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Guardianship

Top-Ranked Guardianship Lawyers in Lakeland, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.29 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked guardianship lawyers in Lakeland, Florida are Michael Harold Willison (LexRank 78.60), Roberta Jean Creighton (77.60) and David Maldonado (75.20).

This ranking lists 9 guardianship lawyers in Lakeland, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 1 to 49 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
9
Fully verified
9 of 9

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Michael Harold Willison

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.9)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.0)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)

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

  2. No change

    Roberta Jean Creighton

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 34 years experience
    • Elder Law · Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 77.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20). 1.00 points behind #1, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.9)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.9)

    1.00 points behind #1 (Michael Harold Willison): Practice-area relevance −5.

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

  3. No change

    David Maldonado

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 75.20: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (25.2/30); held back by Reputation (0/20). 2.40 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.0)
    • Experience 25.2/30 (ranking avg 21.9)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)

    2.40 points behind #2 (Roberta Jean Creighton): Experience −4.8, Reputation −4.

  4. No change

    Richard Clark May

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 49 years experience
    • Guardianship · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 71.93: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 3.27 points behind #3, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.9)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.0)

    3.27 points behind #3 (David Maldonado): Practice-area relevance −6.7, Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Nicholas Joseph Troiano

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Consumer Protection · Eminent Domain
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 70.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (12/20). 1.33 points behind #4, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.9)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Practice-area relevance 12/20 (ranking avg 16.0)

    1.33 points behind #4 (Richard Clark May): Practice-area relevance −1.3.

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

  6. No change

    Timothy Benjamin Darby “Tim”

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #6 with 69.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (20.4/30). 1.60 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.0)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 21.9)

    1.60 points behind #5 (Nicholas Joseph Troiano): Experience −9.6.

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

  7. No change

    Kevin Robert Albaum

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Elder Law · Guardianship
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 61.73: strongest in Reputation (4/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (14.4/30) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 7.27 points behind #6, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.2)

    Held back by

    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 21.9)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.0)

    7.27 points behind #6 (Timothy Benjamin Darby “Tim”): Practice-area relevance −6.7, Experience −6.

  8. No change

    David Christopher Fall “David C. Fall”

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

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

    Ranks #8 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). 1.13 points behind #7, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 21.9)

    1.13 points behind #7 (Kevin Robert Albaum): Reputation −4.

  9. No change

    John Matthew Butz

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 1 year experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 46.20: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (1.2/30). 14.40 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Experience 1.2/30 (ranking avg 21.9)

    14.40 points behind #8 (David Christopher Fall “David C. Fall”): Experience −14.4.

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 · 9 profile pages91 facts for 9 lawyers

Guardianship market in Lakeland

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers in guardianship law in Lakeland, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
9
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
9 of 9
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
21 years9 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 9 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 1 to 49 (median 21)
Languages besides English French (2), Danish (1), Dutch (1), German (1)
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 guardianship as a practice area on record. It compares 9 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 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.
  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 Lakeland?

State court cases in Polk County are heard in Florida's Tenth 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?

9 of the 9 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Michael Harold Willison, Roberta Jean Creighton, David Maldonado, Richard Clark May and Nicholas Joseph Troiano and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Michael Harold Willison scores 78.60 and Roberta Jean Creighton 77.60, a gap of 1.00 points, mostly in practice-area relevance. 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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