"I always knew I wanted to help people."
Paul lives in Sarasota County, Florida, and has been a member of the Florida and Maryland Bars for over 27 years,
having worked in both private practice and government service. He graduated from the University of Florida (B.S.), and the College of William & Mary (J.D.) He is a former law clerk to the Chief Judge of Maryland, and is licensed to practice before all Florida and Maryland Courts, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals (11th Circuit), and the U.S. District Courts of Florida (Northern and Middle Districts).
Paul is also a Master of the Bench in the American Inns of Court, Judge John M. Scheb Inn of Court in Sarasota. In this role he works with local attorneys and judges who are devoted to promoting excellence in legal advocacy, professionalism and the highest standards of ethics in the legal system.
He represents families who have adopted children overseas, helping them obtain recognition of their foreign adoptions (and re-adoptions) in Florida, for all types of immigration visas (IR3, IH3, IR4, IH4). Knowing the expenses incurred during the international adoption process, he offers his legal assistance to families at reasonable rates. When the recognition of their foreign adoption (and re- adoption) process is complete, families will receive Florida birth certificates for their children, and will have certified copies of the Final Judgment from a Florida Court (important documents for the future). He has also assisted families who have adopted children from “disrupted” adoptions, and domestic adoptions, and helps his clients with estate planning (wills, trusts, living wills, and other advance health care directives).
Since September 2005 alone, he successfully represented more than 900 families in Alachua, Bay, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dade, DeSoto, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia Counties, and is currently working with families in other counties throughout the State of Florida.
Countries represented include Afghanistan, Armenia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liberia, The Marshall Islands, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Romania, Russian Federation, Samoa, South Korea, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Paul is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
He is married to Stephanie, and they have two daughters from the People’s Republic of China, Casey from Chongqing, and Claire from Jiangsu Province. Paul is a past Chairman and board member for the First Coast Families With Children from China, and is also a Permanent Deacon in the Dioceses of St. Augustine, Florida, now serving in Venice, Florida.