Meet Allyson Hughes.

Allyson Hughes is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers — one of approximately 100 Florida attorneys to hold it. What that means in practice: when divorce attorneys in Florida hit a case bigger than they can handle, this is the short list they refer it to. Fellowship is not a membership you join. Applicants must already be Board Certified, pass a national written examination, pass an oral examination administered by Florida AAML examiners, and be vouched for by judges and peers. It is the most selective credential in American matrimonial law.

Outside the law, Allyson trains and shows Morgan horses at the regional and national level, competing to multiple titles. She describes it this way: "I enjoy working with such sensitive yet imposing creatures. They are 1,000 pounds of power that could easily damage a person, yet their intelligence allows you to channel their energies to achieve amazing results." She is also an avid photographer — a pursuit she values for the opposite reason. "Photography is a great way to slow your mind down and appreciate the beauty and texture in life." The same person who competes at the national level on horseback is the one walking into the courtroom with you.

She has been Board Certified in Marital and Family Law since 1998 — a credential held by fewer than 300 attorneys in Florida, less than 1% of the Bar. The Florida Bar awards it after a rigorous examination, peer review, and continuing study in family law. What that means in practice: when your case turns on a business valuation, a retirement account split, or a custody fight that gets complicated, she has handled that situation before — many times — in the same courtrooms.

She served as Past Chair of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar — the statewide organization representing every family law attorney in Florida. That is not a credential you apply for. It is one the profession bestows.

Over more than 30 years of practice, she has handled the full range of family law matters — from straightforward divorces to highly contested litigation involving complex assets, parenting disputes, and support modifications. She has tried cases, negotiated settlements, and guided clients in mediation at every level of complexity. She has also served as an expert witness, testifying on family law matters in proceedings where her depth of knowledge was called upon by the court. Whatever you are facing, she has been there before.

She has played a direct role in shaping how the next generation of family law attorneys is trained in Florida. She revamped the Florida Bar's Matrimonial Trial Advocacy Seminar and repeatedly chaired and presented at the Matrimonial Certification Review — the program that prepares attorneys seeking Board Certification. When you hire Allyson Hughes, you are hiring someone who helped write the standard.

Her clients consistently describe the same experience — calm under pressure, exhaustively prepared, and relentless in pursuit of the best possible outcome. That is not an accident. It is the product of thirty years of doing one thing, at the highest level, every single day. That is what walks into the room with you.

Download Full CV →