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 1 - 5 of 8 reviews | Lawsuits & Disputes

Posted by anonymous | September 13, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Strong, but professional and courteous!

Chris Smith took our case within minutes of us contacting him. We needed an unbiased Sarasota area attorney. My Mother had issues with the family of her fiance after his passing. He calmed us down, gave us insight and provided great advice on how we should proceed and what our legal rights were. He w...as clearly on our side and handled the entire situation with confidence and compassion. In the end, we were able to keep the case out of court, settle with the family, and feel comfortable that the family will not pursue this further. We are grateful that with the help of Chris and his entire staff, we were able to carry out the wishes of her fiance.

Posted by Margaret | September 22, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

superhero like efficiency

Christopher D. Smith, Esq Attorney At Law, Smith Law Attorneys: I am so pleased with the success of this case! I had been writing letters, notifications, making phone calls for weeks in an effort to get-out of a bad deal. Everything I did was ineffective. Attorney Christopher D. Smith gallantly su...pported my cause; I felt relief when he told me he would take my case. For the first time in weeks, I had peace of mind. He was efficient in handling my case, his expertise on the matter effected a quick resolution. It was Awesome! The manner in which everything was managed, is exactly like the stuff super heroes are made of..thank you so much for the win! Francis

Posted by anonymous | January 27, 2015 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Client Review

We hired a bankruptcy lawyer in NJ. We were told based on our situation bankruptcy was not a solution and that the matter could not be settled for less than 125k for a debt of greater than 300k. Several attorneys we met also agreed with this assessment. As you can imagine, our situation looked very... ugly. Upon this news we decided to explore other options. As I mentioned, we met with several attorneys but none seem to offer viable creative solutions that Chris Smith ("Chris") from Smith Law provided. His resume (Harvard Grad- BA & Georgetown Law- JD, Consumer Board Certified, Successful Litigations, etc...) speaks for itself. Many attorneys have such resumes, but you ask what separates him from other intelligent attorneys. The answer is simple, none give you the personal care, comfort and support that Chris brings to the table and that is what sold us on him. To further highlight this situation, during talks with Chris we were served by a processor that filed a lawsuit in Florida to collect on a deficient. Our situation got even uglier with a 20 day notice to respond. If we did not respond a judgement would be granted against us. That evening that we were served our lives were turned upside down and there was only one lawyer, Chris Smith, that was readily available and provided us the support and comfort that we needed to get through that night. Not to mention Chris was on vacation with family but he found a way to be there for us during this trying time. Chris Smith was referred to us by a friend and he was the best investment I have ever made. Not only did he settle our case for pennies on the dollar (contrary to what other attorneys believed) but considering all the other different alternatives that we faced it was Chris that saved our family and kept us together. This was an ultimate game of chess with Chris ultimately checkmating the creditor within two to three moves. This was not a drawn out affair as we had originally expected. I can assure you from my experience that you will not find a better attorney!!

Posted by anonymous | December 04, 2014 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Needed an out of state attorney

I live in Chicago and had an unfortunate circumstance arise with some family property in Florida. I was hesitant to pursue this because I felt I would have to travel to Florida and that was not possible at the time. I took a chance and called Chris Smith which was recommended to me by an attorney ref...erral service. The first time I talked to Chris he put my mind at ease. He was very knowledgeable about the process and obstacles the my case would have to go through. Although I would say my case was difficult, Chris pushed forward from every angle possible to get our desired result. He always answered my questions and was prompt in doing so. His office staff is very professional, helpful and kind. I would highly recommend Chris Smith to anyone that is in need of an attorney. His honesty, professionalism, and commitment to his clients is very hard to come by these days.

Posted by anonymous | September 25, 2013 | Lawsuits & Disputes

I highly recommend Smith Law.

My husband and I recently had to hire SmithLaw and from our very first phone call until the conclusion of our case we had A+ service. Christopher Smith was very helpful in our original meeting and made us feel very comfortable and unrushed like most attorneys I have dealt with in the past. After the ...initial consultation, his paralegal Marci was very helpful to us in this tumultuous time in answering all of our questions, day or night on email. Every question was answered which is also a rarity these days. She held our hand through this process and we are very pleased with not only the way our case was handled by both Chris and Marci, but will definitely contact them again for any future legal needs.

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

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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