Ponte Vedra Beach Personal Injury & Family Law Attorneys
Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Johns County represent some of the fastest-growing and highest-value communities in Northeast Florida — and some of the most complex legal matters we handle. From high-asset divorces involving stock portfolios, business interests, and executive compensation, to serious injury crashes on A1A and US-1, Phillips Hunt Whited brings elite-level representation to St. Johns County clients who expect — and deserve — the best.
Our founding partner John Phillips is ranked among the Forbes Top 200 Personal Injury Attorneys in the United States for 2025 and has secured verdicts and settlements totaling over $495 million for injured clients across Florida. Our family law partner Matt Hunt is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Bar — a distinction earned by fewer than one percent of Florida attorneys and by no competing firm serving this market. Together, they represent the highest level of personal injury and family law representation available in Northeast Florida.
We advance all costs on personal injury cases. You owe nothing unless we recover. And unlike most law firms, we do not bill clients for copies, printing, or document fees at the end of your case.
Personal Injury in Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Johns County
St. Johns County has grown dramatically over the past decade. A1A through Ponte Vedra Beach, Solano Road, Valley Ridge Boulevard, and the US-1 corridor through St. Johns and Fruit Cove all generate serious accidents. The county’s golf cart and bicycle culture along scenic A1A creates additional vulnerability for non-motorized road users who have little protection against a distracted driver.
Motor Vehicle Accidents — Florida’s no-fault PIP system covers initial medical and wage loss regardless of fault, but serious crashes quickly exceed those limits. When they do, you need an attorney who can pursue the at-fault driver’s liability policy and your own UM/UIM coverage aggressively. We have recovered tens of millions of dollars from liability and UM carriers who initially offered a fraction of case value.
High-Value Injury Claims — Ponte Vedra Beach clients often have significant pre-injury income and career expectations that factor heavily into economic damage calculations. When a surgeon, a corporate executive, or a business owner suffers a career-altering injury, the lost earning capacity claim alone can be worth millions. We work with Florida’s best economic and vocational experts to build and prove these cases.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents — A1A is one of Florida’s most-traveled cycling and pedestrian routes. When a driver strikes a cyclist or pedestrian, the injuries are typically catastrophic — traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, internal organ damage. These cases demand expert reconstruction, medical analysis, and aggressive litigation.
Premises Liability — St. Johns County’s hospitality industry, resort properties, and high-end retail generate a consistent stream of premises liability claims. Property owners owe a duty of reasonable care to lawful visitors. When that duty is breached and someone is seriously hurt, we hold them accountable.
Wrongful Death — Losing a family member to someone else’s negligence is devastating. Florida’s Wrongful Death Act (§ 768.19, Fla. Stat.) provides a path to recovery for surviving spouses, children, and parents. We handle wrongful death cases with the gravity they require.
St. Johns County Courts
Personal injury and family law matters in Ponte Vedra Beach are filed in the St. Johns County Courthouse. St. Johns County is in Florida’s 7th Judicial Circuit. We have litigated in this circuit and know its courts. Our trial record — not just our settlement history — is what puts maximum pressure on opposing carriers. We do not bluff.
Family Law in Ponte Vedra Beach: High-Asset Divorce and More
St. Johns County has one of the highest median household incomes in Florida. Divorces in this market frequently involve complex asset portfolios: executive compensation packages with stock options and deferred income, business ownership interests that require formal valuation, pension plans and 401(k) accounts subject to qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs), investment real estate, and significant pre-marital wealth with disputed commingling issues.
Matt Hunt is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Bar. His Board Certification is not a marketing label — it is a credential earned through years of concentrated family law practice, a rigorous written examination, peer review by judges and practitioners, and demonstrated substantial involvement in the specialty. He is AV-Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell and recognized on the Florida Super Lawyers list. He is among the youngest attorneys in Florida to achieve Board Certification in this field.
No family law attorney in the Ponte Vedra Beach or St. Johns County market competing for your business holds this credential.
High-Asset Divorce — Equitable distribution under § 61.075, Fla. Stat. requires courts to identify marital vs. non-marital assets, classify each asset, and distribute them fairly. For complex estates, this means expert business valuations, forensic accounting, analysis of active vs. passive appreciation on pre-marital assets, and disputes over whether professional goodwill is marital property subject to division. We work with Florida’s best financial forensics professionals and business valuation experts.
Timesharing and Parental Responsibility — Since July 1, 2023, Florida law presumes that equal (50/50) timesharing is in the child’s best interest. This presumption can be rebutted, but it changes how courts approach initial timesharing determinations. Matt Hunt has litigated timesharing under the new framework and understands how to build the factual record needed to overcome or defend the presumption.
Alimony Under the 2023 Reform — HB 1409, effective July 1, 2023, abolished permanent alimony in Florida and created new durational caps: 50% of the marriage for short-term marriages, 60% for moderate-term, 75% for long-term. For long marriages in Ponte Vedra Beach — where one spouse may have supported a high-earning career while foregoing their own — alimony disputes are often the central financial issue in the divorce.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements — Properly drafted prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are among the most valuable tools available to high-net-worth individuals. Florida requires full financial disclosure and voluntary, uncoerced execution. Agreements that fail to meet these standards can be voided in court. We draft agreements that hold up — and we review opposing agreements looking for vulnerabilities.
Modification — A substantial, material, and unanticipated change in circumstances can support modification of timesharing, support, or alimony. The 2023 reform created new grounds for alimony modification based on a payor’s retirement. Matt Hunt handles modifications at trial and appellate levels.
Why Phillips Hunt Whited for Ponte Vedra Beach
John Phillips has $495 million in verdicts and settlements. Matt Hunt has Board Certification that none of his competitors can claim. We advance all costs and charge no copying or document fees. We are local — we know the courts, the circuit, and the opposing bar — and we have the credentials to back up every claim we make.
Call us at (904) 444-4444 for a free consultation. No fee unless we recover for you on personal injury matters.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Johns County
How is a business valued in a Florida divorce?
Business valuation in divorce uses one or more of three methodologies: the asset (book value) approach, the income approach (capitalized earnings or discounted cash flow), and the market approach (comparable sales). Professional practices add a layer of complexity around personal vs. enterprise goodwill — only enterprise goodwill is marital property subject to division in Florida.
What makes a prenuptial agreement enforceable in Florida?
Under Florida’s Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (§ 61.079, Fla. Stat.), a prenuptial agreement must be in writing, signed by both parties, and executed voluntarily — without coercion or duress. Full financial disclosure of each party’s assets and liabilities is required.
Can a Florida court order a parent to stay in the area after divorce?
Any parent seeking to relocate more than 50 miles from their current residence must comply with § 61.13001, Fla. Stat. — either obtaining written agreement from the other parent or petitioning the court for permission to relocate. Relocating without following this procedure is grounds for return of the child and potential contempt.
My PIP coverage was exhausted after my Ponte Vedra crash. What now?
Once PIP limits are exhausted and your injuries meet Florida’s serious injury threshold, you can pursue the at-fault driver’s bodily injury liability coverage. If that coverage is insufficient, your own underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) policy is next. We handle UM/UIM disputes regularly and know how carriers evaluate — and undervalue — these claims.
Phillips Hunt Whited | (904) 444-4444 | Serving Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, Fruit Cove, St. Johns, St. Augustine, and all of St. Johns County