TAMPA – Family law attorney Michelle G. Hutt of Allen Dell, PA in Tampa was recently named to the 2016 list of Rising Stars by Super Lawyers.
Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
“Nothing in life is impossible, and you should always set goals for yourself,” Hutt told the Florida Record. “It is an honor and a privilege to be a Florida attorney.”
Michelle G. Hutt
Hutt said the family law arena in Florida is adapting to changes in society. She cited major changes to Florida’s alimony laws as an example.
Hutt said alimony historically put the responsibility on an ex-husband to support his ex-wife. However, she said the law changed so the gender of the provider did not matter, meaning either the ex-husband or ex-wife could make alimony payments, based on each spouse’s need and ability to pay. Also, Hutt said alimony reform advocates are trying to abolish permanent alimony, which comes into play in marriages of 17 years or longer.
“Alimony reform is seeking to change and abolish permanent alimony as well as to provide a mathematical calculation for the amount of alimony, whereas now there is no way of calculating an amount,” Hutt said. “This would be very similar to the way child support is calculated. “
Hutt said she is the first of her family to graduate from high school, college and law school. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Ecuador not knowing how to speak English. Hutt received an associate degree from Hillsborough Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of South Florida.
Hutt graduated from Stetson University College of Law, and her first legal job was at Bay Area Legal Services, where she worked in the family law department assisting low-income and domestic violence victims. She has been at Allen Dell since June 2011, continuing to concentrate in family law.
“My personal career goal is to continue to help families navigate through the various family law matters that arise in their lives as well as becoming a partner with my firm,” Hutt said.
Hutt said Super Lawyers’ selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Super Lawyers Magazine features the list and profiles of selected attorneys and is distributed to attorneys in the state or region and the ABA-accredited law school libraries, as well as being published as a special section in city and regional magazines across the country.
The attorneys for Super Lawyers Rising Stars are nominated by their peers who have personally worked with them and recommended them to others. The attorneys who are selected have demonstrated professionalism and leadership throughout their career.
“It is a privilege to be recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star,” Hutt said. “Attorneys are selected by their peers for their professionalism and integrity which makes it an even greater honor.”
Hutt said she thinks it is also important for people to realize that it is possible to have both a career and a family.
“I love my career as a family law attorney and I have a loving husband (who is also an attorney), two beautiful children and two dogs,” she said.