Practice Areas
Estate Planning; Estate Administration; Trust Administration; Wills; Probate; Elder Law
Admitted
1969, Florida; 1972, U.S. Tax Court
Law School
Stetson University - Bachelor of Science in Business, Major in Accounting
University of South Florida - Post graduate studies in economics and political science
Stetson University College of Law - Juris Doctorate
Internal Revenue Service School for Estate Tax Attorneys - Completed course first in class
Member
Hernando County and West Pasco County (President, 1982-1983; Past Chairman, Estate Planning and Probate Committee) Bar Associations; The Florida Bar (Member, Executive Council, Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, 1990-1997; Chairman: Continuing Legal Education Publications Committee, 1991-1995; Steering Committee, CLE Manual on Basic Estate Planning in Florida, 1992; Member, Elder Law Section, 1997-); Estate Planning Attorneys Association (President, 1989-1990); Nature Coast Estate Planning Council (President, 2000-2001); North Suncoast Estate Planning Council (President, 1985-1986); Allgood Altman Inns of Court(2009-Present).
Biography
Phi Alpha Delta. Attorney, Internal Revenue Service, Estate Tax, 1969-1972. Recipient, Florida Bar Meritorious Public Service Award, 1995. (Board Certified Wills, Trusts and Estates Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education).
Born
Orlando, Florida, March 6, 1943
Professional Designations
One of the first group of approximately 75 attorneys statewide meeting the educational, ethical, and experience standards to become a Board Certified Wills, Trusts and Estates Lawyer. (1985) Currently only approximately 375 lawyers of the approximately 80,000 lawyers admitted to practice in Florida are Certified Wills, Trusts and Estates Lawyers.
Community Service
Past President, Greater West Hernando Chamber of Commerce.
Past Chairman of the Board and Member of the Executive
Committee, West Pasco Chamber of Commerce.
Past Chairman and Member, Executive Committee and Board of
Directors, Pasco-Hernando Community College Foundation, Inc.
Past President, West Pasco County Division, American Heart Association.
Past Field Attorney, American Heart Association.
Lifetime Fellow, President's Club, Pasco-Hernando Community College Foundation, Inc.
Past Treasurer and Member of Board of Directors, Hernando County Committee of 100.
Outstanding Director Award, Pasco-Hernando Community College Foundation, Inc.
Significant Benefactor Award, Pasco-Hernando Community College Foundation, Inc.
Past Member, Presidential Search Committee, Pasco-Hernando Community College.
Past Chairman, Pasco County Business Development Committee, West Pasco
Chamber of Commerce. (1993-1996).
Lifetime Fellow, Lighthouse for the Blind of Pasco and Hernando, Inc.
Past President, The Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind of Pasco and Hernando, Inc.
Recipient of the "Winner Award" from the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce (1997).
Past Member, Board of Trustees, Florida Pioneer Museum.
Recipient of Eminent Pioneer Award, West Pasco Chamber of Commerce (1999).
Past Member, Board of Directors, Pasco Pediatric Foundation.
Recipient, Friend of the Foundation Award, Pasco Education Foundation (2001).
Member, Board of Directors, All Children=s Hospital Foundation, St. Petersburg, Florida. (2005-2006)
Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Board Member on Pasco Committee and a former Board Member on Hernando Committee.
King Pithla (Chasco Fiesta 2007).
Nominated for Spirit of Philanthropy Award by Hernando-Pasco Hospice and All Children’s Hospital
Foundation for 2007 & 2008.
Church Leadership
Community United Methodist Church:
Lay Leader (two terms).
Council of Ministries.
Chairman, Staff-Parish Relations Committee.
Chairman, Annual Financial Campaign.
Youth Sunday School Teacher.
Usher.
Hope United Methodist Church:
Charter Member.
Palma Ceia United Methodist Church: (Membership since 2003);
Past Member, Administrative Board.
Past Member, Finance Committee.
Business Activities
Past Member, Advisory Board, Whitney National Bank
Past Member, Board of Directors, Madison Bank.
Past Member, Board of Directors, NationsBank (North Suncoast).
Past Member, Board of Directors, Barnett Bank of Pasco.
Past Member, Board of Directors, Peoples Bank of Pasco County
(Purchased by C&S Bank).
Past Member, Advisory Board of Directors, Citizens and Southern Bank of
Pasco County.
Personal
Married to Pam Coulter (Former Member and Chairman of the Board, Pasco County School Board); three daughters - Rebecca Coulter Bell, (Attorney at Law), Leslie Coyne (Human Resource Leader, General Electric Company) and Christine, (Speech Pathologist, Tampa, Florida).
Practice Areas
Elder Law
Admitted
2000, Florida
Law School
Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, FL, J.D., with honors, Dec.1999
Stetson Law Review, 1998-99: Articles and Symposia Editor, Fall 1999
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, Bachelor of Arts, major in American Studies (concentration in Political Science), May 1997
Member
West Pasco Bar Association; The Florida Bar (Elder Law and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Sections); North Suncoast Estate Planning Council; Estate Planning Attorney's Association (President, 2004-2005); National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
Biography
Recipient, Cecil C. and Augusta Bailey Award. Author: "Virtual Adoption: The Difficulty of Creating An Exception to the Statutory Scheme," 29 Stetson Law Review 415. Articles Editor, Stetson Law Review, 1999. (Board Certified Elder Law Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education)
Born
Tampa, Florida, April 29, 1975
Leadership In Legal Profession
Member, The Florida Bar.
Member, Elder Law Section, Florida Bar, Prepared Fair Hearing
Report and Case Law Summaries for Section Newsletter (2001-2004);
Organize select seminars sponsored by the Section
Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Florida Bar
Member, West Pasco Bar Association; Board of Director (2004-2006); Past
Chairman, Probate Committee (2004-2005)
Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
Member, Florida Academy of Eider Law Attorneys
Past President and Member, Estate Planning Attorneys Association
Past Member, Tampa Bay Estate Planning Council
Past Member, Tampa Bay Planned Giving Council
Publications
Comment “Virtual Adoption: The Difficulty with Creating an Exception to the Statutory Scheme,” 29 STETSON LAW REVIEW 415 (1999)
Community Involvement
Member, Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church
Member, Junior League of Tampa
Personal
Married to David W. Bell (Civil Engineer, Landmark Engineering); two sons, David W. Bell, Jr. & Andrew Coulter Bell
Awards
Received the Cecil C. and Augusta Bailey Award, recognizing character, academic achievement, and capacity for meritorious leadership in the field of law, Dec. 1999
Received Stetson Law Review’s Outstanding Senior Associate Award