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Bankruptcy

Top-Ranked Bankruptcy Lawyers in Lakeland, Florida

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

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked bankruptcy lawyers in Lakeland, Florida are Charles Thomas Stohlman (LexRank 80.00), Daniel Todd Dean (78.80) and Eva Mary Donohue (78.80).

This ranking lists 6 bankruptcy lawyers in Lakeland, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 15 to 52 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

  1. No change

    Charles Thomas Stohlman

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 34 years experience
    • Bankruptcy
    • 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 27.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.2)
  2. No change

    Daniel Todd Dean

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #2 with 78.80: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (28.8/30). 1.20 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.2)
    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 27.6)

    1.20 points behind #1 (Charles Thomas Stohlman): Experience −1.2.

  3. No change

    Eva Mary Donohue

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 78.80: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (28.8/30).

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.2)
    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
  4. No change

    Steven Jonathan Zucker “Steven”

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #4 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20). 0.20 points behind #3, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 27.6)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.2)

    0.20 points behind #3 (Eva Mary Donohue): Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Pierce James Guard Jr.

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 52 years experience
    • Bankruptcy · 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 27.6)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    3.60 points behind #4 (Steven Jonathan Zucker “Steven”): Practice-area relevance −5.

  6. No change

    Matthew James Vaughn

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #6 with 68.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (18/30). 7.00 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 19.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 27.6)

    7.00 points behind #5 (Pierce James Guard Jr.): Experience −12.

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 pages59 facts for 6 lawyers

Bankruptcy market in Lakeland

LexRanked tracks 6 lawyers in bankruptcy law in Lakeland, Florida. 6 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
6
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
6 of 6
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
28 years6 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 Lakeland

What sets these Lakeland 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 15 to 52 (median 28)
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 Lakeland office address and bankruptcy as a practice area on record. It compares 6 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 Polk County is in Florida's Tenth 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 Lakeland?

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

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: Charles Thomas Stohlman, Daniel Todd Dean, Eva Mary Donohue, Steven Jonathan Zucker “Steven” and Pierce James Guard Jr. and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Charles Thomas Stohlman scores 80.00 and Daniel Todd Dean 78.80, a gap of 1.20 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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