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Your Prominent

Jacksonville Beach

Law Firm

for better or for worse

OUR TEAM STANDS BY YOUR SIDE

We’re the Calm After the Storm

Navigating your Way

to Justice

FOCUS


At Coplan-Gardner & Gardner, P.A., we are committed to providing top-rated legal representation.  We focus exclusively on representing clients in family and criminal law matters in Northeast Florida. Our firm is successful because we work hard to deliver the best possible results for all of our clients.  Whether your legal matter is complex or simple, our legal team has 40 years of combined experience to navigate you through the justice system in the most expeditious and effective way possible.  We leverage and combine all of our strengths, experience and knowledge as a firm when it comes to representing our clients in and out of the courtroom. 

When you meet with us at your initial consultation, we discuss the details of your legal matter, paying close attention to important factual and key evidentiary issues. We thereafter provide legal advice and strategies to help you decide how to proceed with your legal matter.  Choosing a lawyer is critical to the outcome of your legal matter.  We only provide quality representation at the highest caliber.  The best way to describe our law firm is that we pride ourselves on being overly organized, overly prepared and extremely focused on your legal matter so that we can get the best possible legal outcome.

Testimonials

Simply the best attorney I've ever worked with.  
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Darin was recommended to me by friend/coworker. I had used another attorney during previous divorce. I met with several other firms prior to retaining Darin. One of the other firms I paid for the initial one hour consultation and I didn’t even get to finish out the hour nor have all my questions answered. Several attorney offices made me feel like just a number. I never felt that way from the first minute I met with his staff. This was without a doubt the single most important time in my life I needed an attorney and the best. I had

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Posted by Charlie, A Divorce client   
Simply the best attorney I've ever worked with.  
Posted by Charlie, A Divorce client   
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Darin was recommended to me by friend/coworker. I had used another attorney during previous divorce. I met with several other firms prior to retaining Darin. One of the other firms I paid for the initial one hour consultation and I didn’t even get to finish out the hour nor have all my questions answered. Several attorney offices made me feel like just a number. I never felt that way from the first minute I met with his staff. This was without a doubt the single most important time in my life I needed an attorney and the best. I had everything that meant everything to me on the line. First and foremost my children and then my finances. Darin and his staff were very professional and always accessible. My ex even tried to keep me from seeing my children at one time. Darin and his staff acted swiftly to get us a court date and got the parenting plan ironed out in just a few days. At the end of my divorce by taking Darin's advice we were able to get 50/50 shared custody. I have and will continue to recommend Darin and his staff to anyone in need of an awesome attorney. No matter what the ex's attorney threw our way Darin had a plan. We always took the high road and maintained the highest level of professionalism. I never had a concern or question that he did not have an answer for and always in a timely manner. He truly understood what was on the line for me and delivered time after time at each hearing or deposition. His attention to detail and organization skills are unsurpassed. I always had the utmost confidence in him and his staff at every obstacle we encountered.
Simply put, I trusted Darin and his staff when everything important to me in my life was on the line and would do so again. I highly recommend the Law firm of Coplan-Gardner and Gardner

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Mr. Gardner was a consummate professional during our legal process. My 17 year old son got into trouble during the summer. Mr. Gardner was very informative throughout our process and gave us "straight talk". Our case was ultimately dismissed and we have resumed our normal lives again. Much thanks to Coplan-Gardner & Gardner!!

Tricia Cook   
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Darin was a beacon of hope to one of my most valuable employees, at a time when our options appeared limited and the likelihood of a satisfactory resolution seemed near impossible. Not only was he able to defend my guy from unjust accusations by a previous employer, his calm and empathetic demeanor offered emotional succor to my employee, his family, myself and those impacted the most.
Not only did we have a positive outcome, Darin pushed and fought the erroneous claims until the State dropped the charges entirely.
My company and I are eternally grateful for Darren's service (along with

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Rachel Baldwin   
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Rachel Baldwin   
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Darin was a beacon of hope to one of my most valuable employees, at a time when our options appeared limited and the likelihood of a satisfactory resolution seemed near impossible. Not only was he able to defend my guy from unjust accusations by a previous employer, his calm and empathetic demeanor offered emotional succor to my employee, his family, myself and those impacted the most.
Not only did we have a positive outcome, Darin pushed and fought the erroneous claims until the State dropped the charges entirely.
My company and I are eternally grateful for Darren's service (along with everyone in his office - Terry and Lisa rock!) and I hereby recommend Darin Gardner without reservation!

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Darin and his team are amazing. Very organized. Know what they are talking about and give straight answers. Don't regret for a second switching from a different firm to handle my issue. He took the case and quickly got is settled after 18 months of agonizing back and forth without progress other than draining my bank account!! Don't hesitate, call them for a consultation today, you won't regret it.

Mike Tulgetske   
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Darin Gardner was the fourth attorney I had used in my custody case. From the initial consultation, it was clear that Darin possessed a higher level of competence and attention to detail than the other attorneys I had used. My custody case was one that the system had let slip through the cracks for four years, even though some horrible things had occurred. We reopened the case, and went back to court, all the way to trial. We received a very favorable decision from the judge, guaranteeing my child's stability and safety.

David N.    Atlantic Beach   
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Darin Gardner is an exceptional criminal defense lawyer. His experience as a prosecutor and his knowledge of the local scene – judges, assistant prosecutors, etc. – were crucial in turning around an initially very bleak situation. I retained Darin to represent my wife on a VOP case. Her record was bad: thirty five arrests, multiple felonies and two stints in prison. The judge had told her that if he saw her again he was sending her back to prison. We were virtually certain she was going to prison, especially considering the judge’s reputation. But Darin laboriously interviewed my wife Leigh

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Dr. Rand Bohrer   
Review  
Dr. Rand Bohrer   
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Darin Gardner is an exceptional criminal defense lawyer. His experience as a prosecutor and his knowledge of the local scene – judges, assistant prosecutors, etc. – were crucial in turning around an initially very bleak situation. I retained Darin to represent my wife on a VOP case. Her record was bad: thirty five arrests, multiple felonies and two stints in prison. The judge had told her that if he saw her again he was sending her back to prison. We were virtually certain she was going to prison, especially considering the judge’s reputation. But Darin laboriously interviewed my wife Leigh Anne and myself about the complicated circumstances around her violation of her probation and was able to construct a coherent defense of mitigating circumstances. He brought in the forensic psychologist used by the court to help explain her actions and to make recommendations. He kept my wife’s spirits up while she was in jail. And, in the courtroom he made a brief, pointed, and masterful presentation. The end result was that judge granted exactly what we requested. My wife and I feel blessed that we were recommended Darin Gardner. We could not have had a better advocate.

I’m Strong, I’m Confident, I Ambitious, I’m Passionate  
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I'm strong, I'm confident, I ambitious, I'm passionate, In the mist of chaos I'm in complete control, I'm paid to look in your eyes during the worst moment of your life and tell you, don't worry I have you..... Until it was my chaos, my kids, my marriage, my life .... My divorce turned my world upside town, agony of treading water feeling like I had no control, knowing it was only a matter of time before I sunk. It was in that moment, when I felt like I couldn't breathe, that I dialed a number and was rescued. A

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Nicole Clark   
I’m Strong, I’m Confident, I Ambitious, I’m Passionate  
Nicole Clark   
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I'm strong, I'm confident, I ambitious, I'm passionate, In the mist of chaos I'm in complete control, I'm paid to look in your eyes during the worst moment of your life and tell you, don't worry I have you..... Until it was my chaos, my kids, my marriage, my life .... My divorce turned my world upside town, agony of treading water feeling like I had no control, knowing it was only a matter of time before I sunk. It was in that moment, when I felt like I couldn't breathe, that I dialed a number and was rescued. A woman on the other line told me "we have you, come in and meet with Darin”. So I took the first step of the rest of my life, I met with Darin. Darin was confident yet compassionate. He understood that although he did this every day, I did not have a clue what was going on, everything was emotional, foreign, and confusing. He took the time to explain things step by step, reinstating confidence in myself. Once complete strangers, Coplan Gardner & Gardner became my lifeline. They worked diligently day in and day out to ensure I wasn't taken advantage of, but rather pushed and pushed never backing down, and put me in a position to restart my life with a solid foundation. Don't be in that place where you feel like you can't breathe another minute. My boys and I are very grateful that I called Coplan Gardner and Gardner, THANK YOU!

Best Family Lawyer in FL  
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Darin and team are absolutely incredible. I had hired a different lawyer before Darin and I was not happy with the strategy of the previous lawyer. I then changed lawyers and contacted Darin. He made time for me during my first visit for my child's timesharing and divorce case. Darin took the time to review my entire case from scratch, asked critical questions on current status and developed a winning strategy for the best interest of my child. Plan 'A' was to propose a settlement, which was refused by opposing counsel. Plan 'B' was mediation and Plan 'C' was final

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K.A.D., A Family client   
Best Family Lawyer in FL  
K.A.D., A Family client   
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Darin and team are absolutely incredible. I had hired a different lawyer before Darin and I was not happy with the strategy of the previous lawyer. I then changed lawyers and contacted Darin. He made time for me during my first visit for my child's timesharing and divorce case. Darin took the time to review my entire case from scratch, asked critical questions on current status and developed a winning strategy for the best interest of my child. Plan 'A' was to propose a settlement, which was refused by opposing counsel. Plan 'B' was mediation and Plan 'C' was final court hearing. We never got to Plan 'C'. During the mediation Darin presented the facts of the case in a way that the opposing counsel realized that there was no way they were going to win at trial. Daren knows how to build a case and can piece the facts together from point A to point B. We settled the case at mediation, all payments that I was making to wife from the results of the temporary needs hearing was ceased, I had majority time before and even had additional time with my child. Absolutely remarkable. I will recommend Darin to anyone who needs a lawyer because he will build a solid case, has a winning strategy and looks out for the best interest of the
minor and the future needs. Thank you Darin, you are the best.

Better than Expected Results, Highly Recommended, Professional, Knowledgeable and Experienced  
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Darin came highly recommended to me by another local attorney to defend me in a domestic violence case. I can honestly say I do not believe I could have made a better choice in representation. Darin and his staff were professional, organized and kept me informed every step of the way. I was overly impressed with the level of thoroughness Darin went to in preparation for my hearings, along with his courtroom demeanor. It was evident that he is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. It was a relief to be able to focus on the other areas of my life and

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Posted by Aaron, A Domestic Violence client   
Better than Expected Results, Highly Recommended, Professional, Knowledgeable and Experienced  
Posted by Aaron, A Domestic Violence client   
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Darin came highly recommended to me by another local attorney to defend me in a domestic violence case. I can honestly say I do not believe I could have made a better choice in representation. Darin and his staff were professional, organized and kept me informed every step of the way. I was overly impressed with the level of thoroughness Darin went to in preparation for my hearings, along with his courtroom demeanor. It was evident that he is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. It was a relief to be able to focus on the other areas of my life and be able to trust that Darin was doing everything he could for me, and not feel like I had to manage my own case. In the end the results of my case were better than expected, with the Judge ruling in our favor on all counts. My family and I firmly believe it was because of Darin's efforts and capability that I was able to get a ruling as favorable as we did.

Practice Areas


Family Law

When handling any family law issue, your choice of attorneys can have long-term consequences in all aspects of your life and your families lives. Family law matters are at times very serious and choosing the wrong attorney can lead to a dire outcome.  

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Criminal Law

If you are accused of a crime, it’s essential that you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney. Darin Gardner is our skilled litigator who has represented clients in a wide range of criminal cases, ranging from misdemeanors to capital felonies.

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EXPERIENCE


The attorneys at Coplan-Gardner & Gardner, P.A. have over 40 years of combined experience representing clients in complex family and criminal law matters. We understand that many of our clients are coming to us with difficult situations and we have over two decades of experience to guide our clients in making difficult decisions that will effect their lives and the lives of their families. 

Our reputation as skilled and trustworthy lawyers is built on years of personalized and relentless representation of our clients. Because we are seasoned attorneys and staff, we collectively use our strengths and experience to minimize client stress and render effective and well-reasoned representation.  We have seen and heard it all, for the most part, and we have the knowledge, the strategic procedures in place, as well as courtroom experience to either settle cases or fight for our clients in court.  We are the team you want on your side.  We work hard to earn your trust and confidence by providing direct straightforward information, so that you can make informed decisions through informal negotiations, mediation or trial. 

If you need assistance with a criminal defense or family law matter, don’t hesitate to contact our office and schedule a consultation with our team. Additionally, we honor our military, firefighters, police, first responders and educators with free consultations and discounts.

Avvo Rating 10.0
Best Lawyers 2014
Jacksonville Best Lawyers
Jacksonville Best Lawyers Plus Rising Stars
Jacksonville Best Lawyers 2017
Jacksonville Magazines Vote Best in Jax 2020
American Inns of Court
Achieving Excellence 2019 Platinum

News


Darin Gardner Named As One Of Jacksonville Magazine’s Best Lawyers

June 20, 2019, BY Lisa Coplan-Gardner

Here is link to full article: https://www.jacksonvillemag.com/2019/04/09/darin-c-gardner/    

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Great Article Written in Business Insider and One To Consider Before Filing For Divorce:

August 15, 2019, BY Lisa Coplan-Gardner

My divorce cost me $17,695 — these were the most surprising expenses I faced Jorden Barcus Aug. 6, 2019, 9:43 AM The average divorce costs $15,000 in the US — and mine cost even more than that. My divorce came with several unexpected expenses, like refinancing my car loan and paying […]

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