Justia Legal Services & Lawyers Directory

* Admitted to: Florida Bar, 1993; Tennessee Bar, 2007; U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2000; U.S. Supreme Court, 2006.

* Primary practice areas: Estate Planning (wills, trusts, Probate), Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Real Estate (commercial and residential title closings, transactions, and Business Entities.

* A featured speaker for the 2007 Financial Professionals Expo, Tampa, Florida, and the 2000 Money Sense Live personal-finance seminar sponsored by the Tampa Tribune and the Financial Planning Association of Tampa Bay. Frequent seminar speaker on the topic of estate planning. Several appearances on local television shows, including FLA Law (cable), Eight on Your Side (NBC Ch. 8). 1995-1997 host of radio show Ask an Attorney.

* Member: Florida Bar Association (Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section and Elder Law Section); Clearwater Bar Association; St. Petersburg Bar Association; The Florida Bar 6th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee (2008-2011 term), Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, Inc.; Bay Area Real Estate Council.

Offices in Clearwater, Palm Harbor and Tampa

Susan M. Charles, J.D., LL.M. (Elder Law)

Attorney Susan Marie Charles is an attorney practicing in Clearwater, Largo, St. Petersburg, and Tampa, Florida. She provides comprehensive legal services to people in the Tampa Bay area who need assistance with estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianship, and trust and estate administration.

A native of Rockville, Maryland, Susan enjoyed a 10-year career as an international travel consultant in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Tampa. A King-O'Neal Scholar, she graduated first in her undergraduate class, receiving her Bachelor's Degree Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Florida Honors College in 2002. She received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Stetson University College of Law in 2004, and attained her Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Elder Law from Stetson University College of Law in 2008. Susan Charles is one of only a handful of attorneys in the United States to have earned the prestigious LL.M. in Elder Law. She is licensed to practice law in Florida and in the District of Columbia.

Professional and Community Involvement

Susan is a member of several professional associations, including the Florida Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys, the American Bar Association, the St. Petersburg Bar Association, the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation, the Clearwater Bar Association, the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the Pinellas County Estate Planning Council, and Wealth Counsel.

She is active in the community, serving as an advisor to the board of Suncoast Voices for Children Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting abused and neglected children through the Guardian Ad Litem Program in Pinellas and Pasco counties. She is also an active member of the Professional Advisors Committee of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Tampa Bay.

Committed to Educating Others

Susan's primary practice areas are estate planning, probate, Medicaid nursing home planning, guardianship, and other elder law issues. She provides free seminars to educate the public about the estate planning options available in Florida, explaining the pros and cons of each estate planning strategy, as well as the associated costs and tax ramifications. Her seminars also include discussion of estate taxes and asset protection methods, as well as the most common mistakes the elder community makes when planning asset protection and probate avoidance without the professional oversight of competent legal counsel.

Susan Charles is the host of "Florida Law Live," a call-in radio program during which attorneys discuss legal issues and answer legal questions live on the air. "Florida Law Live" is broadcast throughout Florida on Sunday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on WWBA News Talk 820 AM. "Florida Law Live" can also be heard around the world by visiting www.wwba820.com and then clicking "Listen Live" on the WWBA homepage.

Offices in Clearwater - Largo - St. Petersburg - Tampa