About Attorney & Staff
Mission Statement
To serve our clients with compassion, creativity and legal excellence.
Relationship Restructuring
Former prosecutor Julia Best Chase firmly believes in practicing family law for the greater good of her clients. Her genuine love of children and her experience with marriage counseling have shaped her legal strategies in such a way that she strives to preserve the future family relationships. This approach helps parents, children, grandparents and other extended family members come to terms and move forward from what is usually an extremely polarizing experience.
Considering Court
During her ten year tenure at the State Attorney’s Office, Julia had over 70 jury trials and countless bench trials; she is comfortable in the courtroom. Since opening her firm in 2000, she has helped individuals to understand their options, to make informed decisions, and move the matter efficiently through the legal process. Her 30 years of legal experience allows her to strategize your case as efficiently as possible. If a reasonable settlement cannot be achieved she is not afraid to get the appropriate results in the courtroom.
Avoiding Advocacy
Julia believes in divorce with dignity. She is trained in the collaborative process.
Julia Best Chase, Esquire
Julia was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1986, the New York Bar in 1987, the Florida Bar in 1987 and the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida in 1988. She received a B.A. in Biology from Goucher College in 1982 and a J.D. from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in 1986. Her work experience includes Hillsborough County Assistant State Attorney (1987-1997) and Auxiliary Instructor for the Florida Highway Patrol (1988-1990). She worked for two and a half years at a criminal defense firm then opened her own practice in the year 2000. She became a certified Guardian ad Litem in 2016 to protect children removed from their parents due to abuse, abandonment, or neglect.
Memberships and Awards
- Hillsborough County Bar Association from 1987 to present (Family Law Section Executive Council 1999-2008, Chair 2006-2007 and Collaborative Law Section 2013-present, Modest Means Committee 2016)
- Stann W. Givens Family Law Inn of Court from 1998 to present (Executive Council Program Chair 2000-2001 and Membership Chair 2004-2012)
- Next Generation Divorce from 2015 to present (Reduced Rate Committee)
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts from 2016 to present
- Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals from 2016 to present
- Family Law Newsletter and Editorial Staff 1998-2005 and (Editor 2000-2004)
- Theodore Millison Professionalism Award, 2005
- Junior League of Tampa, Sustainer
Seminars Presented
- 2019 NBI: As Judges See it: Top Mistakes Attorneys Make in Family Court
- 2016 NBI: As Family Court Judges See It: Top Mistake Attorneys Make in Litigating Divorce
- 2016 Brandon Bar Association: Contempt
- 2015 NBI: Effectively Arguing Contempt Issues
- 2014 NBI: What Family Court Judges Want You to Know; Moderator
- 2013 NBI: Advanced Family Law - Complex Financial Issues
- 2007 NBI: Successful Financial Settlement for Your Divorce Client
- 2007 HCBA: Child Relocation
- 2005 NBI: Negotiating the Best Possible Settlement for Divorce Clients in Florida
- 2005 HCBA: Modification of Custody
- 2004 NBI: A Roadmap through Florida Divorce Proceedings
- 2004 NBI: How to Help your Client Survive a Child Custody Evaluation in Florida
- 2002 HCBA: Family Law Update Seminar: Handling Relocation.
Articles Published
- Lawyer Magazine 2003: The Burden of Relocation Parts I and II
Our Staff
Angela Weathers
Paralegal
Angela has lived in the Tampa area for over twenty-five years and has worked in the legal field since 2002 in family law. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa and the Alpha Phi Sigma Honors Societies. Her hobbies include crafting, gardening, cooking, sewing, and spending time with her grandchildren. Her favorite place is the beach. She loves animals and lives with her six rescues.
Stephanie Stopka
Legal Assistant
Stephanie Stopka began working in the legal field in 2015 and has experience in Family Law. She attended Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, FL for graphic design from 2006 to 2009. She has past experience working in the marketing and design industries, including awards recognition and the A/E/C industry.