Varinia Van Ness

Varinia Van Ness

5.0
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 34 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Sarasota, FL
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Domestic Violence ... +3 more

46 N. Washington Blvd., Suite 9, Sarasota, FL

About Varinia

Biography

Practice Areas

6

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 40%

Violations of Probation, Trafficking drugs, Search Warrant cases, Violent cases. We handles all criminal cases

35 years

40%
DUI and DWI 20%

35 years

20%
Juvenile Law 10%

35 years

10%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Florida for 34 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 1991

Member in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Location

Van Ness Law Group, P.A.

46 N. Washington Blvd., Suite 9, Sarasota, FL, 34236-5932

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Varinia Van Ness's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

68 Client Reviews

Showing 46 - 50 of 68 reviews

Posted by Danielle | May 21, 2010

Varinia can be great help to anyone who needs a great laywer

Varinia has helped me in plenty of cases and has not let me down once. Any time I need I lawyer for anything she is right there to help. She is very knowledgeable and is always there when I have any questions. I am very pleased with her work.

Posted by Jeremy | April 08, 2010 | Criminal Defense

Now I know why she's top-rated

My father also wanted to write a review for Varinia, but since he wasn’t the actual client he wasn’t able to. So I’m writing this for the both of us. I live out of state, and was facing some old charges from Florida. After I arrived there, my dad checked around for Sarasota area lawyers and heard ...about Varinia. He first contacted her less than two days before I was to be in court for a bond hearing. Of course I had never met her, and knew nothing about her except for what little my dad told me. And since it was on such short notice, I expected that, at best, she’d only be able to ask for a continuance until she could get up to speed on the details of my case. But instead, she actually got a bond set, and I was released within hours. Because of this, I was able to go back home and be with my family for Christmas, rather than sitting in jail. And after that, while things were being worked out, Varinia managed to arrange it so most things could be handled long-distance, which allowed me to be excused from personal appearances for preliminary court dates. (Of course I still had to be there in person for the final appearance.) Also, all along the way she kept me and my dad updated on any developments, and responded quickly to each question we had. I was originally facing the possibility of several years in prison, but Varinia worked with the prosecutor to get a plea agreement which I’m pretty happy with. Most importantly that there’s no jail time involved. We all think the main charge I originally had against me was way out of proportion to the crime, and in a perfectly just and fair world I never would have been facing prison in the first place. I won’t get into the details, but the fact is, I WAS facing prison… and I think Varinia did a much better job than most other lawyers could have under the same circumstances. And something you don’t see very often with most lawyers: Varinia actually seems to CARE about not just her clients, but even her client’s family, too. Just before Christmas, long before my case was settled, she said something to my dad like, “Don’t worry about this. Let me handle it, and you guys just enjoy the holidays together.” So needless to say I’m very happy we found Varinia, and would definitely recommend her. She’s not only a great lawyer, but a great person too.

Posted by Alejandro y Bismayda | March 11, 2010 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Review Mrs. Varinia

Mrs. Varinia was an excellent attorney. We are extremely satisfied with her professional duty. She is extremely professional and reliable when dealing with legal cases that my husband and I had. She is not only an attorney but a person you can trust. So, we are extremely satisfied with the outcomes M...rs. Varinia obtained with our cases. I will extremely recommend her to any person who needs loyal and professional attorney.

Posted by David | January 27, 2010 | Criminal Defense

Outstanding

I was facing a serious charge and Mrs. Vanness was able to get the charges dropped even before it went for an arrangment hearing. Her work, dedication and professionalism are unbelievable I feel I owe Varinia my life.

Posted by anonymous | November 19, 2009

Great Lawyer

The instant I meet with Varina, I knew she was the best lawyer for my son's case. I connected to her because of her strong belief in God. I saw great wisdom in her work. She has a strong personality, knows the law and is not misleading. She is dedicated to her clients and is passionate about her work.... She is also friendly will put you at ease and makes the problem seems lighter. She displays confidence, is outspoken and explores all avenues. I would strongly recommend her for any legal problems.

See All Client Reviews

Varinia Van Ness's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Varinia
Erik J. Arroyo headshot
Erik Arroyo

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 23

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Virinia without reservation. Her reputation precedes her as one of the most passionate advocates for her clients. The results speak for themselves."

Adam Dunn headshot
Adam Dunn

Criminal defense lawyer | Jul 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Varinia is a tenacious and intelligent attorney who takes great pride in representing her clients. One can find her daily in the courtrooms of Florida fighting for her clients' rights. She combines this with a spirit for contributing to the local community. Her dedication to client and community make her an advocate I would highly recommend."

Amiee Ruth Buckman headshot
Amiee Buckman

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I've had the honor of knowing Varinia for quite some time and have always found her to be extremely knowlegeable and professional. I would highly recommend her to anyone who needs an experienced criminal defense lawyer."

Brandon M Daniels headshot
Brandon Daniels

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Varinia, I have witnessed her in court on multiple occasions and she have superior intellect and fights hard for her clients. She is a great attorney and is well respected by all on the defense bar."

James Roman Amarosa II headshot
James Amarosa

Criminal defense lawyer | May 01

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Ms. Van Ness is a great lawyer and is always willing to help. I would recomend this lawyer to anyone needing her services. JRA"

Todd Jerome Thurow headshot
Todd Thurow

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Thomas Klemens Almquist headshot
Thomas Almquist

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Herbert Ira Ellis headshot
Herbert Ellis

Unknown lawyer | Dec 08

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Dana M Moss headshot
Dana Moss

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Varinia Van Ness. This lady knows her stuff. She is a true advocate for her clients and does not back down from a fight. She works hard and get the results."

Steve Daniel Santiago headshot
Steve Santiago

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 20

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Cynthia Marie Veintemillas headshot
Cynthia Veintemillas

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Varinia Van Ness is the type of lawyer that other lawyers go to with questions. She is knowledgeable and treats people with respect. She is an excellent attorney."

Michael Lane Morgan headshot
Michael Morgan

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. I have known Varinia Van Ness for nearly ten years. She is very knowledgeable and deeply committed to her Clients. Varinia's courtroom presence is one of the best I have ever seen. She is confident, smart and understands the methods necessary for winning cases. If you are in need of an excellent attorney, you must contact Varinia Van Ness."

Christian K. Lassen II headshot
Christian Lassen

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Very experienced lawyer."

Jarrett David Blakeley headshot
Jarrett Blakeley

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work, she is an excellent attorney."

AnneMarie Rose Rizzo headshot
AnneMarie Rizzo

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Aggressive is the best word to describe Varinia. She can be relentless when defending her clients. She is a very strong attorney. Varinia is also involved in the community and takes her work seriously."

Craig A. Epifanio headshot
Craig Epifanio

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. Ms. Van Ness is one of the premier attorneys in the Sarasota area. I have found her to be very knowledgeable and one of the most insightful attorneys in the State of Florida. I feel confident that if I am referring a case to her, that the client will be in extremely good hands."

Leslie Miller Sammis headshot
Leslie Sammis

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. I have been following the Delane Johnson case. Varinia Van Ness did a great job taking on the Bradenton Police Department and City Attorney for the way they handle forfeiture cases."

Darren Mark Finebloom headshot
Darren Finebloom

Criminal defense lawyer | Jul 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. Varinia is an attorney that is so dedicated to her clients and protecting their rights. She is fearless in the courtroom and a credit to our profession."

View All Endorsements
Adam Dunn headshot
Adam Dunn

Criminal defense lawyer

Gregory Scott Hagopian headshot
Gregory Hagopian

Personal injury lawyer

Brandon M Daniels headshot
Brandon Daniels

Criminal defense lawyer

Andrew Terence Hibbert headshot
Andrew Hibbert

Criminal defense lawyer

Cynthia Marie Veintemillas headshot
Cynthia Veintemillas

Criminal defense lawyer

Michael Lane Morgan headshot
Michael Morgan

Commercial real estate lawyer

AnneMarie Rose Rizzo headshot
AnneMarie Rizzo

Criminal defense lawyer

David Ashley Haenel headshot
David Haenel

Speeding and traffic ticket lawyer

Darren Mark Finebloom headshot
Darren Finebloom

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2006

BV Rating,, Martindale-Hubbell

Work Experience

2002 - Present

President, Van Ness Law Group, P.A.

1998 - 2002

Program Attorney, Guardian Ad Litem Program

1991 - 1998

Assistant State Attorney, Office of the State Attorney (Sarasota) 6 1/2 years

Associations

2009 - Present

Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Board of Directors

2003 - Present

Junior League of Sarasota

Member

2008 - 2012

Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Sarasota Chapter

President

2007 - 2012

Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Florida Chapter

Member

2002 - 2004

Children's Guardian Fund

Board of Directors

Sample of Legal Cases

Delane Johnson

Victory

Simmons vs. State

Victory

See More Legal Cases

Education

1991

Stetson University College of Law

Juris Doctor

1988

University of Florida

Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2016

Breath Blood and Tears

DUI How do defend Refusals

2015

Breath Blood and Tears

DUI Jury Selection

2014

Blood Breath and Tears

Ethics Panel

2013

Masters of DUI

Ethics Panel

2012

The Practice

Solo Practice--The Women of FACDL

2008

Family Law Seminar

Criminal Law Issues that Impact Family Law Issues

2007

Girl's Inc., Girls' Rights Week

Panel discussion on the Super Girl Dilemma. Guest panelist in group of role models who have achieved a great deal.

Languages

French

Italian

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

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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