Troy B. Hafner
PARTNER, ATTORNEY

Troy B Hafner attorney at Gould Cooksey Fennell Vero Beach headshot

About Troy B. Hafner

ATTORNEY CREDENTIALS

  • AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Florida Super Lawyer designation in Estate Planning and Probate
  • Board Certified as a Specialist in Wills, Trusts, and Estates by The Florida Bar
  • American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • The Florida Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • Indian River County Bar Association
  • Indian River Estate Planning Council, Member
  • Planned Giving Council of Indian River, Member
  • University of Florida, (B.S.B.A., 1988), Magna Cum Laude
  • University of Florida, College of Law (J.D., 1991), With Honors; Order of the Coif.
  • University of Miami, School of Law (LL.M., Estate Planning, 1994), With Honors
  • Snow Skiing
  • Golf
  • Offshore Fishing
  • Securities Regulation: Rule 10b-5 and the Duty to Disclose Material Information. Author. Journal of Law and Public Policy. 1991
  • Florida Homestead: The Need for Revision. Author. Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar Scholarship Award. 1991.
  • Florida Estate Planning Treatise, Vols 1&2 – Pressly/Randolph. James Publishing. Editorial Advisory Board. 2009.

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Troy B. Hafner is a devoted estate planning lawyer with years of experience assisting high net worth clients in the areas of sophisticated estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, trust administration and related areas of taxation.

Mr. Hafner initially joined our firm as a shareholder in 1999. Mr. Hafner co-chairs the firm’s Estate Planning & Tax Group and is Board Certified as a Specialist in Wills, Trusts and Estates by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education. Mr. Hafner is also “AV” rated under Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review rating system, and has been listed among Florida’s “Super Lawyers,” a service which identifies the top 5% of attorneys in the state, as chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics.

Mr. Hafner earned his undergraduate degree Magna Cum Laude in Business Administration (Finance). He then earned his Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law in 1991. There, he was awarded membership in the Order of the Coif and served as a member of the Journal of Law and Public Policy. Mr. Hafner also earned his LL.M. in Estate Planning, with honors, from the University of Miami School of Law in 1994.

Speaking to his expertise, Mr. Hafner has authored articles and commentary for publication and has garnered several awards of recognition and scholarship for his work. Notably, he holds a statewide reputation for his work in the complex area of Florida homestead law. This niche experience has led him to handle landmark cases at Florida’s District Court and Supreme Court levels.

Apart from his law practice, Mr. Hafner’s civic and charitable involvement includes his service as Director of Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County and Past President of Indian River County Habitat for Humanity and over 20 years of service (1998-2021). He and his family now reside in Santa Barbara, although his career attention and full-time law practice are exclusive to Florida and his Gould Cooksey clientele.  Mr. Hafner telecommutes daily when he is not in Vero Beach.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

David has been practicing law for over 30 years.
Yes, David is taking on new cases and would be happy to discuss your unique situation.
Gould Cooksey Fennell offices are located at 979 Beachland Blvd, Vero Beach, Florida 32963. David represents clients throughout Indian River, St. Lucie, Brevard and Martin Counties, including the cities of Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Stuart, Sebastian, Fellsmere, Palm Bay, and Melbourne.

Fill out the “Request A Call With A Legal Professional” at the bottom of this page, or click here. Our Team will reach out to speak to you about your case.

ATTORNEY CREDENTIALS

  • AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Florida Super Lawyer designation in Estate Planning and Probate
  • Board Certified as a Specialist in Wills, Trusts, and Estates by The Florida Bar
  • American Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • The Florida Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • Indian River County Bar Association
  • Indian River Estate Planning Council, Member
  • Planned Giving Council of Indian River, Member
  • University of Florida, (B.S.B.A., 1988), Magna Cum Laude
  • University of Florida, College of Law (J.D., 1991), With Honors; Order of the Coif.
  • University of Miami, School of Law (LL.M., Estate Planning, 1994), With Honors
  • Snow Skiing
  • Golf
  • Offshore Fishing
  • Securities Regulation: Rule 10b-5 and the Duty to Disclose Material Information. Author. Journal of Law and Public Policy. 1991
  • Florida Homestead: The Need for Revision. Author. Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar Scholarship Award. 1991.
  • Florida Estate Planning Treatise, Vols 1&2 – Pressly/Randolph. James Publishing. Editorial Advisory Board. 2009.

Notable Settlements and Verdicts

Plaintiff was operating a small motorcycle/scooter when a 91 year old man turned left in front of him hitting him essentially head on. As a result of the collision, the Plaintiff sustained catastrophic injuries to his lower body, including snapped femurs and fractures to the spine and pelvis. After a two week trial the Indian River County jury returned an award totaling $9.381 million.

Medical negligence claim arising out of a breach in the standard of care by a physician and hospital in which an incorrect, corrosive chemical was used during a gynecological procedure, resulting in acid burns and severe permanent injuries to the Plaintiff.

A Brevard County Jury awarded Plaintiff $6.4M against Defendant State Farm, following an accident that resulted in numerous catastrophic orthopedic injuries, including a below knee amputation of the Plaintiff’s left leg.

Practice Areas

Blogs By Troy B. Hafner

REAL CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

WHY CHOOSE US

All Estate Planning & Tax Group lawyers have an LL.M. in taxation or estate planning, and their professional designations include Florida Bar Board Certification, AV Preeminent for High Professional Excellence, Best Lawyers in America©, and Super Lawyers. Gould Cooksey Fennell has one of the largest, most sophisticated estate planning and tax groups in our area and has served the Treasure Coast in this area of law for over 65 years.

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* Our attorneys and staff value your privacy and will not share your personal information with any third-party entities.