Christopher Douglas Smith

Christopher Douglas Smith

5.0
Rating: 9.7

Licensed for 24 years

Real estate Lawyer at Sarasota, FL
Practice Areas: Real Estate, Estate Planning, Bankruptcy & Debt ... +2 more

1561 Lakefront Dr, Unit 204, Sarasota, FL

About Christopher

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Real Estate 30%

Contracts, closing/title services and title insurance, disputes, deeds, mortgages, foreclosures, short sales

25 years | 1,000 cases

30%
Estate Planning 25%

Wills, powers of attorney, probate matters, trusts

25 years | 500 cases

25%
Bankruptcy and Debt 15%

Chapter 7, Chapter 13, consumer and business, creditor and debtor representation

25 years | 1,000 cases

15%
Litigation 15%

civil disputes of any nature

25 years | 200 cases

15%
Personal Injury 15%

automobile accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability

25 years | 104 cases

15%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Hourly Rates

$ 460-460 per hour

Contingency

25%-40%


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Florida for 23 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 2002

Member in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in District of Columbia for 23 years

State: District of Columbia

Acquired: 2002

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in Maryland for 23 years

State: Maryland

Acquired: 2002

Inactive - Retired

No misconduct found

Licensed in Virginia for 24 years

State: Virginia

Acquired: 2001

Associate

No misconduct found

Location

SmithLaw

1561 Lakefront Dr, Unit 204, Sarasota, FL, 34240

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Christopher Douglas Smith's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

194 Client Reviews

Showing 11 - 15 of 36 reviews | General Knowledge

Posted by Ron | April 19, 2023 | Hired Attorney | Trusts

Truly a Pleasure

As a realtor, I have the opportunity to interact with Chris & his team many times a year as I direct all of closings to Chris & his paralegal par excellence Monica Ischinger. Recently my wife & I needed to get advice on setting up a trust for us. Chris was patient & very informative and really explai...ned the entire process in a way that was easy to understand. Of course, we went ahead with his suggestions and were very happy with the results! His entire team including Monica & Jayne are a pleasure to deal with. I can without hesitation recommend Chris Smith as a very competent attorney you can trust to get the right advice pertaining to whatever your legal needs are.

Posted by Stan | April 12, 2023 | Hired Attorney | Wills & Living Wills

Great local lawyer

Fortunately I only needed to update my will, which Chris prepared years ago, but as always, it was painless, easy and totally professional. My point being, he is a great caring lawyer even on the small stuff. Just as he was on my closings.

Posted by Tanya | November 22, 2022 | Hired Attorney

Excellent attorney!

I am so grateful to have found attorney Chris Smith. Chris helped me navigate a legal process with ease. He always communicated with me throughout every step of the process, answered all my questions, and was professional and kind in all interactions. He is not only highly experienced, he is also per...sonable. I highly recommend Chris!

Posted by anonymous | December 15, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning

Estate Planning

We needed assistance with estate planning, and we were referred to Smith Law. We could not be more pleased with service we received. Chris and team were extremely knowledgeable and professional throughout the entire process. We were especially impressed with the effort and time Chris spent to underst...and our unique situation and explain all of our options. We highly recommend Smith Law!

Posted by Susie | September 28, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning

Excellent, prompt, professional service

Chris is very knowledgeable with estate preparation, gave me excellent advice and updated my will and trust in a very timely manner. I highly recommend him.

See All Client Reviews

Christopher Douglas Smith's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Christopher
Erik J. Arroyo headshot
Erik Arroyo

Business lawyer | Apr 23

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Very professional and proficient at settling client matters as expeditiously and effectively as possible. The best attorneys have this trait."

Michael H Fayard II headshot
Michael Fayard

Real estate lawyer | Mar 31

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Chris is results-driven and a superb advocate for his clients."

Gerald F. O'Brien headshot
Gerald O'Brien

Estate planning lawyer | Jul 15

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Chris is an intelligent, skilled, and compassionate attorney who always considers his clients best interests first."

Sergio Cabanas headshot
Sergio Cabanas

Unknown lawyer | Feb 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. After reviewing attorney Smith's history as well as his insightful answers to questions posted on Avvo, I believe he is a trustworthy source of legal information and experience."

Matthew Z. Martell headshot
Matthew Martell

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Jun 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Smith is a very intelligent and professional attorney. He is very responsible, organized and diligent in the handling of his cases. He treats his clients with respect and courtesy. I highly recommend this attorney."

Michael Edward Schuchat headshot
Michael Schuchat

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Jun 20

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer. Chris is an outstanding attorney dedicated to doing the best for his clients."

David Harris Rosenberg headshot
David Rosenberg

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Apr 04

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have a number of clients that have been facing bankruptcy over the past few years. I have the pleasure of working closely with Chris on a number of these files. Chris has always given straight forward and honest advice and has been very responsive to the concerns of my clients."

John William Chapman Jr. headshot
John Chapman

Chapter 11 bankruptcy lawyer | Jun 27

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Chris is very knowledgable about bankruptcy matters and I found him to be very responsive and professional. I would definitely recommend him."

Nishit Virendra Patel headshot
Nishit Patel

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Jun 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Smith is well experienced and incredibly knowledgeable. He is my "go-to" man when it comes to all matters of bankruptcy and personal injury work."

G Logan Elliott headshot
G Elliott

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Jun 03

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer."

Erika Dine headshot
Erika Dine

Litigation lawyer | May 29

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer's work."

Frank Brooks Cowan Jr. headshot
Frank Cowan

Lawsuits and disputes lawyer | May 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. He is a sharp mind who works extremely hard and will produce results."

View All Endorsements
Michael H Fayard II headshot
Michael Fayard

Criminal defense lawyer

Gerald F. O'Brien headshot
Gerald O'Brien

Guardianship lawyer

Kevin Brendan Acklin headshot
Kevin Acklin

Business lawyer

Lindsey Anne Schneider headshot
Lindsey Schneider

Divorce and separation lawyer

Matthew Z. Martell headshot
Matthew Martell

Litigation lawyer

David Harris Rosenberg headshot
David Rosenberg

Real estate lawyer

John William Chapman Jr. headshot
John Chapman

Litigation lawyer

Ryan Alexander Featherstone headshot
Ryan Featherstone

Real estate lawyer

Nishit Virendra Patel headshot
Nishit Patel

Family lawyer

Frank Brooks Cowan Jr. headshot
Frank Cowan

Entertainment lawyer

Erika Dine headshot
Erika Dine

Guardianship lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.7 (Superb)

Honors

2016

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2003

Pro Bono Award, Dechert LLP

Work Experience

2012 - Present

Attorney, SmithLaw

2010 - 2011

Managing Partner, Smith and Dine P.A.

2005 - 2009

Managing Attorney, Christopher D. Smith, P.A.

2001 - 2005

Associate, Dechert

Associations

Sarasota County Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Colaizzi v. Matney

Judgment for Plaintiff

McDonnell v. Robey

Judgment for Plaintiff for $126,291.30

Emerence Stickle v. Raymond M. Garcia

Judgment for Plaintiff for $1,531,751.86

Donahue v. The Signature Group of Sarasota

Judgment for Plaintiff for $111,035.46

In Re Rasmussen

Trustee's Objection Overruled

See More Legal Cases

Education

2001

Georgetown University Law Center

JD - Juris Doctor

1998

Harvard

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Publications

2012

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
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  • Discipline 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