A Calling For Service

Shelly Finman has dedicated his professional life to helping families through divorce.  Active in teaching and helping other professionals to do likewise.

• Co-created Cooperative Family Law Model - used in the court system of Lee County, Florida.
• Leading authority on Cooperative Family Law in Florida - well recognized as such in the US.
• Family Law Attorney in Florida - who has limited his professional practice to non-adversary dissolution of marraige and does engage in court cases which require his skills, competence and experience.

Shelly began practicing law in 1971. He opened his law firm in 1977 and became Florida Bar Board Certified in Marital and Family Law in 1985, charter class.  Part of the first class in Florida to be so designated.

• Rated A V by Martindale-Hubbell (highest rating obtainable)
• Listed in the Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers
• Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator in Family Law
• First Mediator of any Type in Lee County, Florida

Served in many capacities over the past thirty years in the area of family law.

• Helped form, former Board Member & Past President of The Florida Chapter of Family and Conciliation Courts (FLAFCC)

• First President & co-creator of The Association of Family Law Professionals (AFLP) in Lee County, FL early 1990’s
• Past President, on the board of directors, and co-creator of Collaborative Professionals of Southwest Florida.
• After presenting on Cooperative Law to the Florida Supreme Court Family Court Steering Committee in 1999 along with Stu Webb who presented on Collaborative Law, Shelly served on the Family Court Steering Committee in Tallahassee for 3 years.
• Steering committe member, Lee County Total Quality Intiative for Family Law (TQI) in 2000 and was Chair of the implementation of that TQI, the Quality and Best Practices Committee from 2000 - 2003.

Continues to lend support to the local court and education system.

• Current Chair of the Lee County Family Law Advisory Committee
• Served on the 20th Judicial Circuit Family Law Advisory Committee
• Member of Family Law Custody & Evaluation Committee (consists of distinguished local mental health professionals, Shelly as the only attorney)
• Lecturer - FGCU, Barry Law School in Orlando, Stetson College of Law in St. Petersburg
• Fosters cooperative law as a member and serving on the Steering Committee of the National Cooperative Practice Network

Shelly's Awards and Accolades