Trusts and Estates Litigation

I have been a Certified Paralegal since January 1994, a Florida Registered Paralegal since 2008 and I received my Advanced Certification in Trial Practice January 2016. I have worked in the legal industry since June 1990.

Involved in all aspects of trial work; including: initial client intake and interviews; communicating with clients/parties, opposing counsel and staff, and outside professionals (Certified Public Accountants, other experts, mediators, Judicial Assistants, court reporters); all phases of discovery (mandatory disclosures, requests to produce, interrogatories, financial affidavits, depositions, and notices of inspection) - review and analyze incoming and outgoing discovery requests; scheduling (deadlines, meetings, conferences, mediations, depositions, hearings and trial); attendance at mediations, hearings and trials (coordinate witnesses and experts, prepare and present exhibits, and complete hands-on assistance at trial); legal research; drafting pleadings from initial filing through trial; and maintaining files.

Involved in all aspects of trial and appellate work; including: potential new client communications; initial client intake and interviews; communicating with clients/parties, opposing counsel and staff, and outside professionals (Certified Public Accountants, other experts, mediators, Judicial Assistants, court reporters); all phases of discovery (mandatory disclosures, requests to produce, interrogatories, financial affidavits, depositions, and notices of inspection) - review and analyze incoming and outgoing discovery requests; scheduling (deadlines, meetings, conferences, mediations, depositions, hearings and trial); attendance at mediations, hearings and trials (coordinate witnesses and experts, prepare and present exhibits, and complete hands-on assistance at trial); legal research; drafting pleadings from initial filing through appeal; and maintaining files.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy case manager and complex litigation paralegal; coordinated representation of all Florida Tax Collectors in complex litigation, including gathered tax facts from each jurisdiction, compiled information, prepared summaries and provided copies of documentation as required; drafted pleadings for General Counsel and outside counsel; attended meetings of creditors with bankruptcy debtors, trustees, and attorneys; legal research; prepared memoranda of law; communicated verbally and in writing with courts, attorneys and other government offices; reviewed documents both in hard copy and online; prepared correspondence and other documents for both my own signature and my attorney's signature; collected, balanced and posted bankruptcy payments (to millions of dollars); maintained law library and copies of Local Rules of Courts; coordinated online filing services for courts located throughout the United States; maintained bankruptcy and other litigation files.

Monitored compliance with various Rules Regulating The Florida Bar by disciplined attorneys; responsible for the collection of all disciplinary fines assessed against attorneys licensed to practice law in the state of Florida; legal research; coordinated volunteer Bankruptcy Program to represent The Florida Bar; edited and proofread the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar each year prior to publication.SkillsAttention to details; 75 cwpm; proficient in Westlaw, Lexis, Word, WordPerfect/Corel, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint, Groupwise, Microsoft Outlook, Adobe Professional, Abacus, Worldox, CM/ECF, PACER, DOS; ten-key adding machines, scanners, printers, copiers.