Sancha Brennan

Top rated Estate Planning & Probate attorney in Orlando, Florida

The Brennan Law Firm
Sancha Brennan
The Brennan Law Firm

Practice Areas: Estate Planning & Probate, Estate & Trust Litigation, Real Estate; view more

Licensed in Florida since: 2001

Education: New England Law | Boston

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2024 Selected to Rising Stars: 2010
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The Brennan Law Firm

545 Delaney Ave
Hovey Court, Building One
Orlando, FL 32801 Visit website

Details

Sancha Brennan serves as the managing partner at The Brennan Law Firm located in Orlando, Florida. Her practice is concentrated in the areas of probate, trust, guardian advocacy and guardianship administration, litigation and the commercial and the residential real property transactions that often extend from these areas.

Ms. Brennan genuinely cares about the legal challenges affecting the people in her Central Florida community, and this is evident in the attentive care and committed counsel she offers to everyone she represents. She enjoys working with professional fiduciaries, business owners and those advocating for their family members with varying levels of capacity.

A graduate of Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, she studied a semester abroad as an exchange student at the Nottingham Trent University in England. Ms. Brennan went on to study law at New England Law | Boston in Massachusetts. She is licensed to practice in Florida and before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Dynamically involved in the legal community, Ms. Brennan is a member of The Florida Bar, where she is currently serving as Chair of the Legislation Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee and Executive Council of the 11,000+ member Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section.  She is the former Secretary and past Chair of numerous Section Committees, including the CLE Committee and Ad Hoc Guardianship Law Task Force, tackling inconsistencies in the law and proposing a rewrite of the Florida guardianship law.  She has served on the Florida Clerks Guardianship Law Improvement Task Force and is also a member of the Orange County Bar where she served as a past Chair of the Real Property Committee.  Additionally, Ms. Brennan is a member and Past President of the Central Florida Real Estate Attorneys Council and is serving as a member of the Advisory Boards for the Florida Professional Fiduciary Council and Art's Foundation for Seniors. 

A Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Ms. Brennan is also the author of the annual updates to the legal treatise, Florida Guardianship Law and Procedure, published by Thomson West.  Ms. Brennan regularly lectures on a wide range of real property, guardianship, estate planning and probate issues to lawyers, judges, guardians, real estate agents and brokers and families.

Practice areas

Estate Planning & Probate, Estate & Trust Litigation, Real Estate: Business, Real Estate: Consumer

Focus areas

Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts

First Admitted: 2001, Florida

Professional Webpage: https://www.thebrennanlawfirm.com/profiles.html

Bar/Professional Activity:
  • Serving as Chair of the Legislation Committee for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, Probate Division, 2024
  • Appointed to serve as Co-Chair of the Legislation Committee, Probate and Trust Law Division, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, 2023
  • Serving on the Executive Committee for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, 2023
  • Elected to serve on the Advisory Board for the Florida Professional Fiduciary Council, 2023
  • Selected to serve on the Advisory Board for Art's Foundation for Seniors, 2023
  • Elected to serve as Secretary of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar (11,000+ members), 2022
  • Served on the Florida Clerk's Guardianship Improvement Task Force, 2021
  • Elected to serve on the Executive Committee for the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar for the 2020-21, 2020
  • Serving as the CLE Committee Co-Chair for the Probate Trust Division of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, 2020
  • Currently serving on the inaugural Advisory Board for the Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida, 2020
  • 2012-current:  Ms. Brennan was originally appointed in 2012 to serve as Vice Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee charged with reviewing and, ultimately, re-writing the Florida Guardianship Law.  Having moved into the Co-Chair position and serving in that role for the past five years, she anticipates continuing to serve this committee through presentation of the proposed new Florida Guardianship Code to the section for adoption and ultimately the Florida Legislature., 2020
  • Recipient of the "Rising Star Award" from The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar for the 2018-2019 Bar year., 2019
  • Served as the Chair of the 2019-2020 Convention Steering Committee for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, 2019
  • Co-Chair Strategic Planning Committee for the Executive Council of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, 2019
  • Served as Vice Chair of the 2017 and 2018 Convention Steering Committee for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, 2018
  • Chair of the Guardianship Law Seminar for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, 2016
  • President of the Central Florida Real Estate Council "CFREC" (2009-2010), now the Central Florida Real Estate Attorneys Council.  Ms. Whynot continued to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for many years.  From 2008-2009, Ms. Whynot also served as the Vice President in charge of educational programs for the organization.  The real estate council continues to focus its efforts to offering quality educational programming for real estate attorneys and Realtors in the central Florida area., 2010
  • From 2006 - 2009 Served as Chair of the Legislative and Case Law Update Seminar Committee for the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar and during 2005-2006 served as Vice Chair of that committee, 2009
  • A member of the Orange County Bar Association since 2001, Mrs. Whynot served as the Chair of the Real Property Committee during the 2006-2007 term., 2007
Pro bono/Community Service:
  • Continued reduced fee and pro bono services to the 10th Circuit Public Guardian, serving the Statewide Public Guardianship Office for Osceola County, 2024
  • Provides pro bono and modified fee services to the Florida Statewide Public Guardianship Office for Osceola County, Florida.
Honors/Awards:
  • Rising Star Award, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, 2019
  • Pro Bono Award, Orange County Bar Association, 2023
  • Pro Bono Award, Orange County Bar Association, 2020
  • Pro Bono Award, Orange County Bar Association, 2011
Educational Background:
  • Bachelor of Arts from Stetson University, DeLand, Florida, 1994
  • Nottingham-Trent University, study abroad in Nottingham, England, 1993
White Papers:
  • Co-author of the Florida Guardianship Code Scrivener's Summary related to the proposal of the Florida Guardianship Code.  Current edition dated 6/1/2020, Florida Guardianship Code Scrivener's Summary, Professional And Family Guardians For Florida Guardianships, 2020
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Presentation on updates to new Legislation passed during the 2024 Florida Legislative Session, of interest to probate, trust and guardianship practitioners., Speaker, Attorney Trust Officer Conference, Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Legal, Fiduciary, Banking, 2024
  • Led the discussion, moderating a question and answer session regarding homestead and other probate related questions, Speaker/Moderator, NexGen Panel - Homestead, Florida Legal Education Association, Legal, Banking, Guardianship, Real Estate, Fiduciary, 2023
  • Presented to attorneys and judges, in person at Stetson Law School and virtually, on updated guardianship caselaw and updates to Florida statutes., Speaker, Guardianship Caselaw and Statutory Update, Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Legal, Guardianship, 2023
  • Presenter and moderator for a panel of judges on guardianship law in Central Florida, Speaker/Moderator, Care a Lot? The Court Does: The Dos and Don'ts of Guardianship Practice, Orange County Bar Association, Legal, Guardianship, Fiduciary, 2022
  • Ms. Brennan continues to author the annual updates of the Florida Guardianship Law and Procedure, 2nd Edition, a comprehensive procedural treatise on guardianship law published by Thomson West, Author, Florida Guardianship Law and Procedure - 2023 Pocket Part - Update, Thomson West, Guardianship, 2023
  • Ms. Brennan served as a speaker on two panels, "Oh, the Paperwork" and "Legislative and Caselaw Update.", Speaker, Florida Professional Fiduciary Council - Annual Conference, Legal, Trust Companies, Fiduciaries, 2023
  • This has been an annual lecture beginning in 2014, and provided at the request of teachers, parents and school administrators for children with exceptional needs, attending Pace Brantley Preparatory School in Longwood, Florida,., Speaker, Guardianship Law: What Every Parent Needs to Know as Their Child With Special Needs Reaches the Age of Majoriy, General Public, Parents Of Children With Disabilities And Other Special Needs, 2023
  • Led the discussion and moderated a panel, answering audience questions regarding probate creditor's claims and collections., Speaker/Moderator, The NexGen Panel: Creditors and Other Questions, The Probate Team, Florida Legal Education Association, Legal, Banking, 2022
  • Led the discussion of a panel of attorney speakers, answering questions from the audience about homestead law questions. , Speaker/Moderator, Homestead - Asked and Answered, The Probate Team - Florida Legal Education Association, Legal, Banking, Guardianship, Real Estate, 2021
  • Presentation regarding the development and purpose for creating a new body of guardianship law and a synopsis of the changes., Speaker, Proposed c. 745, Orange County Bar Association, Legal, Fiduciary, Banking, Guardianship, 2021
  • In addition to serving on the steering committee to develop the full day program, topics and selecting speakers, Ms. Brennan served as the program moderator and also as the moderator of a 65 minute topic, "A Mad Tea Party!  Examining the Examining Committee", Moderator and Steering Committee Member, Guardianships in Florida: Adventures in Wonderland, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Florida Bar, Legal, Professional Fiduciaries, 2016
  • Administrative Orders in Florida jurisdictions, Author, ActionLine: Practice Preparedness: Are you Prepared to Practice in any Florida Jurisdiction?, ActionLine, Vol. XXXV, No.4, Summer 2014, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Real Property, Guardianship, Professional Fiduciaries, Attorneys, 2014
  • Ms. Brennan's speech, the "Role of the Guardian - Duties and Responsibilities" was presented by the Florida Bar and the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section at the intermediate level seminar ABC's and XYZ's of Guardianship both in Fort Lauderdale and in Tampa, Florida., Speaker, ABC's and XYZ's of Guardianship, The Florida Bar and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Probate, Guardianship
  • Ms. Brennan (formerly Whynot) provided practical instruction and tips to practitioners about conveying real property held by guardianships and others in fiduciary capacities., Speaker and Author, The Guardianship Team: Management and Sale of Real Property, Florida Legal Education Association, Inc. (FLEA), Guardianship And Probate Attorneys And Their Staff, Professional Guardians, 2009
  • In February of 2009, Ms. Brennan (formerly Ms. Whynot) spoke to attorneys and members of their staff, professional guardians and judges at multi-day seminar, The Guardianship Team.  Ms. Brennan's presentation focused on the role and responsibilities of the guardian in safeguarding, managing, and conveying real property owned by their wards., Speaker, The Guardianship Team: Management and Sale of Real Property, Florida Legal Education Association (FLEA), Real Property, Guardianship, Professional Fiduciaries, Attorneys, 2009
  • The first in a series of articles for the Orlando Realtor publication on guardianship for real estate professionals, this article focuses on the procedure of obtaining court approval of real estate transactions and suggestions for the real estate professional from contract execution to closing procedure., Author, Orlando Realtor: Guardians' Affect on the Real Estate Transaction, Orlando Regional Realtors Association (ORRA), Orlando Realtor, v.1, no. 5, May 2009, Realtors, Real Estate, 2009
  • The second in a series of articles for the Orlando Realtor publication on guardianship for real estate professionals, this article focuses on the procedure of obtaining court approval of real estate transactions and suggestions for the real estate professional from contract execution to closing procedure., Author, Orlando Realtor: Fear Not, The Guardian Client, Orlando Regional Realtors Association (ORRA), Orlando Realtor, v.1, no. 5., April 2009, Guardianship, Residential Real Estate, 2009
Other Outstanding Achievements:
  • Selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Council, 2021
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America, for expertise in Elder Law and Trusts and Estates., 2023
Industry Groups:
  • Professional Fiduciaries (Personal Representatives
  • Guardians)
  • Real Property
  • Title Insurance
  • Trustees

Office location for Sancha Brennan

545 Delaney Ave
Hovey Court, Building One
Orlando, FL 32801

Phone: 407-818-1829

Selections

2 Years Super Lawyers
1 Year Rising Stars
  • Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2024
  • Rising Stars: 2010

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