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Guardianship

Top-Ranked Guardianship Lawyers in Miami, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.225 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked guardianship lawyers in Miami, Florida are Marjorie Ellen Wolasky (LexRank 84.00), Austin A Frye (80.00) and Gabriel Manuel Sanchez (80.00).

This ranking lists 25 guardianship lawyers in Miami, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 23 to 58 years in practice. 10 of the 25 list Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
25
Fully verified
25 of 25

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Marjorie Ellen Wolasky

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 45 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 21.0)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  2. No change

    Austin A Frye

    Law Offices of Frye, Fortich & Garcia PL · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #2 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20). 4.00 points behind #1, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

    4.00 points behind #1 (Marjorie Ellen Wolasky): Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    Gabriel Manuel Sanchez

    The Sanchez Law Group · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  4. No change

    Michael Howard Galex

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #4 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  5. No change

    David R Hazouri

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  6. No change

    Thomas F Pepe

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #6 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  7. No change

    Martin David Berg

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #7 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #6, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

    1.40 points behind #6 (Thomas F Pepe): Data quality −1.4.

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

  8. No change

    Felix J Mendigutia

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #8 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 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

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

  9. No change

    Marilyn Blumberg

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #9 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 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

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

  10. No change

    Genilde E. Guerra

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #10 with 77.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.00 points behind #9, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

    1.00 points behind #9 (Marilyn Blumberg): Experience −2.4.

  11. No change

    Shannon Marie Harvey “LegalFox”

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #11 with 77.60: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  12. No change

    Melissa Lader Barnhardt

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #12 with 76.20: strongest in Experience (27.6/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #11, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 27.6/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 17)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

    1.40 points behind #11 (Shannon Marie Harvey “LegalFox”): Data quality −1.4.

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

  13. No change

    Rebecca Hannah Amster

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #13 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.20 points behind #12, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

    1.20 points behind #12 (Melissa Lader Barnhardt): Practice-area relevance −5.

  14. No change

    Stephen Raoul Garcia-Vidal “Stephen”

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #14 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 21.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  15. No change

    Randy Allen Bryant

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #15 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 21.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  16. No change

    Donna Michelle Delgado

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #16 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 21.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  17. No change

    Rose Marie Parish-Ramon

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #17 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 21.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  18. No change

    Michael J Schlesinger

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #18 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 21.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  19. No change

    Bradley Herman Trushin

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #19 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 21.0)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)
  20. No change

    Merling Barbara Amaro

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #20 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.40 points behind #19, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

    1.40 points behind #19 (Bradley Herman Trushin): Data quality −1.4.

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

  21. No change

    Albert W Guffanti

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #21 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

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

  22. No change

    Gonzalo Perez Jr.

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

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

    Ranks #22 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

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

  23. No change

    J James Donnellan III

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 55 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #23?

    Ranks #23 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

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

  24. No change

    Louis David Huss “Lou”

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #24?

    Ranks #24 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

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

  25. No change

    Richard Craig Milstein

    Independent practice · Miami, FL

    Verified
    • 52 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #25?

    Ranks #25 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.0)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.8)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.1)

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

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 · 25 profile pages253 facts for 25 lawyers

Guardianship market in Miami

LexRanked tracks 55 lawyers and 4 law firms in guardianship law in Miami, Florida. 55 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
55
Law firms
4
Verified professional data
55 of 55
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
18 years55 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 Miami

What sets these Miami 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 25 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 23 to 58 (median 36)
Languages besides English Spanish (10), French (2), Hebrew (1), Italian (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Miami School of Law (15 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Miami office address and guardianship as a practice area on record. It compares 25 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 Miami-Dade County is in Florida's Eleventh 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 Miami?

State court cases in Miami-Dade County are heard in Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking guardianship lawyers in Miami?

Yes. 10 of the 25 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?

25 of the 25 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Marjorie Ellen Wolasky, Austin A Frye, Gabriel Manuel Sanchez, Michael Howard Galex and David R Hazouri and others.

Which lawyers speak Spanish?

28 of the 55 lawyers in this ranking have it on record, 28 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 Miami, Florida

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Marjorie Ellen Wolasky scores 84.00 and Austin A Frye 80.00, a gap of 4.00 points, mostly in 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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