IN THE NEWS

Division A Update

Judge Lisa S. Porter recently moved to Charlotte County. Lee Family Law Judges and Senior Judges will be covering dockets for Lee County’s Division A until a new judge is appointed. For attorneys wishing to file proposed orders/FJ on their cases in this division, they may e-file through the portal to Division A. Orders will be reviewed and routed to the appropriate judge for signature.

All scheduling for Division A cases will be done by Judge Swift’s Judicial Assistant, Ivelisse. Parties wishing to schedule a hearing should email Ivelisse Miller at imiller@ca.cjis20.org. Tina Baginski remains the case manager for Division A. Parties with general questions or wanting information on case status can contact Tina at tbaginski@ca.cjis20.org or (239) 533-8248.

Lee County To Pilot New Fraud Prevention Program

Lee County has been chosen to be the location for the State of Florida’s new “Title Fraud Prevention Through Identity Verification” pilot program. Signed into law by Gov. DeSantis, HB 1419 is designed to make it harder to file fraudulent deeds in Lee County. It authorizes the Lee County Clerk to pilot the program for two years and build out how the process may work for other counties.

Taking Notes

Attorney Mary Vlasak Snell of Pavese Law Firm has been appointed as secretary of the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties. With an outstanding track record in the legal industry and passion for making a difference in the lives of others, Mary will work alongside the United Way team to enhance the organization’s impact on the local community. She is a longtime distinguished board member, executive committee representative and reappointed secretary.

Back To Basics With Nota

President Scott Westheimer wants The Florida Bar to get back to basics –and that starts with Nota, a new trust accounting solution for Florida Bar members. Beginning in September, at Westheimer’s direction, Florida lawyers will have free access via the Member Benefits Program to the Nota financial management platform.

The solution is designed to help lawyers easily manage their trust accounts while complying with Florida Bar rules. It can be used with M&T Bank, with existing online banking services for most banks, and as a standalone trust accounting solution not tied to any online banking platform. For a preview of the platform and to pre-register for access, visit www.trustnota.com/TheFloridaBar.

Double Vision

Kayla Richmond and Katie Kohn of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A have each achieved board certification in divorce, marital and family law by the Florida Bar. This prestigious certification is a testament to their exceptional expertise and commitment to providing clients with the highest level of legal services. With over 100,000 lawyers eligible to practice law in Florida, only 7% of Florida Bar members have obtained board certification.

Seeking Member Assistance With Grant Application Review

Each year, the Lee County Bar Association Foundation receives dozens of applications for funding dynamic programs by local nonprofit organizations. The Foundation is seeking LCBA members to assist in reviewing the applications and making funding recommendations for the 2023 grant cycle. No prior nonprofit or grant review experience necessary. The commitment would be approximately 4 to 5 hours in October, 2023. This is a great way to get involved and learn more about the Lee County Bar Association Foundation. Please contact John Webb at johnwebblaw@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.

CALLING ALL NONPROFITS & LCBA MEMBERS!

The Lee County Bar Association Foundation, Inc. is now accepting grant applications from local nonprofits for its 2023 grant allocation cycle, starting Aug. 1 through Sept. 30, 2023. Grants are anticipated to provide support for specific programming in amounts of less than $10,000 per organization. Applications are available on the Foundation website at www.LeeBarFoundation.org.

Additionally, the Foundation is seeking LCBA members to assist in reviewing applications and making funding recommendations for the 2023 grant cycle. No prior nonprofit or grant review experience necessary. The commitment would be approximately 4 to 5 hours in October, 2023. Please contact John Webb at johnwebblaw@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering.

IN MEMORIAM

Melissa G. Skeen

Cindy Trammell

June 1

June 30

Marcus Viles July 14