Early in my legal career, I practiced bankruptcy litigation. I recall, like it was yesterday, sitting in the Fort Lauderdale bankruptcy court in front of the Honorable Judge Olson waiting for my hearing to be called. In front of me on the docket was a case being handled by a general commercial litigation attorney who I had not seen in bankruptcy court before. The litigator was clearly confused by the quirks and nuances of bankruptcy law and was trying to muddle his way through the hearing. Judge Olson, patient at first, eventually grew frustrated and interrupted the poor guy and started asking pointed questions about whether the attorney knew what he was doing. Eventually, the Judge shut the man down, denied his motion, and yelled, “Bankruptcy is not for dabbling! You either practice bankruptcy or you don’t!”
I didn’t love bankruptcy work and have long since focused my practice on land use, zoning, and real estate work. When I think about how clients select attorneys for land use and zoning matters, I am reminded of Judge Olson’s words that day. Like bankruptcy work, zoning law is not for dabbling. It is incredibly specialized, regional, and nuanced. I would not recommend picking a general practitioner for a zoning or code matter, any more than I would recommend you go to a family health doctor for a knee replacement.
If you have a real estate issue that requires zoning expertise, find an attorney that doesn’t just dabble in the practice but rather focuses on land use and zoning law and knows your city and county well. Otherwise, you risk getting embarrassed like that unlucky litigator in front of Judge Olson.
Matthew Scott is a Zoning Attorney in South Florida. With many years of experience, Matthew has acquired experience and expertise in land use and zoning laws. Matthew is passionate about zoning laws because it requires strategic thinking, creativity, and community engagement. Matthew enjoys working with a diverse community of professionals and improving the communities in which we live. For any further questions feel free to reach out to Matthew Scott.