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Fort Myers Family Law Firm
Overview
I am a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Marital and Family Law (since 1985). My law practice in Florida divorce spans 40 years. My focus is on resolving problems and addressing concerns in order to attempt a reasonable and balanced settlement and not participate in court litigation.
From many years of divorce litigation, I have discovered court is not to be used as a first resort, but rather a last effort when all else fails...
I am a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in Marital and Family Law (since 1985). My law practice in Florida divorce spans 40 years. My focus is on resolving problems and addressing concerns in order to attempt a reasonable and balanced settlement and not participate in court litigation.
From many years of divorce litigation, I have discovered court is not to be used as a first resort, but rather a last effort when all else fails. The needs and interests of clients and family members, together with their feelings and emotions, must be addressed and satisfactorily handled if court litigation is to be avoided.
Straight talk with empathetic understanding and good listening, along with courtesy and respect with firm boundaries are mandatory skills required to work with and help clients. In this way, the client can (and should) take responsibility for his or her decisions. A judge is a stranger to this family in court and knows little of their needs. The jurisdiction of the family court is quite limited and inflexible, whereas the parties and attorneys can craft a settlement considering both parties' needs and interests in a most flexible manner.
I require my clients to be honest, open, and respectful, or I will not be engaged or will withdrawal.
My problem-solving focus also works quite well in court litigation, as judges prefer transparency and a balanced approach rather than overbearing adversarial demands in an attempt to "win" at all costs.
About Sheldon E. Finman, P.A.
Practice Areas
- Family Law
- Divorce
- Alimony
- Child Support
- Child Custody
- Collaborative Divorce
Litigation
- 20%
Honors
- AFLP Second Annual Hugh E. Starnes "Think Outside the Box" award for leadership and dedication to non-adversarial practice, 2010
- 1st Annual Career Contribution Award, by The Gainesville Collaborative Divorce Team and the University of Florida Institute for Dispute Resolution and Center For Children and Families, July 15, 2011
- Lifetime Achievement Award as the Father of Cooperative Law, The Association of Family Law Professionals, July 24, 2010
- 2009 Professionalism Award by The Lee County Bar Association, December 19, 2009
- Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers
- Martindale-Hubbell AV
- First Mediator of any Type in Lee County, Florida
Classes and Seminars
- Advocacy in Collaborative Practice, Collaborative Professionals of Southwest Florida,, April 5, 2012
- Being the Best You Can Be in Your Professional Role in Helping Families, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (FLAFCC Conference), March 30, 2012
- Skills Training Presentation, Charlotte County Family Law Bar Association, March 28, 2012
- The Anatomy of the Cost of Divorce: A Frank Discussion of Fees (co-presented by Shelly Finman, Esq. and Steve Thompson, Esq.), February 23, 2012
- Legal Issues, Parent Coordination Training (FL, Co-presented with the Hon. (Ret) Hugh E. Starnes, Sr., Circuit Judge), The Association of Family Law Professionals, June 24, 1999 - June 24, 2010
- Dangerous Times, Confessions, and Lessons Learned panel moderator, AFLP Annual Conference, June 11, 2010
- Problem-Solving Divorce Procedures and Best Practices, Barry Law School, 2008 - 2010
- Child Focused Negotiation of Parenting Plan: "Through the Eyes of the Child" (co-presented with the Hon. Hugh E. Starnes, Retired Circuit Court Judge, Deborah C. Silver, Psy.D., and JoAnne Holt, CPA), Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, March 12, 2010
- Parenting Plans, annual conference of The Association of Family and Coniliation Courts (AFCC), May 29, 2009
- A Cooperative Skills Workshop, The Florida Chapter of The Association of Florida and Conciliation Courts (FLAFCC), February 27, 2009
- The Parenting Tribunal Panel (co-presented with Dr. Deborah C. Silver, Psy.D), State Dispute Resolution Center Annual Conference, August 30, 2008
Pro Bono Activities
- Lee County Q&A Panel, 2005 - Present
- Private Pro-Bono Client Work, 2000 - Present
Ancillary Businesses
- Divorce Mediation
- Divorce Training in Problem Solving Procedures and Best Practices
Fees
Accepts Credit Cards
Office Information
Address
2134 McGregor Boulevard Fort Myers, FL 33901
Office Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8am - 4pm, Friday: 8am - 12pm
Phone
Fax
- 239-334-7828
Websites
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