Troy Hafner
Vero Beach, FL
Licensed for 30 years
Law Degree
Awards
Primary Practice Area
Estate Planning
Language
English
About
Troy B. Hafner co-chairs the Estate Planning and Tax Group at Gould Cooksey Fennell. He is Board Certified as a Specialist in Wills, Trusts and Estates by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education. Mr. Hafner's practice is focused on assisting high net worth clients in the areas of sophisticated estate planning, wills, trusts, probate and trust administration, and related areas of taxation. He is "AV" rated under Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system, and is also 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 Magazine, for 2006-2009. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1991, with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law, where he was awarded membership in The Order of the Coif and served as a member of the Journal of Law and Public Policy. In addition to his law degree, Mr. Hafner earned the degree of Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Estate Planning, with honors, from the University of Miami School of Law in 1994. He holds his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Florida. He is a member of the Florida Bar and American Bar Associations and belongs to their Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Sections. Mr. Hafner is also a member of the Indian River Estate Planning Council and the Planned Giving Council of Indian River. He has authored several articles and commentary for publication and has received awards of recognition and scholarship for his work. Mr. Hafner has also garnered a statewide reputation for his work in the complex area of Florida homestead law and has handled landmark cases at Florida's District Court and Supreme Court levels. Apart from his law practice, Mr. Hafner's civic and charitable involvement includes service as Past President of Indian River County Habitat for Humanity and as a Director and Executive Committee Member of Dollars for Scholars of Indian River County.
Practices Areas
Estate Planning
Probate
Language
English
Contact
Reviews
11/11/11 As the daughter of two Wall Street attorneys I feel I can tell the difference between an adequate, a good, and a great attorney. Troy Hafner has proved to be one of the greats. I first retained Mr. Hafner in the 1990’s to assist with estate planning and guardianship matters involving my incapacitated Father and my stepmother. His handling of both the technical details and the difficult family/emotional realities was superb. He was able to resolve significant problems attributable to improper document preparation and planning from years earlier. A crippling federal income tax debt was also revealed during this time. My inclination was to pay it although it would have bankrupted my Father and his wife. Mr. Hafner took the time to THINK, research and present beautifully a position that other advisors who were still then involved had not identified. The outcome of his effort was absolute success – a complete elimination of the tax debt. That result saved our financial future. He has now been involved in estate planning for members of three generations in our family. The ability to gain at once the trust and respect of someone very old and the trust and respect of someone quite young is uncommon. Indeed Mr. Hafner’s competency is one of the things our family can all unconditionally agree on. He has also assisted us with real estate issues, family business endeavors, contested matters and just general advice, insight, and judgment. How fortunate for my family and I to have found a great advisor who has made a profound difference in our lives. Mari Latimer
11/11/11 As the daughter of two Wall Street attorneys I feel I can tell the difference between an adequate, a good, and a great attorney. Troy Hafner has proved to be one of the greats. I first retained Mr. Hafner in the 1990’s to assist with estate planning and guardianship matters involving my incapacitated Father and my stepmother. His handling of both the technical details and the difficult family/emotional realities was superb. He was able to resolve significant problems attributable to improper document preparation and planning from years earlier. A crippling federal income tax debt was also revealed during this time. My inclination was to pay it although it would have bankrupted my Father and his wife. Mr. Hafner took the time to THINK, research and present beautifully a position that other advisors who were still then involved had not identified. The outcome of his effort was absolute success – a complete elimination of the tax debt. That result saved our financial future. He has now been involved in estate planning for members of three generations in our family. The ability to gain at once the trust and respect of someone very old and the trust and respect of someone quite young is uncommon. Indeed Mr. Hafner’s competency is one of the things our family can all unconditionally agree on. He has also assisted us with real estate issues, family business endeavors, contested matters and just general advice, insight, and judgment. How fortunate for my family and I to have found a great advisor who has made a profound difference in our lives. Mari Latimer