Philip J. Schipani has been Board Certified in Matrimonial and Family Law by the Florida Bar since 2014, a distinction held be less than 10 percent of attorneys in Florida. Mr. Schipani practices all aspects of Family Law. Schipani was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2002 and is a 1998 graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He graduated from the University of Miami School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree in 2001, Cum Laude.
Philip grew up in Northern Virginia outside of Washington D.C. Philip began practicing Family Law during his second year of Law School, when he obtained his certificate as a certified legal intern, which allowed him to practice in the State Courts of Florida. During that time, he interned with the Miami-Dade County Legal Aid Society. At Legal Aid in Miami, Philip litigated divorce cases and represented numerous individuals obtaining domestic violence injunctions.
Upon graduation of Law School, Philip's first job was working for two Miami-Dade County Family Court Judges as a case manager. During his time working with the Court system he gained valuable experience and knowledge of the family court system from the inside out. Part of his duties were to manage the Judges' caseloads and help pro se litigants obtain divorces and other relief in the Family Court system.
During law school, he was a Judicial Intern for Federal Magistrate John J. O'Sullivan in Miami, FL.
Phillip Schipani has been awarded the Spotlight Award by The Florida Bar in recognition of his positive impact and outstanding service to the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar for 2019-2020. Additionally, he has been selected for the 2022 Florida Super Lawyer List for the 7th year in a row. Mr. Schipani was admitted as a fellow to the International Academy of Family Lawyers in 2020.
Philip is an active member of the Florida Bar Family Law Section, in which he has chaired the Domestic Violence Committee, the Rules & Forms Committee and the Ad Hoc Special Needs Children Committee. He is also a member of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar executive council and the legislative committee.
In addition, Philp was a program chair and a workshop leader for the 2019 Family Law Section Trial Advocacy Workshop wherein he was teamed with a family law magistrate to teach litigation and courtroom skills. Schipani has also twice lectured at seminars on domestic violence presented by the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar.
Philp has two children. One of which is his son, who is non-verbal autistic. Philip’s passion for his own child has led him to give several local seminars to the Sarasota Bar Association on dealing with special needs children in divorce cases as well as chairing and speaking at the first full day seminar presented by the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar on special needs children issues in family law cases.
Bar Admissions
Certified Legal Specialties
- Board Certified Specialist in Matrimonial & Family Law
Practice Areas
- Family Law
- Adoption
- Child Support
- Custody & Visitation
- Divorce
- Stepparent Adoption
- High-End Divorces
- Equitable Distribution
- Domestic Violence
