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Estate Planning

Top-Ranked Estate Planning Lawyers in Orlando, Florida

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

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked estate planning lawyers in Orlando, Florida are Julia Lauren Frey (LexRank 84.00), Laura Kristin Sundberg (84.00) and Nathan Leroy Townsend (84.00).

This ranking lists 11 estate planning lawyers in Orlando, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 11 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 12 to 48 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

    Julia Lauren Frey

    Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 43 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  2. No change

    Laura Kristin Sundberg

    Zimmerman, Kiser & Sutcliffe, P.A. · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 38 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  3. No change

    Nathan Leroy Townsend

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
  4. No change

    Matthew John Ahearn

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 28 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 82.85: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Experience (30/30). 1.15 points behind #3, mostly professional credentials.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.2)

    1.15 points behind #3 (Nathan Leroy Townsend): Professional credentials −3.8, Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Lauren Young Detzel

    Dean Mead · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 48 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 0.25 points behind #4, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.2)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    0.25 points behind #4 (Matthew John Ahearn): Reputation −4.

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

  6. No change

    Anthony Wayne Palma

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 43 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.2)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

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

  7. No change

    Norma Stanley

    Independent practice · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 37 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 82.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 26.2)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

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

  8. No change

    Brian Michael Malec

    Dean Mead · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 19 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 76.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 5.80 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)

    5.80 points behind #7 (Norma Stanley): Experience −7.2.

  9. No change

    Jordan DeLoach Hurlburt

    Cypress Row Advisors · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 74.40: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (20.4/30). 2.40 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 26.2)

    2.40 points behind #8 (Brian Michael Malec): Experience −2.4.

  10. No change

    Joseph Mario Percopo

    Dean Mead · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #10?

    Ranks #10 with 74.40: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (20.4/30).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 14.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 26.2)
  11. No change

    Star Marie Sansone

    Cypress Row Advisors · Orlando, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Estate Planning
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #11?

    Ranks #11 with 64.65: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (14.4/30). 9.75 points behind #10, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.4)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 26.2)

    9.75 points behind #10 (Joseph Mario Percopo): Experience −6, Professional credentials −3.8.

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 · 11 profile pages126 facts for 11 lawyers

Estate Planning market in Orlando

LexRanked tracks 11 lawyers and 4 law firms in estate planning law in Orlando, Florida. 11 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 19, 2026.

Lawyers
11
Law firms
4
Verified professional data
11 of 11
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
29 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 Orlando

What sets these Orlando lawyers apart

All 11 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law by The Florida Bar, which only about one in twenty Florida lawyers achieves in any field. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 11 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law 11 of 11
Years in practice 12 to 48 (median 29)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (5 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Orlando office address and estate planning as a practice area on record. It compares 11 estate planning lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

A Florida will must be signed in front of two witnesses, and small or older estates can use a simpler probate.

Rule What it means
Signing a will Signed at the end by the testator in front of at least two witnesses, who sign in front of the testator and each other (Fla. Stat. § 732.502)
Summary administration Available when the estate is $75,000 or less (excluding exempt property) or the person died more than 2 years ago (§ 735.201)
Homestead If survived by a spouse or minor child, the home can only be left to the spouse (Fla. Const. art. X, § 4)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Orange County is in Florida's Ninth 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

How many witnesses does a Florida will need?

Two. The person making the will signs in front of both witnesses, and the witnesses sign in front of that person and each other.

What is summary administration in Florida?

A simpler probate for estates worth $75,000 or less, not counting exempt property, or where the person died more than 2 years ago.

What does Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. 11 of the 11 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Orlando?

State court cases in Orange County are heard in Florida's Ninth 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: Julia Lauren Frey, Laura Kristin Sundberg, Nathan Leroy Townsend, Matthew John Ahearn and Lauren Young Detzel and others.

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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