When a couple who made $90,000 together, spent $100,000 EACH on divorce litigation, I decided that a practical guide on hiring the right divorce lawyer and on fees was needed. She was elected in the late 1980’s and was the youngest circuit judge and also the first woman to be elected circuit judge in Tampa, Florida. As a circuit judge, Susan served in all divisions of the court: Probate, Guardian
ship, Mental Health, Civil and most recently Criminal and Family Law. She has also served by special designation as an associate judge on the Second District Court of Appeal. Susan Sexton has been a speaker/or faculty member at various legal education programs for the Florida Bar, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, The National Judicial College, the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, the International Association for Women Judges and various community organizations. In addition, she was an adjunct professor at Hillsborough County Community College where she taught a course in Family Law. Susan Sexton created the award winning Elder Justice Center, a unique court program designed to help elderly and developmentally disabled individuals have full access to the court system. This program has been a model for similar programs around the United States and has been studied by various entities. For her efforts on behalf of the elderly and the developmentally disabled, Susan received the Distinguished Judicial Service Award in 2011. The Elder Justice Center has received the Justice Achievement Award from the National Association for Court Management and the Governor’s Peace at Home Award. Susan also created the “Elves for Elders Program” which collects and distributes Christmas gifts to indigent elderly and developmentally disabled individuals. For this program, Susan was honored by her own judicial circuit.
Susan Sexton has been involved in Bar activities throughout her legal and judicial career. Currently, she is a member of both the National Association for Women Judges and the International Association for Women Judges. As a member of the International Association of Women Judges, Susan was selected to be a keynote speaker at its biennial conference in May, 2011 in Seoul, South Korea.
She is a past president of the Ferguson White Inn of Court, American Inns of Court. She is a former member of the Supreme Court Commission on Fairness and a former member of the Executive Council of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar. She has recently been appointed to serve on the Florida Bar Family Rules Committee with her term ending in 2015.
She has been actively involved in other Bar activities, such as: the Board of Directors of the Hillsborough Association of Women Lawyers (HAWL); the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Division; member of the Executive Board of the Family Law Division; Chair of Law Day luncheon; founder of the Women’s Division of the Doctor/Lawyer Sports Competition; the Committee on Professionalism; creator of the HAWL vs. Judge’s Softball game.
Susan Sexton has been an instructor at Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat in Muenster, Germany teaching American criminal procedure to German law students.
Susan is involved in international activities in the Tampa Bay area. She created an internship program with the Westfalishce Wilhelms-Universitat to provide German law students with an opportunity to observe the criminal justice system. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Visiting International Professional Program where she hosted delegations from countries as diverse as Argentina to Jordan to Zambia. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors of the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade and on the Board of Directors of the Gasparilla International Film Festival. When a divorcing couple, who made $90,000 together, spent $100,000 EACH on attorney's fees, I decided that a practical guide to hiring the right divorce lawyer was needed. As a former family law judge AND a divorced parent I know the issue from both sides of the bench. I know the impulse to want to tell one's story to the judge; it's a costly impulse, both financially and emotionally. Hiring the right lawyer can make the difference between a full blown court battle and a relatively stress free divorce. Susan is also a blogger on Psychology Today under the heading “Better Judgment”.
