Stuart · Family Law Guide
Martin County runs its family cases through the 19th Judicial Circuit in downtown Stuart, and the county’s own filing fee and residency rules apply before any attorney’s skill matters. We compared three Stuart family law attorneys on Florida Bar licensing records, published fee terms and verified client reviews, and set out who each one suits and where each falls short.
DJA Editorial · Legal Directory Research
Checked against state bar licensee records, court sources and public review platforms · Last updated September 2026
The short answer
Three Stuart firms, each fitting a different kind of family case. This is a shortlist rather than a ranking, and the firm in the top slot is not the one with the largest review base.
1
Law Office of Denise Miller
Best for a family case that also carries criminal exposure
2
Law Office of Karen L. Johnson, P.A.
Best for mediation-first, lower-conflict cases
3
The Gufford Law Firm, P.A.
Best for a contested custody or divorce case headed toward trial
At a glance: Family Law Attorneys in Stuart, compared
| Firm |
Best for |
Focus |
Bar record |
Fees |
Rating |
| Law Office of Denise Miller |
Best for a family case that also carries criminal exposure |
Divorce, custody, child support, paternity, post-judgment |
Denise Miller, Florida 1993 |
Free initial consultation, rate not published |
4.8 · 92 Google |
| Law Office of Karen L. Johnson, P.A. |
Best for mediation-first, lower-conflict cases |
Divorce, alimony, paternity, custody, modifications |
Karen L. Johnson, Florida 1993 |
Consultation policy and rate not published |
4.5 · 70 Google |
| The Gufford Law Firm, P.A. |
Best for a contested custody or divorce case headed toward trial |
Divorce, custody, guardianship, adoption, domestic violence |
Joseph L. Gufford III, Florida 1991 |
$250-350/hr, free 30-min consultation |
4.8 · 117 Google |
Family Law in Stuart: the local picture
$250-350/hr
What representation actually costs here
Only one of the three firms below publishes a rate: $250 to $350 an hour, with the first 30 minutes free. The other two advertise a free initial consultation but do not publish a retainer range, hourly rate or flat fee anywhere on their sites. Ask for the retainer amount, the hourly rate, and what happens to any unused retainer in writing before you sign anything.
6 months
The residency rule that decides if you can file here at all
Florida will not grant a divorce unless one spouse has lived in the state for six months before the petition is filed, under Florida Statute 61.021. Once you do file, the court cannot enter a final judgment until at least 20 days have passed, under Florida Statute 61.19, so even an uncontested case has a built-in floor on how fast it can close.
$408
What it costs to open a case, and the way around it
Martin County’s filing fee for a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage runs about $408, plus roughly $10 to issue a summons. Anyone on public assistance or under 200% of the federal poverty guideline can ask the Martin County Clerk for an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status under Florida Statute 57.082 to have that fee waived. Florida Rural Legal Services also handles free family law cases for Martin County residents who qualify and are not living with their spouse, and the Martin County Clerk runs an Ask-A-Lawyer program for brief free consultations regardless of income.
What clients in Stuart say: Reading the actual review text rather than the star averages, the pattern splits by firm rather than by practice area. The two firms with a deeper review history get praised for the same thing: someone on staff who returns calls and explains what is happening next. One of the three has a thin, mixed review record where the complaints are not about the outcome but about being billed before any work started. That is the one thing worth asking about directly at a free consultation, regardless of which firm you pick.
How we chose these Family Law Attorneys in Stuart
We compared three family law attorneys serving Stuart, Florida on things a reader can check independently: the Florida Bar licensee record for the named attorney, the case types and sub-practices each firm actually lists on its own site, whether it publishes fee terms, and the client reviews visible on Avvo and Google for the Stuart office specifically.
The three are a shortlist, not a ranking, and each is positioned for a different kind of family case. Details come from each firm’s own site, cross-checked against the Florida Bar’s Find a Lawyer directory, Avvo’s licensing data, and Martin County Clerk and Florida statute sources. One bar record here (Karen L. Johnson) is sourced from a secondary licensing directory rather than a direct pull from the Florida Bar’s own lookup tool, and is flagged for confirmation. No case result, settlement figure or success rate appears here unless the firm publishes it itself, in which case it is labelled as the firm’s own figure.
1. Law Office of Denise Miller
Best for a family case that also carries criminal exposure
The pick when your family case is tangled up with something the state could also prosecute, since Denise Miller runs both practices out of the same office. Before opening her own firm she worked as a staff attorney inside the 17th Judicial Circuit’s family division and as an attorney for the Florida Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement program, so the child support and paternity side of a Stuart family law attorney’s work is where her background sits most directly.
Identity and footprint
Office900 SE Ocean Blvd Ste 130D, Stuart, FL 34994 (by appointment only)
Phone772-934-6007
AttorneyDenise Miller
Second office130 S Indian River Dr Ste 301, Fort Pierce, FL 34950 Service areaMartin, St. Lucie counties; also serves Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, Port St. Lucie
Practice and scope
Family sub-practicesDivorce (contested, uncontested, collaborative, business, celebrity), child custody, child support, paternity, post-judgment modification, spousal support
Also handlesCriminal defense: DUI, drug crimes, domestic violence, sex crimes, juvenile crimes, restraining orders
BackgroundFormer staff attorney to family division judges in the 17th Judicial Circuit and former attorney for the Florida Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement program
Credentials and licensing
Florida BarBar number 977853, admitted 06/10/1993, Member in Good Standing, eligible to practice
County of recordMartin County, 19th Judicial Circuit
DisciplineNone on record in the Bar’s 10-year discipline history
Directory listingsLeaders of Law and Distinguished Justice Advocates listings
Fees and consultation
ConsultationFree initial consultation
What clients say
✓Rated 4.8 stars from 92 Google reviews
✓ Described as trustworthy and thorough
The reviews available for this office are generally positive, with clients describing Miller as professional, responsive, and effective in finding solutions. The firm has a 4.8-star rating based on 92 Google reviews, although the reviews we could access through third-party sources include Google review snippets rather than a direct review of her Google Business Profile. Her Avvo profile currently shows no reviews. Based on the available information, there is positive client feedback, but there is not enough independent data to identify a broader review pattern.
Why they fit Stuart: The strongest fit if your family matter overlaps with a criminal charge or a Department of Revenue child support action, since that combination is genuinely her background rather than a marketing claim. The honest trade-off: her independent review base could not be verified this run, no hourly rate or retainer figure is published anywhere, and the client praise on her own site is, by definition, hand-picked. Ask for the fee structure in writing at the free consultation before you rely on anything else here.
2. Law Office of Karen L. Johnson, P.A.
Best for mediation-first, lower-conflict cases
The pick if you and your spouse want to settle rather than litigate. As a Stuart divorce and family law attorney, Karen Johnson is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, with over 30 years devoted exclusively to divorce and family law since founding her firm in 1994. If both sides are willing to negotiate, a certified mediator on the file changes the process from the start rather than only at a court-ordered session.
Identity and footprint
Office310 SE Detroit Ave, Stuart, FL 34994
Phone(772) 223-5001
Firm founded1994
AttorneyKaren L. Johnson
Service areaMartin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Palm Beach counties
HoursMon-Fri 8:30am-5pm; weekends by appointment
Practice and scope
Core workDivorce, alimony, paternity, time-sharing and parenting plans, modifications, child support, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements; family law exclusively
Mediation credentialFlorida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator; also a South Carolina Certified Family Law Mediator
Published resultsNo case results, settlement figures or win rates published
Credentials and licensing
Florida BarBar number 971571 per a secondary licensing directory
AdmittedFlorida, 1993 (also Washington State, 1992)
StandingMember in Good Standing, no misconduct found, per Avvo’s licensing data
Law schoolGonzaga University School of Law, J.D.; undergraduate at SUNY Albany
Fees and consultation
Consultation
What clients say
✓ Called a tireless, effective advocate in contested cases
✓ Praised for staying on a case through a multi-year battle
✗ Recurring complaint about being billed before the retainer was fully paid or before work began
✗ One filed dispute over a requested refund
· Small review base, split sharply between 5-star and 1-star
Avvo shows 9 reviews at 2.8 out of 5, with 4 five-star and 5 one-star ratings and nothing in between. The positive reviews describe a tireless advocate who saw a client through a multi-year custody fight. The negative reviews, several of them detailed, describe being told work would not start until the full retainer was paid, a dispute over a requested refund that one reviewer says they took to their credit card company, and a sense that a case was drawn out to generate fees. That is a real, recurring subject across multiple accounts rather than a single complaint, and it is worth raising directly at the consultation before signing a retainer agreement.
Why they fit Stuart: The clearest fit if you want a mediator’s approach to a divorce or custody matter and are hiring an attorney who has done almost nothing else for 30 years. The honest trade-off is the review record: alongside genuine praise for tenacity in hard cases sits a repeated theme, across several independent reviewers, about retainer billing and how disputes over fees were handled. Get the full fee agreement, refund terms and start-of-work condition in writing before paying anything, and ask the firm directly about the billing complaints if they concern you.
3. The Gufford Law Firm, P.A.
Best for a contested custody or divorce case headed toward trial
★★★★½ 4.8 / 5 · Avvo · 117 reviews
The pick built for a fight rather than a settlement conference. As a Stuart family law firm, The Gufford Law Firm has Joseph L. Gufford III at its head, practicing Florida family law since 1991, chairing the Martin County Bar Association’s Family Law Committee, and running the deepest and most consistently positive review record of the three firms here. The firm publishes an hourly rate, which none of the other two do, and pairs Gufford with a paralegal team that clients name by name in review after review.
Identity and footprint
Office101 SE Ocean Blvd, Suite 201, Stuart, FL 34994 (across from the courthouse in downtown Stuart)
Phone772-919-8835 (firm), 772-934-9873 (mobile per Avvo)
AttorneyJoseph L. Gufford, III, Owner and Attorney
Support staffSenior paralegal Cheryl Pallack, paralegal Donna Milano, legal assistant Deanna Merrell, named on the firm’s team page
Practice and scope
Family sub-practicesDissolution of marriage (contested and uncontested), child custody and support enforcement, paternity, parental relocation, annulment, adoption, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, domestic violence and injunctions
Beyond family lawGuardianships, probate, estate planning, civil litigation, Baker Act and Marchman Act matters
Published resultsNo case results, settlement figures or win rates published on the firm’s own site
Credentials and licensing
Florida BarMember since 1991 (35 years), Member in Good Standing, no misconduct found
Law schoolStetson University College of Law, J.D. 1990; University of Florida, B.A. Political Science, 1988
Prior serviceFormer Chairman, Martin County Bar Association Family Law Committee (2008-2009)
Fees and consultation
Hourly rate$250-350 per hour
ConsultationFree, first 30 minutes
Payment methodsCash, check, credit card
What clients say
✓ Staff and paralegals named repeatedly and warmly
✓ Responsive by phone and email, including holidays
✓ Described as a strong, prepared advocate by both clients and opposing counsel
· A small minority of 1 and 2-star ratings exist in the record
Avvo shows 117 reviews at 4.8 out of 5, the deepest record of the three firms here, with 108 five-star and 2 four-star ratings against 7 combined at 1 or 2 stars. The reviews we read describe a process where paralegal Donna Milano is named directly and often, clients say Gufford answered calls and emails including on holidays, and several describe a difficult divorce handled without unexpected added fees. We did not read the small number of 1 and 2-star reviews in detail this run; anyone considering this firm should skim those directly on Avvo before signing.
Why they fit Stuart: The strongest choice for a contested case that may go to trial, backed by the longest track record and the most consistently positive review base of the three, plus the only published hourly rate on this list. The honest trade off: family law is the largest slice of a broader civil litigation, probate and guardianship practice rather than the firm’s sole focus, and a handful of 1 and 2-star reviews sit in an otherwise strong record that we did not personally read this run. Ask whether Gufford or a paralegal is your primary point of contact before you sign.
What to check before hiring a Family Law Attorney in Stuart
✓ Look up the bar record yourself before you pay anything
The Florida Bar’s Find a Lawyer directory is free and shows bar number, admission date, current standing and any public discipline. Two of the three attorneys here were confirmed directly against it this run; the third was sourced from a secondary directory and should be checked yourself before you sign.
✓ Get the retainer, hourly rate and refund terms in writing
Only one of the three firms above publishes an hourly rate. Ask each firm directly for the retainer amount, the hourly rate, when work is considered to have started, and what happens to any unused retainer if the case settles early or you switch attorneys.
✓ Confirm you actually meet Florida’s residency rule
One of you needs six months of Florida residency before a divorce petition can be filed here under Florida Statute 61.021. If you or your spouse moved to Florida recently, raise this at the first call rather than after you have paid a retainer.
✓ Ask about the fee waiver if the filing fee is a stretch
Martin County’s roughly $408 filing fee can be waived through an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status if you qualify on income or public assistance. Ask the Martin County Clerk’s office directly, or ask a prospective attorney whether they’ll help you file it.
✓ Read the actual reviews, not just the star average
One firm on this list has a small, sharply split review record with a recurring complaint about retainer billing. A star average alone would not have surfaced that. Read a handful of the lowest-rated reviews for any firm you are seriously considering.
✓ Ask who will actually be on your file day to day
At firms with a larger paralegal team, the person you speak with most often may be a paralegal rather than the attorney. That is not necessarily a problem, but ask upfront who handles what, and when the attorney personally gets involved.
Family Law Attorneys in Stuart: frequently asked questions
How much does a family law attorney cost in Stuart, Florida?
It depends on the firm, and most in Stuart do not publish a number. Of the three firms compared here, only one publishes a rate: $250 to $350 an hour with a free first 30 minutes. The other two offer a free initial consultation but do not state a retainer or hourly figure anywhere public, so ask directly and get it in writing before you sign.
Do I have to live in Florida for a certain amount of time before I can file for divorce in Stuart?
Yes. Under Florida Statute 61.021, at least one spouse must have lived in Florida for six months immediately before the divorce petition is filed. Martin County’s courts, part of the 19th Judicial Circuit, will not proceed without it.
Once I file, how long before the divorce is final?
Florida law requires at least 20 days between filing and a final judgment, under Florida Statute 61.19. In practice, an uncontested case in Martin County often takes several weeks beyond that for the court to schedule a hearing; a contested case can take considerably longer.
What if I can’t afford any of the firms on this page?
The roughly $408 Martin County filing fee can be waived through an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status if your income qualifies, available from the Martin County Clerk. Florida Rural Legal Services provides free representation in some Martin County family cases for residents who qualify and are not living with their spouse, and the Clerk’s office also runs a free Ask-A-Lawyer consultation program regardless of income.
Should I hire a mediator instead of a litigator for my Stuart divorce?
If both spouses are willing to negotiate rather than fight in court, a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator on the file can shape the process from the outset rather than only at a court-ordered mediation session. If the case looks contested from the start, an attorney whose practice is built around litigation and trial preparation may be the better fit.
How do I check whether a Stuart family law attorney has any disciplinary history?
The Florida Bar’s Find a Lawyer directory at floridabar.org is free and public. Search the individual attorney’s name, not just the firm, and look at the bar number, admission date, standing and 10-year discipline history it displays.
DJA Editorial
Legal Directory Research
Compiles Distinguished Justice Advocates city guides from Florida Bar licensee records, court and statute sources, and publicly visible client reviews. Firms appear as a shortlist rather than a ranking. Figures a firm publishes about itself are labelled as such, and anything that could not be verified is flagged on the page rather than estimated.
