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Top-Ranked Real Estate Lawyers in Stuart, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.28 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked real estate lawyers in Stuart, Florida are Thomas Robert Sawyer “Thomas” (LexRank 84.00), Carrie Stradley Lavargna (84.00) and Terence P McCarthy (84.00).

This ranking lists 8 real estate lawyers in Stuart, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. All 8 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar, a credential held by 4.9% of Florida lawyers in any field. Their experience ranges from 17 to 52 years in practice.

Lawyers ranked
8
Fully verified
8 of 8

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    Thomas Robert Sawyer “Thomas”

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 39 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

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

    Carrie Stradley Lavargna

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 42 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

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

    Terence P McCarthy

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 52 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

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

    John Edgar Sherrard

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 52 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

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

    Robert Payne Summers “Bob”

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 50 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

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

    Tyson James Waters

    Fox McCluskey , PLLC · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

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

    Jennifer Lynn Williamson

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 26 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 84.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (4/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 28.8)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

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

    Christen Lindsey Spake

    Independent practice · Stuart, FL

    Verified
    • 17 years experience
    • Real Estate
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 74.40: strongest in Professional credentials (15/15) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (4/20) and Experience (20.4/30). 9.60 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

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

    Held back by

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 4)
    • Experience 20.4/30 (ranking avg 28.8)

    9.60 points behind #7 (Jennifer Lynn Williamson): Experience −9.6.

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 · 8 profile pages89 facts for 8 lawyers

Real Estate market in Stuart

LexRanked tracks 8 lawyers and 1 law firm in real estate law in Stuart, Florida. 8 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 16, 2026.

Lawyers
8
Law firms
1
Verified professional data
8 of 8
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
40.5 years8 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 Stuart

What sets these Stuart lawyers apart

All 8 lawyers in this ranking are Board Certified in Real Estate 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 8 ranked lawyers Figure
Board Certified in Real Estate Law 8 of 8
Years in practice 17 to 52 (median 40.5)
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 (4 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Stuart office address and real estate as a practice area on record. It compares 8 real estate lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

Florida taxes deeds at 70 cents per $100 and protects primary homes with a homestead exemption and an annual cap on assessment increases.

Rule What it means
Documentary stamp tax on deeds 70 cents per $100 of the price (Fla. Stat. § 201.02)
Homestead exemption Up to $50,000 off the assessed value of a primary residence (Fla. Const. art. VII, § 6)
Save Our Homes cap Assessed value of a homestead rises by no more than 3% a year or inflation, whichever is lower (art. VII, § 4)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Martin County is in Florida's Nineteenth 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

What is the documentary stamp tax on a Florida home sale?

70 cents for every $100 of the price on the deed, under section 201.02 of the Florida Statutes.

How much does the Florida homestead exemption save?

It removes up to $50,000 from the assessed value of a primary residence, and the Save Our Homes cap limits yearly increases to 3% or inflation.

What does Board Certified in Real Estate 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. 8 of the 8 lawyers in this ranking hold it; 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

Which court handles cases in Stuart?

State court cases in Martin County are heard in Florida's Nineteenth 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?

8 of the 8 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: Thomas Robert Sawyer “Thomas”, Carrie Stradley Lavargna, Terence P McCarthy, John Edgar Sherrard and Robert Payne Summers “Bob” 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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