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David Finkelstein, Attorney-at-Law (941) 952-9999
Family Law/Divorce
Divorce can be one of the most difficult times of your life. Whether or not your spouse and you have come to an agreement about your assets, debts and children, you should see an attorney, even if it is just to review what you and your spouse have agreed to. It is very possible to think you are drafting up an agreement that means thing, but turns out to mean something different because of the legal meaning of the words you chose.
Civil Litigation/Lawsuits
Lawsuits can be very stressful. If you feel that you need to sue someone, we’ll talk with you about whether this is the best alternative. If you have been served with a lawsuit, see a lawyer immediately. We’ll be your “professional worriers” and try to reduce the stress that comes with lawsuits. We’ll bring to bear our 38 years of experience to represent you zealously in your case and we’ll explore whether alternatives like mediation or bankruptcy are appropriate.
Contract Law
If you need a contract drawn up, or if you just need a potential one reviewed, don’t sign anything until you have a lawyer review it. You will be bound by anything you sign; anything anyone says verbally doesn’t count if you have signed a contract. And just remember, an “Agreement” or an “Arrangement” is the same thing as a contract and is just as binding as one that says “Contract”. And be sure someone, us or you, reads the entire contract, every page.
Real Estate
Realtors are great in helping you buy or sell real estate. But a lawyer is necessary to review and “translate” the many documents that are generated by closing agents, mortgage lenders and others. We’ve seen it all and can help you navigate through the myriad of issues that can come up when you deal with what may be the largest asset you will buy or sell. Always have a lawyer review your documents, and always get title insurance and a survey.
Probate
You need this if a person has died WITH or WITHOUT a will (if they died owning assets). If someone dies and leaves you a house or other real estate, you will not be able to sell it unless you open a probate for the person who died. This is because the real estate will still have the name of the deceased person on it and this name must be changed, which can only be done in a probate. This also applies to any other assets that have a title to them.
Wills
A will is something that many of us are reluctant to think about . However, if you die without a will, the State of Florida drafts one for you and it may not be the one you want. It only takes a little while for you to decide who you want to leave your assets to and to decide who will be your Executor, also called Personal Representative in Florida. We can make the process of drafting a will less stressful and easier than you are imagining it to be.
Powers of Attorney and Living Wills
Everyone should have a Durable Power of Attorney, which allows someone else to handle your financial matters when you cannot, and a Health Care Power of Attorney, which allows someone else to make medical decisions for you when you cannot. In addition, it is so much easier for your family if you record in a Living Will whether you want to terminate life support machines and procedures if your brain has deceased and you are just being kept alive by machines.
Trusts
Trusts are helpful when you don’t want your family to have to go through probate or when you have an heir who would not manage their money well unless it is given to them monthly. There are many other things that a trust can do, from holding money until an heir is old enough to handle the money wisely, to taking advantage of laws regarding disabled children that can avoid the waiting period before transferred assets get counted for Medicaid.
Bankruptcy
It is important to see a lawyer when you are considering bankruptcy. The first reason is that there are alternatives to bankruptcy that you will want to consider. And if it turns out that bankruptcy is your best option, working through the process of bankruptcy is surprisingly complicated and difficult. If you do not qualify for Chapter 7 (liquidation) and must file Chapter 13 (reorganization), it is almost impossible to do that without a lawyer because of the Plan that you must create and submit.
Dino Law (941) 216-1496
Criminal Law
You may not feel like you have been accused of being a criminal, but if you get a DWI ticket or certain serious traffic tickets, you have been. If you have been accused of shoplifting or taking money from the company you work for, if you have been arrested or are being questioned by the police. We can help you with any type of criminal charge from a criminal traffic ticket to robbery, manslaughter or worse. Call a lawyer right away when you get charged with something.
David Finkelstein
David Finkelstein has been practicing law in this community for 31 years. He graduated from the prestigious University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Business and Accounting in 1978 and from the Law School at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1984.
Dino Perakis
Dino has years of experience in both criminal prosecution and private practice cases. They believe strongly in advocating for victims and seeking justice in each case they take on.
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