David Michael Garten

PRO

David Michael Garten

5.0
Rating: 5.8

Licensed for 41 years

Probate Lawyer at West Palm Beach, FL
Practice Areas: Probate, Trusts, Wills & Living Wills ... +2 more

400 Columbia Drive Suite 100, West Palm Beach, FL

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2016
See Details

About David

Biography

Committed To Our Clients’ Success. Intelligent Advocacy • Personal Attention.

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Elder Law 20%

20%
Guardianship 20%

20%
Probate 20%

20%
Trusts 20%

20%
Wills and Living Wills 20%

20%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer

Awards

AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating

Licenses

Licensed in Florida for 41 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 1984

Member in Good Standing

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2016

Location

David M. Garten, Esq.

400 Columbia Drive Suite 100, West Palm Beach, FL, 33409-1948

gartenlaw.com/

David Michael Garten's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

3 Client Reviews

5 star (3)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Scott | July 16, 2021 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

The best balance of the best talents!

After my father passed away unexpectedly in 2019, I immediately began the work of acting as his personal representative. Unfortunately, my father had no legal Will which led to a contested estate. The estate attorney I hired initially was not interested in handling litigation filed by another heir, a...nd recommended David Garten for the job. Calling David Garten was the best decision I could have made. David Garten is an expert in Florida State Estate Law. He is a litigation attorney who handles contested estates and defends his clients with zeal. He exudes the calm confidence and total professionalism of an expert in his field. There are none of the blustering or hyperbolic statements that you will find with unqualified attorneys who are just trying to get your business. David will never leave you with a false sense of confidence on any issue. David’s credentials are impeccable, and he is a regular contributor to Florida State Bar Association publications. David’s staff is top notch and well organized, a sure sign of an excellent attorney. I also found David and his staff to be approachable and easy going, not stuffy or hard to communicate with as some attorney’s offices can be. David’s work on my father’s estate was exemplary. He successfully negotiated settlements and diffused or won the unnecessary litigation brought against the estate. At one point David parlayed a pre-trial deposition into a settlement that enabled me to continue my work to close the estate without interruption. This is one of many examples of David’s expert handling of my father’s estate. David is very cost conscious and employs other Estate Attorneys to handle the more routine aspects of estate administration. You can rest assured that you won’t be gouged. David’s calm approach to angry opposing counsel, random unnecessary litigation, and wary nerve-wracked clients, was incredibly reassuring as we worked through various issues. I would highly recommend David Garten to represent you if you are the executor or personal representative of a contested estate. In fact, I would say that if relatives are likely to litigate after the loss of a loved one, skip the standard Estate Attorneys and call David Garten for the representation that you really need.

Posted by Pat | March 9, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

David M. Garten

I was living out-of-state when notified of my estranged husband's death. I needed to be advised and represented by an attorney who was familiar with Florida's state statutes for elective shares regarding the surviving spouse. My situation required a lot of special research. David made me feel comfort...able and confident that everything was covered. He kept me appraised of the current status, even though there were time issues holding up our progress. Given the circumstances of my case, I felt David was attentive, personable and gave my case the required attention to detail needed. I was especially impressed with the follow up on David's part and his paralegal, Cheryl. At the conclusion of my case, they both made me feel like I would want to use there service again and/or would refer my family and friends to them. David and Cheryl, thank you again.

Posted by anonymous | March 8, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Compassionate and Caring Trusts, Elder Law and Guardianship Attorney

After being victimized by several other attorneys regarding Trusts, Elder Law and Guardianship I did extensive research prior to finding a West Palm Beach attorney with the expertise and experience of David M. Garten, Esq. He was very responsive regarding scheduling and thoroughly knowledgeable in hi...s field of law. He was always sympathetic and concerned to act in my best interest. His fees were reasonable and there was never a suspicion that his time billed was inflated. Hiring Mr. Garten actually turned out to be an extremely excellent value when at our first meeting he suggested he would, and actually did notify my insurers who ended up carrying a significant portion of my case with Mr. Garten's supervision. I now know how fortunate I was to have been represented by such a caring, compassionate, and expert attorney. I would never hesitate to encourage anyone needing the type of legal services offered by Mr. Garten to meet with him. Although it was very unpleasant going thru a lawsuit, David Garten’s advocacy made the situation a lot more tolerable. I will remain forever grateful for his services.

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Experience

Rating:  5.8 (Average)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2016.

Suspension issued in FL, 2016

updated on 07/26/2016

Suspension means an attorney lost his or her license to practice law for a period of time. The attorney typically returns to practicing law when the suspension expires.

Honors

2020

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2017

AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

Work Experience

1984 - Present

Owner/Partner, Law Office of David M. Garten

Associations

1990 - Present

Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section

Member

1990 - Present

Palm Beach County Bar Association, Probate CLE Committee

Member

1990 - Present

Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Trust Law Committee, Probate Litigation Committee, Guardianship Committee

Member

2014 - 2015

Palm Beach County Bar Association, Probate & Guardianship Practice Committee

Chair

1996 - 1998

Florida Bar, 15th Circuit Grievance Committee "B"

Former Chair

Education

1983

Golden Gate University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1980

University of Southern California

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

N/A

Presentation

When the Fiduciary's Agent Errs Who Pays?

N/A

Presentation

Client Under a Disability, An Ethical Dilemma

N/A

Palm Beach County Bar Association

Confidentiality of Attorney-Client Communications (From the Probate Lawyer’s Perspective)

Publications

N/A

Refer to my website: Gartenlaw.com Hundreds of articles of interest

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline
    This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2016
    Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution