James W. Martin is a probate and estate lawyer in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, who attended Georgia Tech, Stetson University, and Stetson University College of Law, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Stetson University and a law degree from Stetson University College of Law. He is also Board Certified in Real Estate Law by The Florida Bar, and he has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Stetson for over ten years and was inducted into Stetson Law’s Hall of Fame. Stetson is nationally ranked #1 in trial advocacy and #3 in legal writing by U.S. News & World Report.
Jim practices probate, wills, trusts, and estates law in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida. He has the highest attorney ratings on Justia, Martindale, Lawyers, Avvo, and Super Lawyers. He has drafted hundreds of wills and living trusts and handled the legal aspects of all types of probate and trust estates.
Jim Martin served for six years on The Florida Bar Probate Rules Committee and served twice as chair of the St. Petersburg Bar Association Probate Section.
Jim has written books, articles, and forms for Florida attorneys:
- Jim wrote five legal forms books on real estate sales contracts, real estate leases, LLCs, business corporations, and nonprofit corporations, which are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
- He wrote eight legal forms books for West Publishing, comprising over five thousand pages of legal forms.
- His articles on Florida probate, wills, real estate, contracts, and business have been published in national and state bar publications and are available as free downloads below.
- He writes a blog with comments on Florida probate and trust estates law.
Education
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Stetson University, B.S. Mathematics
- Stetson University College of Law, J.D.
Ratings
- AV Martindale.com
- AV Lawyers.com
- 10.0 Justia.com
- 10.0 AVVO.com
- Super Lawyers – Estate Planning and Probate
- Florida Bar Board Certified – Real Estate Law
Awards
- Stetson University College of Law – Hall of Fame
- Stetson University College of Law – Ben C. Willard Award
- The Florida Bar Journal – Writing Competition Award
- Marquis Who’s Who in American Law and Lifetime Achievement Award
Professional Associations
- Adjunct Professor of Law – Stetson University College of Law (2009 – present)
- Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section – The Florida Bar (1974 – present)
- Prior Appointments
- Probate Rules Committee of The Florida Bar
- Coordinating Committee on Technology of The Florida Bar, Chair
- Probate Law Section of St. Petersburg Bar Association, Chair
- Real Property Law Section of St. Petersburg Bar Association, Chair
- Business Law Section of St. Petersburg Bar Association, Chair
- Editorial Board, The Practical Lawyer, American Law Institute – American Bar Association
Community Organizations
- Salvador Dali Museum, Inc., Founding Trustee, Officer, Executive Committee, Attorney (1980 – present)
- Prior Appointments
- City of St. Petersburg, City Councilman
- Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Councilman
- Leadership St. Pete, Graduate
- Leadership Tampa Bay, Graduate
Books
- Florida Real Estate Lease Agreements: A Collection of Forms for Lawyers
- Florida Real Estate Sales Contracts: A Collection of Forms for Lawyers
- How To Form a Florida LLC or Limited Liability Company: A Guide for Lawyers
- How To Form a Florida Business Corporation: A Guide for Lawyers
- How To Form a Florida Nonprofit Corporation: A Guide for Lawyers
- West’s Legal Forms, Volume 29, Nonprofit Organizations
- Florida Jurisprudence Forms, Legal & Business, Volumes 1 through 15 Supplements
- West’s Florida Legal Forms, Volumes 1 and 2, Business Organizations
- West’s Florida Legal Forms, Volumes 3 and 4, Real Estate Transactions
- West’s Florida Legal Forms, Volumes 8 and 9, Specialized Forms
- West’s Florida Corporations System
Articles
- Florida Probate and Estate Planning FAQ
- Ten Tips for Handling Complex Probate (With Forms), ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer and The Florida Bar Journal
- I Want to Sign an Electronic Will, ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer
- Do You Need Your Client’s Consent to Disclose Estate Planning Documents, ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer
- I Want to Probate a Will in Federal Court, The Florida Bar News
- Florida Real Estate Law FAQ
- Florida Business Law FAQ
- Fifty Tips for Drafting Contracts (With Sample Provisions), ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer
- All Lawyers Are Solos – Aren’t We?, ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer
- Tips for Handling the Complex Real Property Transaction (With Forms and Checklist), ALI CLE The Practical Real Estate Lawyer
- Solo Practice Management Basics, ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer
- Why You Need an Employee Policy for Electronic Information, ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer and ABA The Family Advocate
- Don’t Print That Email, ALI CLE The Practical Lawyer
- Going Paperless … Or Not?, ALI-ABA The Practical Lawyer
- A Model Electronic File Policy for the Law Office, ALI-ABA The Practical Lawyer
- May I Shred My Scanned Paper Files?, The Florida Bar News
- Converting from Paper to Electronic Files, The Florida Bar News
- How to Sue an LLC Member Without Piercing the Corporate Veil, The Florida Bar News
- Is the Law of the Body a Body of Law?, The Florida Bar News
- Be Careful Using Form Real Estate Contracts, The Florida Bar News
- The Technology You Need to Project Vision of Your Case, ALI-ABA The Practical Litigator and The Florida Bar News
- Forget To Put Your Client’s Address in the Judgment?, The Florida Bar News
- Construction Contractors in Florida Are Incorporating, The Florida Bar News
- Drafting the Contract or Settlement Agreement That Stays Out of Court, ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section The Brief and ABA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section The Best Articles
- Law Limits Homeowners’ Rights to Sue Contractors, The Florida Bar News
- Forming a Small Music Business – The Who Meets the Whys and the Wherefores, ALI-ABA The Practical Lawyer
- Putting Your Entertainment or Sports Client’s Nest Egg in Florida – Legal Ways to Preserve Wealth, Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section newsletter
- Fifty Tips for Writing the 21st Century Contract That Stays Out of Court, ALI-ABA The Practical Real Estate Lawyer and The Florida Bar Journal
- New Law Says File Money Judgments with Department of State, The Florida Bar News
- How to Write Letters Nonlawyers Will Read (With Sample Letters), ALI-ABA The Practical Real Estate Lawyer and The Florida Bar News
- How to Write Contracts and Other Documents as a Professional in a Mechanistic World, ALI-ABA The Practical Real Estate Lawyer and The Florida Bar News
- Fifty Tips for Writing the Contract That Stays Out of Court, ALI-ABA The Practical Lawyer and The Florida Bar News
- A Client Letter, ALI-ABA The Practical Lawyer
- Structured Settlements: Protecting the Plaintiff, ATLA Trial Magazine
Speaking Engagements
- Ten Tips for Handling Complex Probate, St. Petersburg Bar Association Probate & Guardianship Section
- Snakes in the Grass: Hidden Real Property Issues in Probate, St. Petersburg Bar Association Real Property and Probate Sections
- Basics of Contract Drafting, The Florida Bar CLE Committee and Young Lawyers Division
- Drafting Settlement Agreements (That Stay Out of Court), The Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section Construction Law Committee
- Tips for Handling the Complex Real Property Transaction, ALI CLE
- Getting to Paperless: A Lawyer or Law Firm’s Step by Step Guide, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division
- Tips for Handling the Complex Real Property Transaction, St. Petersburg Bar Association Real Property Section
- Solo Practice Management Basics, Stetson University College of Law
- Drafting a Clear As-Is Agreement, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the As-Is Sale But Were Afraid to Ask, St. Petersburg Bar Association Real Property Section
- Drafting the Settlement Agreement That Stays Out of Court, Presidential Showcase Program, Litigating with Power and Professionalism, American Bar Association Tort & Insurance Practice Section, ABA Convention, Chicago
- Forming a Small Music Business: The Who Meets the Whys and the Wherefores, The Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section
- The Lawyer’s Conscience: Professionalism and Ethics in Writing, The Florida Bar Convention
- Writing the Contract that Stays Out of Court, The Florida Bar Convention
- How to Write Letters Nonlawyers Will Read, The Florida Bar Convention
- The Lawyer’s Conscience: Professionalism in Writing Contracts and Wills for a Mechanistic World, The Florida Bar Convention
- Writing the Contract that Stays Out of Court, The Florida Bar Convention
- Writing the Contract that Stays Out of Court, The Florida Bar Convention
- Nonprofit Corporations in Florida, The Florida Bar Business Law Section
Courts Admitted To Practice
- Florida:
- All State Courts
- Federal:
- U.S. District Court for Middle District of Florida
- U.S. Court of Appeals for 11th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Contact
If you have the need for a St Petersburg Pinellas County Florida probate lawyer, you may use the contact form below or call Jim Martin directly at 727-821-0904 or email him at jim@jamesmartinpa.com for a free initial consultation.
The text on this page was written by James W. Martin, Esq. and was last updated on July 20, 2023.
Get in Touch
Fill out the contact form or call (727) 821-0904 to schedule your free consultation.- 1 Free Initial Consultation
- 2 Over 40 Years of Experience
- 3 Pinellas County, Florida Probate Attorney