Mary Lou Miller Wagstaff—Managing Attorney
Practice areas
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Admitted
- Florida, 1970
Education
- Stetson University, J.D.
- College of William & Mary, B.A.
Legal memberships
- The Florida Bar
- Family Law Rules Committee
- Past Chair and Member, Sixth Circuit Grievance Committee
- Clearwater Bar Association
- Co-Chair, Pro Bono Committee
- Past Officer and Director
- Canakaris Inns of Court
- Florida Adoption Council
Memberships
BNI International - Winner's Circle
Biography
Mary Lou Miller Wagstaff has an extensive background in representing families in Largo, Clearwater, Seminole, Dunedin, and St. Petersburg as well as other communities throughout Pinellas County. Her passion for working professionally to ensure that children are in the best possible setting in a family has earned her a reputation for excellence particularly in challenging cases. She is also a strong advocate for her clients going through the difficulties of a divorce. Many of her clients have been with her as their family has grown or their dynamics have changed over the years. She previously represented the State of Florida in terminating parental rights so that foster children could be adopted into stable families. She was one of the first attorneys to represent the Child Protection Team. She has represented Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg, Inc. for more than 25 years in their Adoptions Program.
Ms. Wagstaff has also been active in the community having served on the Human Rights Advocacy Committee and having represented a number of community mental health providers in the past. She was also a member of the Clearwater Junior League where she represented them on the Juvenile Welfare Board Youth Services Systems Advisory Council and the Abuse Neglect and Dependency Committee, in addition to working with the then-experimental PACER program for abused and neglected children. She served on the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Planning Council and was selected for Leadership Pinellas where she also served a term as a director. She has been active in her church where she has twice served on the Vestry, has been in the choir and taught Sunday School.
Ms. Wagstaff wrote the Chapter on Premarital Agreements in The Florida Bar's Ninth Edition of Drafting Marriage Contracts in Florida (2010). She has lectured to community and bar association programs on child abuse and neglect as well as prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
Legal support staff
Every member of the staff at Wagstaff Law Office has unique skills which are brought to each client to help with the complexity of the legal matters facing them in a compassionate and professional manner. Family law cases are stressful events where emotions often run high. Wagstaff Law Office's staff is well suited to assist all its clients in resolving the issues with unwavering commitment.
Anna Colton-Hamburg, who has worked in the legal field for over 23 years, is the firm administrator whose organizational skills assist the whole office in responding to each client's problems. She was born in Germany, moved to the Northeastern United States as a child and has lived all of her adult years in Florida. Anna has been with Wagstaff Law Office for almost ten years. She has her B.S. from the University of South Florida as well as her Paralegal degree from St. Petersburg College. She is a National Association of Legal Assistants Certified Paralegal.
Peggy Southard is the firm's family law paralegal who capably works with clients in making sense of what can sometimes seem like the endless volume of paperwork in family law cases. She has lived in New Jersey and Georgia but Florida is her first love. Peggy been with Wagstaff Law Office for almost nine years and is a Florida Registered Paralegal. She has worked in the legal field for over 25 years.
Brenda Patton is the friendly person who answers the phone and who greets you when you come in the door. Although she has lived in Florida for many years, she is originally from New Jersey. She has been with Wagstaff Law Office for four years and has her four-year Paralegal degree from St. Petersburg College.
