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Guardianship

Top-Ranked Guardianship Lawyers in Fort Myers, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.211 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked guardianship lawyers in Fort Myers, Florida are Beth A. Prather (LexRank 84.00), John Charles Coleman (75.00) and Wess Mitchell Jacobs (75.00).

This ranking lists 11 guardianship lawyers in Fort Myers, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 8 to 50 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
11
Fully verified
11 of 11

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Beth A. Prather

    Schoenfeld Kyle & Associates LLP · Fort Myers, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.4)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
  2. No change

    John Charles Coleman

    Coleman and Coleman · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 50 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); held back by Reputation (0/20). 9.00 points behind #1, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)

    9.00 points behind #1 (Beth A. Prather): Practice-area relevance −5, Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    Wess Mitchell Jacobs

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 34 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
  4. No change

    Robert August Enright III

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

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

    Ranks #4 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #3, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.4)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)

    1.40 points behind #3 (Wess Mitchell Jacobs): Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Marcy Lynn Shaw

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.4)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)

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

  6. No change

    Jeffrey Ashraf Attia

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 64.40: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (14.4/30). 9.20 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 21.4)

    9.20 points behind #5 (Marcy Lynn Shaw): Experience −15.6.

  7. No change

    Audra Thomas-Eth

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

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

    Ranks #7 with 64.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (19.2/30). 0.20 points behind #6, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Experience 19.2/30 (ranking avg 21.4)

    0.20 points behind #6 (Jeffrey Ashraf Attia): Practice-area relevance −5.

  8. No change

    Tasha Angeline Warnock

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

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

    Ranks #8 with 63.20: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (13.2/30). 1.00 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 21.4)

    1.00 points behind #7 (Audra Thomas-Eth): Experience −6.

  9. No change

    John Casey Stewart “Casey Stewart”

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

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

    Ranks #9 with 63.20: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (13.2/30).

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Experience 13.2/30 (ranking avg 21.4)
  10. No change

    Philip V Howard

    Independent practice · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 13 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 60.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (15.6/30). 2.60 points behind #9, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 21.4)

    2.60 points behind #9 (John Casey Stewart “Casey Stewart”): Practice-area relevance −5.

  11. No change

    Courtney van Emmerik Lovejoy

    Schoenfeld Kyle & Associates LLP · Fort Myers, FL

    Verified
    • 8 years experience
    • Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #11?

    Ranks #11 with 59.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (9.6/30). 1.00 points behind #10, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17.3)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.4)
    • Experience 9.6/30 (ranking avg 21.4)

    1.00 points behind #10 (Philip V Howard): Experience −6.

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 · 11 profile pages112 facts for 11 lawyers

Guardianship market in Fort Myers

LexRanked tracks 11 lawyers and 2 law firms in guardianship law in Fort Myers, Florida. 11 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 19, 2026.

Lawyers
11
Law firms
2
Verified professional data
11 of 11
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
16 years11 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 Myers

What sets these Fort Myers 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 11 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 8 to 50 (median 16)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Ave Maria School of Law (2 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Fort Myers office address and guardianship as a practice area on record. It compares 11 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 Lee County is in Florida's Twentieth 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 Fort Myers?

State court cases in Lee County are heard in Florida's Twentieth 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?

11 of the 11 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Beth A. Prather, John Charles Coleman, Wess Mitchell Jacobs, Robert August Enright III and Marcy Lynn Shaw and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Beth A. Prather scores 84.00 and John Charles Coleman 75.00, a gap of 9.00 points, mostly in practice-area relevance and reputation. 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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