Adela Z Marcote

My Story: A Lifelong Advocate for the Community

My journey as an advocate began long before I ever stepped foot into a courtroom. In 1969, at just six years old, my family and I arrived in Florida from Cuba. Embracing a new country brought incredible opportunities, but it also came with profound challenges. At that time, very few people spoke Spanish, and by the age of seven, I found myself serving as my parents' translator. From handling house rentals and car purchases to navigating complex bank dealings , I was thrust into navigating adult transactions at a very young age. This early experience gave me a firsthand, intimate look at the immense difficulties, systemic obstacles, and vulnerabilities that immigrants, the elderly, or anyone unfamiliar with complex "legalese" must endure.

Witnessing my family navigate a system that wasn’t built for them ignited a lifelong passion within me: a deep, unwavering desire to ensure that everyone has a voice and a dedicated protector in their corner. An Entrepreneurial Spirit and Corporate Insight Driven by the sacrifices of my parents, I put myself through college utilizing a combination of academic and sports scholarships, financial aid, and student loans.

While finishing my degree in the late 1980s, I began working as an insurance adjuster for one of the largest insurance corporations in the United States—a foundational role that gave me an inside look at how major insurance carriers operate. However, my entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to my family called me to manage my parents’ manufacturing business, which specialized in athletic uniforms. Under my leadership, we pivoted the business to focus on women’s athletic apparel. Over nearly two decades, we scaled the company to provide uniforms for top-tier collegiate women’s softball teams and high schools across the United States and Canada.

After closing the manufacturing business due to personal reasons, I returned to my roots in the insurance industry, but this time with a definitive mission: to protect the consumer. In 2002, I founded The Public Adjusting Firm (now known as Ademar The Public Adjusting Firm, successfully passed on to and owned by my sister). As a public adjuster, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with homeowners and business owners, fighting aggressive insurance corporations to secure the fair, just settlements my clients deserved. The firm grew dynamically to include approximately 15 adjusters and staff members. In the late 2000s, to further expand my ability to resolve complex disputes, I transitioned to launching an independent Property Appraisal and Mediation company. Throughout Florida—especially in the wake of devastating hurricanes—I became a trusted shield for families and business owners who felt overwhelmed by massive corporate entities.

In 2009, driven by the same fire that motivated me as a seven-year-old translator, I embarked on the journey to fulfill a lifelong dream: becoming an attorney. At 47 years old, I stepped into the classrooms of the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law. At the age of 50, I achieved that dream and was proudly sworn into the Florida Bar.

I initially established my solo practice, the Law Offices of Adela Z. Marcote, LLC. A year later, in 2014, my sister and I joined forces to co-found the Law Offices of Marcote & Marcote De Moya, PLLC. For our first ten years, our practice was primarily dedicated to litigating and fighting for the rights of homeowners and business owners who were underpaid or treated unfairly by insurance companies. But over that decade, we frequently found ourselves giving guidance, advice, and legal representation to friends, family, and clients in other areas of life.

Our core goal has always been to serve and help our community where they need it most. Expanding Our Shield to Protect the Family Unit Two years ago, we intentionally expanded our practice areas to encompass the legal protections that everyday families need most. My choice of these practice areas is deeply rooted in my own life experiences: Lemon Law: When I was 24 years old, I bought a defective car and was left stranded on Highway 60. I personally know the sudden fear, intense frustration, and helplessness felt in that exact situation. I handle Lemon Law cases to ensure no one else has to face that isolation alone against massive auto manufacturers. Estate Planning: I firmly believe that those who cannot afford expensive boutique estate plans are the ones who actually need them the most. Hardworking families cannot afford to have their hard-earned assets tied up in probate court for two to three years, nor should they have to pay exorbitant probate fees. I provide accessible estate planning to protect your family's future. Family Law: To my sister and me, family is the most important thing in the world. We entered family law because we want to protect and shield families, providing compassionate and steady guidance even when the family unit, as it once was, has been broken. Ultimately, I became a lawyer because I know that proper legal representation can make a profound difference in a person's life. That was my goal when I was translating for my parents at seven years old, and it remains my unwavering commitment to you today.