r/FloridaLawyersAdvice

Hi everyone

I am in Florida and I have recently been charged with my first misdemeanor I have never dealt with a criminal case before so I am trying to understand what I should do next

Should I look for a criminal defense lawyer right away or is it okay to go with a public defender at this stage?

If anyone has experience or advice about handling a first time misdemeanor case I would really appreciate your guidance.

Thanks in advance.

Someone close to me is dealing with injuries after a recent accident, and we have been speaking with a few attorneys but are not sure what really matters when choosing one

For people in Florida who have gone through this before what should we pay attention to besides reviews? Any advice would help.

I am currently involved in a serious Florida business partnership dispute tied to a towing and recovery company. An operating agreement was signed at the time by all board members/partners involved, outlining ownership structure, operational responsibilities, and the rights and protections of the members.

Over time, that operating agreement appears to have been completely disregarded. Certain individuals allegedly took control of the company operations, depleted business accounts, excluded other members from company access and decision-making, and effectively pushed multiple original members out of the business entirely despite their ownership interests, contributions, and involvement in building the company.

The dispute now potentially involves:
- Breach of operating agreement
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Partnership/member oppression
- Financial mismanagement
- Possible unjust enrichment and commercial damages

One of the biggest issues I’m facing is finding truly independent legal counsel in Florida that does not already have connections or conflicts involving parties tied to the business.

I’m looking for anyone experienced with:
- Florida business court litigation
- LLC/member disputes
- Emergency injunctions/freezing accounts
- Contingency or hybrid-contingency business attorneys
- What evidence matters most in operating agreement disputes
- What steps members should take when they are locked out of a company they helped build

Trying to remain confidential publicly regarding names and entities until necessary, but any serious legal or business guidance would be appreciated.

I rented a commercial space five years ago. The Lease states that we are only responsible for electricity, as the building has its own meter. Water was included in the rent, because there are four rental spaces and they all share one meter. So there was no clear way to split the bill.
At the time there was no restroom inside the space. However, there was a separate restroom that was included in the lease that we could use. During the five years other tenants have come and gone, but we’ve been the only consistent tenant so it wasn’t an issue.
Recently, the Landlord put a single stall restroom inside our space. It came out of the blue with no discussion, but we were happy to have it.
Until yesterday when we received an Addendum to the Utilities stating that we would now be responsible for splitting the water bill 50/50 with a residential tenant that she is allowing to move into the commercial room. The tenants will have two adults, one baby and one dog. Not only that, the Landlord herself has a store that is on that same water meter and she didn’t include herself in the split of the water bill. (One other space remains empty)
Is this addendum legal? Do we have to agree to this? If we refuse is it grounds to evict us?

Thanks in advance

A van hit my bike recently in Tampa, FL and I ended up with a fractured hand. Since the accident I’ve missed work and even normal daily tasks have become difficult while recovering.

I’ve already started handling medical treatment and insurance matters, but I’m unsure whether situations like this are something people usually pursue legally in Florida. I’m mainly trying to understand what options are normally available in cases involving injuries and lost income.

Any general advice would be appreciated.

This accident was not his fault at all. Lady pinned him with her car (that’s why the burn was so bad). He had to have surgery on his leg to get pins put in. He has lost a lot of his mobility, and his quality of life has gone way down. Is it normal to have the lawyer not want to go to court to sue the insurance company? His SS check is about to get garnished because he owes over $11,000 in hospital bills. Should he switch lawyers? Is it a Florida thing that they only require a $10,000 pay out?

Was working uber when a guy (who later ended up blowing a .295) slammed into me at a red light. Arm got broken from my shoulder to my elbow requiring surgery. I’m up to almost $100,000 in medical bills and have no health insurance. Will most certainly need a lot of follow ups and physical therapy. I’ve had no follow up from the arresting officer or state attorneys office. Trying to call the police and they tell me to call the state attorney, state attorney tells me to call the police. I try to leave a message for the officer who made the arrest but the voicemail is full.

The hospital ignores my phone calls to the financial assistance office, I’ve left over 10 voicemails since I was discharged. I also applied for Medicaid which I know I’m unlikely to get.

Of course the drunk only had minimum coverage and uber dropped UM coverage awhile back. I know I’m unlikely to recover much from the drunk, but is there anything I can do to ensure he gets hit with felony DUI and I can at least get some form of restitution from the court? All I have to my name is what insurance paid out for my totaled vehicle, I’m now completely unemployed and am in no position to work with an arm held together by screws.

We have signed a contract to build a home with Medallion Home in Parrish, FL. We were hoping to not have to get a mortgage as we were thinking the proceeds from the sale of our current home would cover most of if not all of the new home. However, it’s looking like we’re gonna have to take out a mortgage now as our current home has yet to sell.

There is a clause in our contract that says if we don’t use Medallion’s preferred lender, they will charge us $3500. Another homeowner in the same subdivision told us that they were able to skirt that clause because they found that it was illegal for Medallion Home to charge for a non-preferred lender. We found similar statements on the web, but do not have a legal citation to back it.

Can anyone provide me a legal citation that backs this position?

Thank you.

My ex-girlfriend created full statements to get an injunction against me and it is now fraudulently stating she has a zero dollar income well spending over $100,000 a year funded by her very wealthy parents. She submitted an affidavit saying this I also have stating months ago that she has an AMEX card that was not listed on this affidavit either additionally no vehicle is listed or insurance because it’s in her parents name.

My sister saw a deal online for a truck for $7k at a south florida dealership. She made an 8 hour trip to the dealership and found the truck was still available. she talked to the sales guy and he said the truck was $9.8k. she showed him the post about the deal being $7k and he said that was just to get people to the dealership, the price was $9.8k. She decided the deal was still good and to continue the sale if she could finance $3k, they ran her credit but with no history she needed a co-signer. She talked her friend into co-signing who was approved, however her friend was located in Massachusetts and my sister had no Power of Attorney (POA). The dealership convinced my sister and her friend that my sister could sign on her friends behalf. My sister and her friend were under the impression that the loan would be for $3k but without actually reading the contract apparently it was a loan for $25k. My sister did not realize until they left the dealership with the truck and was able to read the paperwork. She went back immediately and the sales guy and boss told her that the loan is $3k but if she doesn’t pay then it would be $25k and she would be getting the paperwork in the mail explaining it. My sister asked the dealership to give what they explained to her in writing, they refused and said wait for the mail. Her friend verified with the company that issued the loan that the $25k, not $3k. None of this sounds right from the false advertising, lack of POA to sign on her friends behalf, and the weird terms for the loan. My sister talked to the DMV and they told her to submit a complaint. Does this warrant a discussion with a lawyer before filing a police report? What kind of lawyer?

Hi everyone

I am trying to figure out what really matters when choosing a personal injury lawyer in Florida

I do not want to make a mistake so I would really appreciate some honest advice from people who have been through this or know the process well

What are the key things I should focus on when deciding who to hire and what should I be careful about so I do not end up with the wrong lawyer?

Any guidance would really help

I am just looking for general guidance not legal representation

Thanks