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Bankruptcy · Spanish-speaking

Top-Ranked Spanish-Speaking Bankruptcy Lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida

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

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked Spanish-speaking bankruptcy lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida are Leanne Perez (LexRank 78.80), Jena Lea Cauley (70.40) and Judy-Ann Marie Smith (65.60).

This ranking lists 6 bankruptcy lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida, whose Florida Bar profile lists Spanish, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 5 to 24 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

Who is included: only lawyers whose sourced records list spanish among their languages: 6 of the 52 in Top-Ranked Bankruptcy Lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida, 6 of them confirmed by a verified fact or an official record such as the state bar profile. Scores are the same LexRank scores; the context selects who is ranked and never changes a score.

  1. No change

    Leanne Perez

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • Speaks Spanish · sourced
    • Bankruptcy
    • 24 years experience
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 78.80: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 16.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
  2. No change

    Jena Lea Cauley

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • Speaks Spanish · sourced
    • Bankruptcy
    • 17 years experience
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 70.40: strongest in Experience (20.4/30) and Data quality (10/10). 8.40 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 16.4)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    8.40 points behind #1 (Leanne Perez): Experience −8.4.

  3. No change

    Judy-Ann Marie Smith

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • Speaks Spanish · sourced
    • Bankruptcy
    • 13 years experience
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 65.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (15.6/30). 4.80 points behind #2, 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 16.4)

    4.80 points behind #2 (Jena Lea Cauley): Experience −4.8.

  4. No change

    Peter T McCary

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • Speaks Spanish · sourced
    • Bankruptcy
    • 14 years experience
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 65.40: strongest in Experience (16.8/30) and Professional credentials (15/15). 0.20 points behind #3, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 16.8/30 (ranking avg 16.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    0.20 points behind #3 (Judy-Ann Marie Smith): Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Kerry M. Tibor Jr. “Mike”

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • Speaks Spanish · sourced
    • Bankruptcy
    • 9 years experience
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 60.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (10.8/30). 4.60 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 10.8/30 (ranking avg 16.4)

    4.60 points behind #4 (Peter T McCary): Experience −6.

  6. No change

    Alejandro Crespo Mejías

    Independent practice · Jacksonville, FL

    Verified
    • Speaks Spanish · sourced
    • Bankruptcy
    • 5 years experience
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 56.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Experience (6/30). 4.80 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 6/30 (ranking avg 16.4)

    4.80 points behind #5 (Kerry M. Tibor Jr. “Mike”): Experience −4.8.

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 pages65 facts for 6 lawyers

Bankruptcy market in Jacksonville

LexRanked tracks 52 lawyers and 7 law firms in bankruptcy law in Jacksonville, Florida. 52 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
52
Law firms
7
Verified professional data
52 of 52
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
19.5 years52 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 Jacksonville

What sets these Jacksonville Spanish-speaking 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 5 to 24 (median 13.5)
Languages besides English Spanish (6)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Jacksonville office address and bankruptcy as a practice area on record, whose Florida Bar profile lists Spanish among the languages they speak. It compares 6 Spanish-speaking 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.

Whatever language they speak: the full ranking of bankruptcy lawyers in Jacksonville.

Working with a Spanish-speaking lawyer

You can discuss your case, documents and fees directly in Spanish, but court hearings and filings in Florida are in English.

  • Ask whether the lawyer will speak with you in Spanish personally or through bilingual staff.
  • Ask for the fee agreement and key letters in Spanish as well as English, so you know exactly what you sign.
  • When a witness cannot understand or speak English well enough, the judge has a qualified interpreter sworn in (section 90.606, Florida Statutes).

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 Duval County is in Florida's Fourth 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

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 Jacksonville?

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

How do I know a lawyer really speaks Spanish?

Every lawyer here lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile, which LexRanked checked in November 2026. Ask at the first call whether the lawyer will handle your matter in Spanish personally.

Will my court hearing be in Spanish?

No. Court proceedings in Florida are held in English. When a witness cannot understand or speak English well enough, the judge has a qualified interpreter sworn in (section 90.606, Florida Statutes).

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: Leanne Perez, Jena Lea Cauley, Judy-Ann Marie Smith, Peter T McCary and Kerry M. Tibor Jr. “Mike” and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Leanne Perez scores 78.80 and Jena Lea Cauley 70.40, a gap of 8.40 points, mostly in experience. 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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