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From marinas and cruise terminals to quiet HOA communities out west, Fort Lauderdale life raises its own legal questions. XIRA attorneys are licensed by The Florida Bar, so they can help you here in Broward County and anywhere in Florida.
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Legal help in Fort Lauderdale

Legal help for Broward County, on the water and off

Fort Lauderdale is the center of Broward County, and its economy leans on the water. Yacht brokers, boat repair yards, marinas, charter operators and the cruise and cargo traffic at Port Everglades all employ local workers. Tourism and hospitality fill the beachfront. Inland, cities like Plantation, Weston and Coral Springs are full of homeowners associations and small businesses. Many residents are retirees or part-year residents who split their time with another state, which makes estate planning, homestead and guardianship questions a big part of local legal life.

Broward County cases are handled by the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Its circuit court hears larger civil disputes, divorce and family matters, probate and felonies, while Broward County Court hears small claims, evictions, traffic matters and misdemeanors. Appeals go to the Fourth District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach, not to the Miami court that serves Miami-Dade. Federal cases are heard by the Southern District of Florida, which has a courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

Broward stretches from the beach to the edge of the Everglades, and a drive from Weston or Coral Springs to downtown Fort Lauderdale can take a while. Seasonal residents may be back in their home state when a Florida matter comes up. On XIRA you can compare attorneys, see the rates each one sets, and meet over integrated video conferencing. That means a snowbird in another state, an adult child helping a parent, or a boat owner at sea can all take part.

Legal issues Fort Lauderdale residents often need help with

HOA and community association disputes

Much of western Broward is built around planned communities. Owners bring questions about fines, architectural approvals, assessments, rental restrictions and how board elections are run. Florida has separate statutes for homeowners associations and condominiums, and your community's recorded documents add their own rules. An attorney who handles association law can review the declaration and correspondence and explain what steps may be available before a disagreement escalates.

Boats, marinas and the marine trades

Fort Lauderdale's marine industry creates its own disputes: a yacht purchase that falls through, repair work that goes wrong, unpaid slip fees, or a crew member hurt on the job. Some of these issues fall under Florida contract law and some under federal maritime law, which has its own rules and deadlines. An attorney with marine experience can help you sort out which rules apply and where a claim could be filed.

Estate planning for retirees and part-year residents

Many Broward residents retire here or spend winters in Florida. Common questions include whether to update a will or trust signed in another state, how Florida homestead rules affect a home, and how to plan for incapacity with powers of attorney and health care directives. An estate planning attorney can review what you already have and explain how Florida law may treat it, so your family is not left guessing.

Car, bike and premises injuries

Busy roads like I-95, US-1 and A1A, plus crowded beaches, hotels and bars, lead to injury claims. Florida law now gives most negligence claims a two-year filing deadline, and a person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own harm generally cannot recover damages. A personal injury attorney can review what happened and explain how these rules may apply to your situation.

Guardianship and elder care

When a parent can no longer manage money or health decisions, families in Broward often ask about guardianship through the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, or about less restrictive options set up in advance. Questions also arise about nursing home care, financial exploitation and contested estates. An elder law or guardianship attorney can walk family members through the process, even when some of them live outside Florida.

Courts that serve Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is in Broward County, which has its own judicial circuit and its own appellate court. These are the courts residents use most.

  • Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida

    The trial court for Broward County. It hears civil cases above the county court limit, divorce and family law, probate and guardianship, juvenile cases and felonies. Guardianship and probate matters for Broward residents are filed here.

  • Broward County Court

    Hears small claims, landlord-tenant evictions, traffic cases, misdemeanors and civil cases up to the county court limit set by Florida law. Filings are handled through the Broward County Clerk of Courts.

  • Fourth District Court of Appeal

    Based in West Palm Beach, this state appellate court reviews decisions from the Fifteenth, Seventeenth and Nineteenth Judicial Circuits, which include Broward and Palm Beach Counties and the Treasure Coast. Broward appeals go here, not to the court that serves Miami-Dade.

  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale

    The federal trial court for South Florida has a Fort Lauderdale location. It hears federal claims, including many maritime and admiralty cases, employment claims under federal law, and disputes between parties from different states.

Local legal resources

Serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby

Downtown Fort Lauderdale · Las Olas · Wilton Manors · Lauderdale-by-the-Sea · Hollywood · Dania Beach · Pompano Beach · Deerfield Beach · Plantation · Sunrise · Davie · Weston · Coral Springs · Pembroke Pines

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Florida attorneys who can help in Fort Lauderdale

Every attorney below is licensed in Florida, so they can take matters from Fort Lauderdale and anywhere else in the state. Showing 12 of 18 Florida attorneys on XIRA.

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Common questions

Questions about finding a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale

Appeals from the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit and Broward County Court generally go to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, which is based in West Palm Beach. That is a different appellate court from the one that serves Miami-Dade, so its decisions are the ones Broward trial judges follow most closely. Appeals have strict deadlines and formatting rules. An attorney who handles appeals can review your judgment and explain whether and how to proceed.
Yes. A lawyer licensed by The Florida Bar can advise on your Florida matters wherever you happen to be. Meeting over integrated video conferencing on XIRA lets you handle a consultation from your other home, and lets relatives join from their own locations. If your question involves property or documents in another state too, ask the attorney whether a lawyer licensed there should also be involved.
Gather the fine notice, any letters or emails from the association, photos if the dispute is about your property, and a copy of the declaration, bylaws and rules. Florida's homeowners association statute sets procedures associations must follow before certain fines take effect, and your community documents add more. An attorney who handles association law can review the paperwork and explain what options may be available. Every community's documents are different.
It depends on the facts. A failed yacht sale may be a Florida contract matter, while some repair, salvage or crew injury claims can fall under federal maritime law and may be heard in federal court. The deadlines and rules can differ. An attorney with marine or admiralty experience can read your contract, invoices and survey reports and explain which rules may apply and where a claim could be filed.
Florida law sets a two-year limitations period for most actions founded on negligence, which covers many car and premises injury claims. Some claims follow different rules, such as those against government entities or for medical negligence. Because missing a deadline can end a claim, it helps to speak with a personal injury attorney soon after an incident. They can review the facts and tell you which deadlines may apply.
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