Charles M. Baron

Offering top-notch legal services in South Florida for over 36 years.

• Land Use & Zoning
• Car Accidents
• Slip & Fall
• Police Misconduct/False Arrest
• General Civil

• Zoom
• WhatsApp

• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Contingent Fees
  Contingent (percentage) fees offered in appropriate cases
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Free consultations for some types of cases; otherwise, reasonable consultation fees.

Florida

Since 1985

11th Circuit

Since 1989

University of Florida

J.D. (1984) | Law

1982 - 1984

University of Florida

B.A. (1981) | Political Science

1978 - 1981

Florida Dispute Resolution Center

Current

Association of South Florida Mediators and Arbitrators

Current

National Lawyers Guild

Current

Broward County Bar Association

Current

South Broward Bar Association

Current

Certified Circuit Civil Mediator

Florida Dispute Resolution Center

Qualified Arbitrator

Florida Supreme Court

Q. How can I sue a nursing home for neglecting my grandmother in Florida?

March 21, 2025

A: Sorry to hear about your grandmother's horrible ordeal. She has a potential claim for substantial money damages, which must be handled by an attorney. Promptly pick up the phone and call a lawyer who is in the County where the nursing home is to schedule a free consultation, either in person or virtually, on Zoom. If the lawyer him/herself cannot handle it, he/she can likely refer you to a lawyer who can. The consultation will cover all the steps that must be taken to prepare for and make the claim. A presuit notice will be required as part of the claim process, and if not settled in that stage, then suit may be filed in the Circuit Court. Do not delay!

Q. Unauthorized driver totaled my car in accident; other driver at fault. What should I do?

March 19, 2025

A: I assume you have made total disclosure to your insurance company of the facts. If not, you need to do so immediately. I'm guessing from your description that the unauthorized individual is attempting to receive the PIP benefits under your policy for payment of medical bills and/or is attempting to receive benefits under your uninsured/underinsured coverage, if any. If it is established that he indeed has zero permission to drive the vehicle, he likely is not entitled to those benefits. However, if he claims that he HAD permission (and he likely would have to claim permission from YOU), then the insurance co. would need to conduct an investigation to sort it out.

The insurance co. would then make a decision to either approve or deny the claim(s). If denied, this story will be over unless that individual then files a lawsuit in court. Then the insurance co. would decide whether to vigorously defend the lawsuit (through a lawyer that it hires) or to try to settle with that claimant. Right now, you must contact your insurance co. and determine if the above is what's actually going on AND confirm with them that they are handling it with absolutely no need for you to retain counsel (and if so, confirm all that IN WRITING). If something other than that is going on, best for you to schedule a legal consultation. ... Read More

Q. Can media coverage of a court miscommunication affect my trial and public defender's reputation?

March 17, 2025

A: Sorry to hear about this incident that is worrying you. First, you currently have a lawyer - your APD (Asst. Public Defender), with whom you should discuss these concerns. That discussion might alleviate your concerns. If you have doubts about your lawyer's competence and/or veracity, you need to inquire about having another APD assigned to your case (if you cannot afford private counsel). Regarding what the media is allowed to report, the First Amendment gives the media the right to report anything observed in proceedings that are open to the public and anything that is in the Court file (if not sealed or redacted for confidentiality). Can that reporting affect your APD's reputation? Some people paying attention to the story might think your APD is somewhat incompetent, BUT as part of the voir dire (jury selection process), the potential jurors should be asked if they have heard any news about your case. It is likely that a very large percentage of them, and maybe 100%, never heard a thing, and if any did, your lawyer should ask if that would influence that person in any way. Your lawyer would have a certain number of peremptory strikes - that is, the ability to remove that prospective juror from the pool without having to give a reason to the Judge, and additionally would have the ability to remove one for cause (good reason presented to the Judge). Another possibility in every criminal case is a plea deal that is satisfactory to the accused, and in that event, there's no trial. ... Read More