At Edwards Elder Law, we take a team approach to providing services for our clients. Take a moment to meet our team!
Stephanie M. Edwards – Founder and Attorney
Stephanie founded Edwards Elder Law, P.A., to provide seniors and their families with the legal services needed to address immediate care concerns, proactively plan for the future, and cope during times of crisis.
Stephanie decided to focus her practice exclusively on the needs of seniors and their families in part because of a personal experience. The father of one of her friends suddenly became ill and had to be taken to the hospital. Within days, his condition worsened and he was released to hospice where he passed away after a few weeks.
The frustration, stress, and confusion inherent in this process took a toll on Stephanie’s friend. After seeking advice from an attorney, however, coping with the loss of his beloved father became easier to manage. He no longer felt like he was bearing so many responsibilities and making so many decisions alone. He now had someone to help him evaluate which steps to take next and make sense of unfamiliar legal procedures.
Partly because of this experience and partly because it is simply her nature, Stephanie takes a highly personal approach to the practice of law. She understands what her clients are going through and takes the time to listen closely and gain a thorough understanding of their unique situations, needs and goals. Only then does she devise a strategy or plan to address each client’s individual concerns.
Stephanie takes pride in her team’s accessibility and responsiveness to her clients.
Stephanie earned her B.A. from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. She earned her LL.M. in Elder Law from Stetson University College of Law.
Stephanie is a member of the Florida State Bar, the St. Petersburg Bar Association and the Virginia State Bar. She is also a member of leading professional organizations, including the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys, Elder Counsel and Wealth Counsel. In addition, Stephanie is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law. In keeping with her commitment to education, Stephanie often shares her knowledge as a speaker in the community.
Stephanie grew up in Virginia and moved to St. Petersburg several years ago. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, knitting, reading, cooking, shuffleboard and playing with her cats, Emma and Cooper.
Amelia Nichols – Client Services Coordinator
Amelia is a Florida native, originally from Sarasota, Florida. She moved to St. Petersburg in 2004, where she attended Eckerd College. Amelia and her husband recently welcomed their second child into the world. She spends her free time with her family enjoying the beaches of Fort De Soto and walking the nature trails at Boyd Hill.
Amelia assists our clients with handling their family’s elder law and probate needs.
Amelia can be reached at Amelia@EdwardsElderLaw.com
Amy McDowell – Client Services Coordinator
Hailing from New Jersey, Amy moved to Florida as a young adult. She attended college, studying English literature. Her main focus through the years has been on her daughter, but Amy also has played “mom” to several dogs along the way. The previous owner of two Great Danes, a Black Lab and a Staffy, Amy has now downsized to grandmothering Charlie, a Pocket Maltese. In her spare time, Amy enjoys knitting, crocheting, gardening, and running her Etsy Shop.
Amy provides client services throughout the estate planning process and can be reached at Amy@EdwardsElderLaw.com
Candy Porter – Marketing Coordinator
Born in Ohio, Candy arrived in Florida in 2010 after residing for 43 years in Indianapolis. Her professional career spanned decades in the fields of public relations and marketing, providing services for a wide variety of local and nationally-known corporations and nonprofit organizations. Still an avid community volunteer, Candy also finds time to pursue her passions for travel and exploring world cultures.
The law firm’s public speaking engagements, special event coordination, advertising, and website management are some of the tasks Candy oversees as our Marketing Coordinator.
Candy can be reached at Candy@EdwardsElderLaw.com
Zack and Zoe – Feline Support Staff
It was love at first sight (at least on our part) when a feral cat and her two kittens appeared on our office doorstep in 2020. Mama cat elected to remain in her outside home, while the two kitten siblings, named Zack and Zoe, took up residence inside our office. Our plan was to have them help greet visitors to our office but starting life as feral kittens has made them too shy for the role of greeter. However, Zack and Zoe excel in their own chosen roles of morale booster and stress reliever for those of us lucky enough to share the office with them. These two cats not only have taken over our office but also our hearts.