ANA-MARIA CARNESOLTAS, ESQ.

Law Office of Ana-Maria Carnesoltas, P.A. General Civil Litigation and Family Law

Whether through amicable resolution or aggressively pursued litigation when compromise is not a viable alternative, Ana-Maria Carnesoltas endeavors to obtain the best result for her clients while being mindful of the financial and emotional strain of litigation.  Simple or complex, large or small, all cases receive her full commitment and all clients are treated with respect and consideration.  She credits her success to having had the opportunity to litigate against some of the best lawyers in the nation.

In her 42 years as an attorney and a judge, Ana-Maria , has litigated or presided over thousands of cases and has represented clients before trial and appellate courts in both the state and the federal court systems.  After obtaining her Bachelor’s in Arts Degree, with Psychology and Sociology,  from the University of California in Santa Barbara, she worked as Deputy Probation Officer in Santa Barbara County, investigating and supervising cases involving children victims of abuse and negligence or whose parents were unavailable to take care of them. 

Ana-Maria obtained her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where she was the first woman to win the Distinguished Advocate Award, the school’s appellate moot court competition.  Upon graduation she was admitted to the California Bar and began her work as Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County.  She was admitted to the Florida Bar and was recruited by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida where she served with distinction as Assistant U.S. Attorney during the heyday of the drug trade.  She left the U.S. Attorney’s Office for private practice where she handled several high profile criminal cases.  Not satisfied with limiting her efforts to criminal law, she left private practice to serve as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Miami, representing the city in numerous complex civil litigation matters.  She returned to private practice, representing clients in civil and criminal matters, before the trial and appellate courts in both the state and federal systems.  During this time, she once more represented clients in several high profile cases.

In 1989 she became a County Court Judge in Miami. She was assigned to both the Civil and Criminal Divisions,  often serving in as Acting Circuit Court Judge. During her years on the bench, she presided over thousands of criminal and civil cases.  This experience helped her earn a deeper understanding of the merits of cases and expanded her knowledge of the law to areas where she had never practiced before.

Since 2004, Ana-Maria has been practicing in the Tampa Bay area as successfully as she did in Los Angeles and Miami.  Her practice consists mostly of civil litigation, in almost all areas of law, and family law. 

A firm believer of one’s duty to give back to the community, Ana-Maria has been very active in professional, community and religious organizations.  She has served in various Florida Bar Committees, has been member of the board of directors of various charitable organizations and as officer of various professional associations.  An active member of her church,  she has served as member of the Parish Council, leader of the Emmaus Retreat and Eucharistic Minister.  In the course of her career, Ana-Maria has received several awards for her professional and community accomplishments.    The one she is most proud of are the awards for her pro-bono representation of those who cannot afford the services of a lawyer.  She received her most recent award from the American Bar Association for her pro-bono  representation of veterans and members of the military.  She has been listed in Who is Who of Successful Florida Women and Who’s Who in America.

Ana-Maria is the proud mother of one daughter whom she raised as a single parent.  She is also the mother of three fur babies: one dog and two cats.  She is bilingual in English and Spanish and speaks French.