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Guardianship

Top-Ranked Guardianship Lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.212 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked guardianship lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida are David Robert Schwartz (LexRank 80.00), Woodie Howard Thomas III (80.00) and Patrick Michael Whitehead (80.00).

This ranking lists 12 guardianship lawyers in West Palm Beach, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 2 to 48 years in practice. 1 of the 12 lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
12
Fully verified
12 of 12

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    David Robert Schwartz

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)
  2. No change

    Woodie Howard Thomas III

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 34 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).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)
  3. No change

    Patrick Michael Whitehead

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 29 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).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)
  4. No change

    Ferdinand DeBerardinis

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #4 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20). 1.40 points behind #3, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)

    1.40 points behind #3 (Patrick Michael Whitehead): Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Patricia Eloise Thorne

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)

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

  6. No change

    Mallorye Gelita Cunningham

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 40 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10). 3.60 points behind #5, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    3.60 points behind #5 (Patricia Eloise Thorne): Practice-area relevance −5.

  7. No change

    Daniel Robert Doorakian

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 25 years experience
    • Guardianship · Probate Litigation
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
  8. No change

    Jason Dorian Lazarus

    Pankauski Lazarus PLLC · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #8 with 75.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Data quality (10/10).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 23.5)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)
  9. No change

    Jennifer Lynn Petrovitch “Jennifer Petrovitch”

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #9 with 65.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (15.6/30). 9.40 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 23.5)

    9.40 points behind #8 (Jason Dorian Lazarus): Experience −14.4.

  10. No change

    Lauren Taylor Clifton

    Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #10 with 64.40: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (14.4/30). 1.20 points behind #9, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 23.5)

    1.20 points behind #9 (Jennifer Lynn Petrovitch “Jennifer Petrovitch”): Experience −1.2.

  11. No change

    Agnieszka Natalia Rodriguez “Nishka”

    Independent practice · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #11 with 59.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (9.6/30). 4.80 points behind #10, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 9.6/30 (ranking avg 23.5)

    4.80 points behind #10 (Lauren Taylor Clifton): Experience −4.8.

  12. No change

    Osayame Karen Osaghae Ugwu “Karen”

    Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County · West Palm Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #12 with 52.40: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (2.4/30). 7.20 points behind #11, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 18.8)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.8)

    Held back by

    • Experience 2.4/30 (ranking avg 23.5)

    7.20 points behind #11 (Agnieszka Natalia Rodriguez “Nishka”): Experience −7.2.

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 · 12 profile pages123 facts for 12 lawyers

Guardianship market in West Palm Beach

LexRanked tracks 12 lawyers and 2 law firms in guardianship law in West Palm Beach, Florida. 12 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 2026.

Lawyers
12
Law firms
2
Verified professional data
12 of 12
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
28.5 years12 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 West Palm Beach

What sets these West Palm Beach 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 12 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 2 to 48 (median 28.5)
Languages besides English Polish (1), Portuguese (1), Spanish (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Nova Southeastern University - Shepard Broad College of Law (2 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a West Palm Beach office address and guardianship as a practice area on record. It compares 12 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 Palm Beach County is in Florida's Fifteenth 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 West Palm Beach?

State court cases in Palm Beach County are heard in Florida's Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking guardianship lawyers in West Palm Beach?

Yes. 1 of the 12 ranked lawyers lists 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?

12 of the 12 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: David Robert Schwartz, Woodie Howard Thomas III, Patrick Michael Whitehead, Ferdinand DeBerardinis and Patricia Eloise Thorne 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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