 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Fort Lauderdale office address and guardianship as a practice area on record. It compares 22 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 Broward County is in Florida's Seventeenth 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

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 Fort Lauderdale?

State court cases in Broward County are heard in Florida's Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking guardianship lawyers in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. 7 of the 22 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?

22 of the 22 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Nina Zuckerman Chepp “Nina”, Julio E Gonzalez Jr., Gary Antonio Gonzalez, Maureen Anne Ryan “maureen ryan” and Scott Rosen and others.

Which lawyers speak Spanish?

7 of the 22 lawyers in this ranking have it on record, 7 confirmed by a verified fact or an official record. They are ranked separately by the same LexRank score. Top-Ranked Spanish-Speaking Guardianship Lawyers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Nina Zuckerman Chepp “Nina” scores 80.00 and Julio E Gonzalez Jr. 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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