When Joe A. McClain began his practice in 1958, Dade City was the kind of town where everyone knew one another on a first-name basis. Since opening, the practice has grown into a full service law firm that has enjoyed the distinct privilege of serving long-time residents while forging new relationships as the community has grown.

While much has changed over the years, the small-town friendliness, sensitivity to client’s legal needs and commitment to the community remains. At what is now Alfonso Hersch P.A., our attorneys work together to offer sound legal advice in the areas of adoption, family law, personal injury, bankruptcy, real property, administrative, probate, and civil and criminal law.

We are proud to have recently merged with Larry Hersch of Hersch Law who has been practicing in Dade City since 1975 and has a sterling reputation as time-tested trial attorney, title agent, and mediator. Together, we bring more than a collective century of experience and a genuine concern and commitment to every legal issue.

It is this connection to the community, a collective century of legal experience, and a genuine concern and commitment that continues to set the law firm of Alfonso Hersch P.A. apart.

Practice Areas

 

Alfonso Hersch P.A. has a general practice base, with each attorney having proven expertise in the specific practice areas of law mentioned below:

 

 

Adoption Law

Adoption law is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a person or persons other than the birth mother or father. An adoption order has the effect of severing the parental responsibilities and rights of the birth parents and transferring those responsibilities and rights to the adoptive parents. After the finalization of an adoption, there is no legal difference between adopted children and those born to the parents. There are several kinds of adoption, which can be defined both by effect (ie, open or closed) and by whether the child was born in the U.S. or abroad.

 

Civil Law

Civil law is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals and/or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim. Civil law courts provide a forum for deciding disputes involving torts (such as accidents, negligence, and libel), contract disputes, the probate of wills, trusts, property disputes, administrative law, commercial law, and any other private matters that involve private parties and organizations including government departments. The objectives are to right a wrong, honor an agreement, or settle a dispute.

Criminal Law

The behavior of citizens in the United States is governed by both state and federal laws. Crimes are generally categorized as felonies or misdemeanors based upon their nature and the maximum punishment that can be imposed.  Florida state criminal laws subdivide felonies into classes with varying degrees of punishment.  A criminal law attorney helps to defend persons and entities under investigation or accused of a crime.

 

Family Law

Family Law is a multi-faceted area of law that deals with family relations. Family law encompasses such areas as child custody and visitation, children’s rights, child support, spousal support (alimony), separation agreements, divorce, marital property division, cohabitation agreements, pre-nuptial agreements, marriage and other legal issues pertinent to the family.

Personal Injury

Personal injury falls under three general categories of tort law, including intentional torts, negligent torts, and strict liability torts. Personal injury involves civil law cases where one is trying to obtain compensation for a physical or emotional injury. If there is any failure on the defendant’s part to exercise reasonable care to prevent injury or damage then there may be comparative (or contributory) negligence, where both parties are at some degree of fault. Someone who wins a personal injury case may receive money to compensate for medical costs, lost wages and lost future earnings as well as possibly for pain and suffering and punitive damages.

 

Probate Law

The legal process of transferring property upon a person’s death is covered under probate law. Although probate customs and laws have changed over time, the purpose has remained much the same: people formalize their intentions as to the transfer of their property at the time of their death (typically in a will), their property is collected, certain debts are paid from the estate, and the property is distributed. The probate process may be contested or uncontested.

Property Law

Property law is the area of law that governs the various forms of ownership of real property. In the civil law system, there is a division between movable and immovable property. Movable property roughly corresponds to personal property, while immovable property corresponds to real estate or real property, and the associated rights and obligations thereon. We also represent clients in real estate closings.

 

Dade City Office

37908 Church Avenue

Post Office Box 4

Dade City, Florida 33526-0004

Phone: 352-567-5636

Fax: 352-567-6696

 

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