Candis Trusty concentrates her practice in the areas of elder care, probate, and guardianship law.

Representative Matters

• A bipolar father commits a crime and becomes a fugitive. His adult children locate him in Miami and seek our counsel to help their father. Our office coordinates with criminal defense counsel and works to have the children appointed as their father’s guardian. The father receives mental health treatment through the guardianship case and the father’s rights are restored when he no longer requires the guardian’s help.
• A senior parent resides in South Florida who has adult children living outside of Florida. A neighbor ingratiates herself with the senior parent, resulting in the neighbor receiving confidential financial information. The neighbor slowly limits the senior’s contacts with the children and friends. The concerned children retain our office to cut off the interloper and put in place safeguards for their parent’s finances and health care decisions.
• A special-needs child turns 18. The child’s parents seek our counsel to become guardians so that they can apply for government benefits for their special-needs child.
• A loved one’s life ends. The family, who lives out of state, comes to South Florida for the funeral. The family only has a short time in South Florida. On an expedited basis, our office meets with the family, obtains court authority to enter a safe deposit box to look for a will, and initiates the legal process to transfer the assets to the persons named under a will or to those who are the heirs if there is no will.
• A family member’s mental faculties decline, resulting in poor hygiene, messy home, poor nutrition, medication noncompliance, not following through with doctor’s appointments, and vulnerability to others. Once the family notices the decline, the family meets with our lawyers. Our office gathers the requisite personal information, including any financial improprieties to which the family has access, to analyze whether the loved one can no longer manage his or her daily living activities. The pleadings to open a case are prepared and filed to prove that the loved one needs help. And if the loved one lacks estate planning documents, then the court will be in a position to appoint a guardian.

Awards and Recognition

• AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2024
  • Women in the Law, Elder Law, 2020
• Daily Business Review, Feature Article, “Candis Trusty Has Dedicated Her Legal Career to Serving and Protecting the Elderly,” January 2020
• Florida Super Lawyer, 2006-2023
  • Top 50 Women Florida Super Lawyers – 2007-2009
• Florida Trend Legal Elite, 2004-2010
• Richard Milstein Excellence Award, Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, 2017
• South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyer, 2006, 2008-2021
• Pro Bono Service Award, Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, 2016
• Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Pro Bono Service, South Miami Kendall Bar Association, 2016
• Pro Bono Service Award, South Miami-Kendall Bar Association, 2004, 2008
• Recognized for exceptional pro bono service by the Supreme Court of Florida, the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar, and the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association, 2006
• Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year, South Miami Kendall Bar Association,1988, 1992, 1994. 2012
• Probate Pro Bono Award, Dade County Bar Association, 1998
• Awarded for pro bono work by the Mayor of Metropolitan Dade County, 1996

Speaking Engagements

• Moderator, “You be the Judge,” Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section and Probate & Guardianship Committee, and Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, January 2021
• Moderator, “You be the Judge,” Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section and Probate & Guardianship Committee, and Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, January 2020
• Moderator,  “You be the Judge,” Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section and Probate & Guardianship Committee, and Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, January 2019
• Moderator,  “You be the Judge,” Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section and Probate & Guardianship Committee, and Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, August 2017
• Speaker, “You be the Judge,” Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section and Probate & Guardianship Committee, and Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, January 2017
• Speaker, “Breakfast with the Probate Experts,” Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section and Probate & Guardianship Committee, and Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, August 2016
• Speaker, “Probate & Guardianship Seminar,” Dade County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section and Probate & Guardianship Committee, and Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back, 2015
• Speaker, “Incapacity and Guardianship Proceedings,” Probate & Guardianship: A view from the Bench and Bar, Miami FL,  2013
• Lecturer, “Probate & Guardianship: An Overview of Practices & Procedures”

Professional and Community Activities

• 11th Circuit Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, 1998-2000
  • Committee Chair, 1999-2000
• 11th Judicial Circuit Court’s Professionalism and Civility Committee, 2012-2021
• American Bar Association
• Dade County Bar Association
  • Board of Directors, 1998-2001
  • Probate and Guardianship Committee
  • Chair, Legal Aid Committee, 2010-2011
• South Miami-Kendall Bar Association
  • Board of Directors, 1998-2001
  • President, 1995-1996
• Florida Bar Mentor Pilot Program
• South Florida Guardianship Association
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers
• International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation
• Florida State Guardianship Association
• Member, 11th Judicial Circuit Court’s “Put Something Back” Oversight Committee, 1995- 2014
• Board of Directors, Comprehensive Personal Care Services, Inc., 2004-2006
• Chair, City of Miami Finance Committee
• Co-Chair, Communication Task Force of the Alliance for Ethical Government