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Estate Planning

Top-Ranked Estate Planning Lawyers in Pensacola, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.25 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked estate planning lawyers in Pensacola, Florida are Gary William Huston (LexRank 88.00), Gary B Leuchtman (84.00) and Susan Crockett Batson (84.00).

This ranking lists 5 estate planning lawyers in Pensacola, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 5 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 27 to 44 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
5
Fully verified
5 of 5

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Gary William Huston

    Independent practice · Pensacola, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 88.00: strongest in Reputation (8/20) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Reputation 8/20 (ranking avg 4.8)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
  2. No change

    Gary B Leuchtman

    Independent practice · Pensacola, FL

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

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20). 4.00 points behind #1, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.8)

    4.00 points behind #1 (Gary William Huston): Reputation −4.

  3. No change

    Susan Crockett Batson

    Independent practice · Pensacola, FL

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

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.8)
  4. No change

    Richard Norton Sherrill

    Independent practice · Pensacola, FL

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

    Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.7)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.8)
  5. No change

    Kathleen Kies DeMaria

    Independent practice · Pensacola, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 82.60: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (4/20). 1.40 points behind #4, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

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

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4.8)

    1.40 points behind #4 (Richard Norton Sherrill): Data quality −1.4.

    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 · 2 profile pages21 facts for 2 lawyers

Estate Planning market in Pensacola

LexRanked tracks 5 lawyers in estate planning law in Pensacola, Florida. 5 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 19, 2026.

Lawyers
5
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
5 of 5
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
40 years5 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 Pensacola

What sets these Pensacola lawyers apart

All 5 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 5 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law 5 of 5
Years in practice 27 to 44 (median 40)
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 (3 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Pensacola office address and estate planning as a practice area on record. It compares 5 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 Escambia County is in Florida's First 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. 5 of the 5 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Pensacola?

State court cases in Escambia County are heard in Florida's First 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?

5 of the 5 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Gary William Huston, Gary B Leuchtman, Susan Crockett Batson, Richard Norton Sherrill and Kathleen Kies DeMaria.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

Gary William Huston scores 88.00 and Gary B Leuchtman 84.00, 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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