elizabeth f. schwartz, p.a. : who we are

Elizabeth F. Schwartz is currently in her twelfth year of law practice. Her work includes assisting with the legal aspects of adoption, insemination and surrogacy. Elizabeth's practice also focuses on traditional and non-traditional families, estate planning and probate, as well as divorce and creative conflict resolution. Also a certified family mediator, she treats the law as a therapeutic profession, helping clients protect their families and facilitating relationship dissolution with minimal investment of emotional and financial resources.

With an emphasis on addressing the unique legal needs of the gay community, Elizabeth lectures locally and nationally about family formation issues and the importance of gay couples protecting their loved ones through estate planning and contract.

Among her many professional affiliations, Elizabeth is a chair of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyer's Association of the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and serves as the Second Vice President of the Miami Beach Bar Association. Elizabeth is also a founding member on the board of the Aqua Foundation for Women (formerly known as the Women's Community Fund), raising money by and for South Florida's lesbian community, and the Collaborative Family Law Institute, an organization reforming the divorce process.

Elizabeth is an AV Rated attorney, which is awarded by Martindale-Hubbell LexisNexis and identifies a lawyer with high legal ability, expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional experience. A native of Miami Beach, she received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami, in 1997. A lefty and a Scorpio, she lives with her partner, Lydia Martin and their dog, Buttercup, in downtown Miami's urban core.

elizabeth's professional memberships

elizabeth's professional presentations have included:

Ethics Film Series 2009: Panelist, The Times of Harvey Milk, April 2009
2009 UDM OUTlaw Symposium on GLBT Legal Issues: "Same-Sex Adoption/Parenting", March 2009, in Detroit Michigan
Lavender Law 2008 (the annual conference of the NLGLA) in San Francisco
Lavender Law 2006 in Washington, D. C.
Panel Member, Florida Lawyers' Legal Insurance Corporation's Legally Speaking Television Series, June 2006
Diversity Training Seminars for Miami-Dade County Judges and General Magistrates (2004-2007)
Annual presentation at "Valuing our Families" conference co-presented by Sunserve and Family Pride Coalition, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Annual presentation at first year Public Interest law elective at University of Miami School of Law, Prof. Martha Mahoney
"Queer Law Practice" Panel Discussion, University of Miami School of Law, April 8, 2003
Panel on gay adoption issues, Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 2002
Human Rights Campaign Town Hall Meeting, Birmingham, Alabama, Fall, 2002
Lavender Law 2002 in Philadelphia
Keynote speaker, "Legal Issues Impacting the Queer Community," New College of Florida, Sarasota, 2001
Lavender Law 2000 in Washington, D. C.
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Ft. Lauderdale, Fall 2000
Lavender Law 1999 in Seattle
SAVE-DADE's Lambda Conference in Miami, 1998 and 2000
GYNA's Gay and Lesbian Parenting Conference, 1998
Return to Work Symposium in Ft. Lauderdale, 1998
Florida International Univ. School of Social Work, Legal Aspects of Social Work, 1998, 1999, 2000

elizabeth's honors and recognitions

2008 Community Award
In recognition of outstanding service to the GLBT Families
Presented by Sunserve at the Valuing Our Families Conference
2007 Leadership Award
In recognition of outstanding service to the LBT Women's Community
Presented by the Aqua Foundation for Women
2007 Sookie Williams Award
Recognizing exemplary service to the Miami-Dade Legal Community
Presented by The Daily Business Review
2005 Community Award
In recognition of outstanding service to the GLBT Community
Presented by the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

kira e. willig, esq.

Kira E. Willig is currently in her ninth year of law practice. Kira focuses her practice on marital and family law in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, representing parties in actions concerning dissolution of marriage, paternity, modification, enforcement, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. She also represents children as their Guardian ad Litem in family proceedings, and assists parties in amicably resolving their family law issues as a Supreme Court of Florida Certified Family Mediator.
Kira was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition 2009.
An adjunct faculty member of the University of Miami School of Law since January 2007, Kira teaches Family Law, and team taught a Family Law Litigation workshop. Kira is also the Florida Family Law Instructor for Kaplan PMBR, preparing law school graduates for the Florida Bar examination.

Kira graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a degree in Women’s Studies. Kira then attended the University of Miami School of Law on a full scholarship where she was an Associate Editor of the University of Miami Inter-American Law Review. Upon graduating magna cum laude in 2000, Kira was named to the Order of the Coif, a national honor society that recognizes outstanding academic achievement in the study of the law.

Kira enjoys attending Hurricane and Dolphin football games, reading, blogging, traveling, and hanging out with her boyfriend, Miami attorney Robert Hanreck whom she met in law school. She is the left-handed sibling to her twin brother, Sander Galt, a Miami-based furniture designer and builder who is the lead singer and guitarist for Axe and the Oak. Both were born on New Year’s Day.

kira’s professional memberships:

kira's professional presentations and publications have included:

Content Editor, Outline of Florida Family Law, Outline of National Family Law Overview, Kaplan PMBR.
Faculty member, National Business Institute, LLC. Lectured on “Titling of Assets and Family Law” at seminars on asset protection strategies.
Diversity and Equal Opportunity Training Seminars, Champion Services Group, a human resources and management consulting firm.
Guest Lecturer on ‘Role of the Lawyer in Family Proceedings,’ ‘Mediation’ in Alternative Dispute Resolution Theory & Policy, ‘Collaborative Negotiation’ in Alternative Dispute Resolution Theory & Policy, and ‘Public Interest Law,’ University of Miami School of Law.
Panelist on the Legal Implications of the Anna Nicole Smith case, Tax Law Society.
Panelist Coordinator and Moderator, University of Miami School of Law. Topics included Domestic Violence, Same-Sex Marriage, and Family Mediation.
Panelist Coordinator, ‘Protecting your Clients and Your Firm When Faces with the Prospect of Bankruptcy and Foreclosure,’ First Family Law American Inn of Court.
Presenter, ‘Judicial Do’s and Don’ts,’ First Family Law American Inn of Court.

firm support staff

With a background in marketing and business administration, Kenny Trim brings years of experience and a wide variety of talents to his role as office manager.

Ibis Lynn Cejas is in charge of technology and special projects, and has been with the firm since its inception in 2001. Her duties include website design, software customization, network infrastructure, and equipment maintenance. Outside the office, she's a freelance designer for Avant Girl Design.

who we are