Juliana Gaita, Esq.
Although originally a Brooklyn, New York native, Attorney Juliana Gaita has called Boca Raton, Florida home for many years, attending middle school at Pine Crest and high school at American Heritage, graduating at the top of her class. After high school, Ms. Gaita moved to Red Sox Nation and earned her Bachelor of Arts at Boston College. She majored in Communications and Theology and minored in Faith, Peace and Justice. Thereafter Juliana started a staffing company which she sold shortly before attending law school. Her time as a business owner (both with her firm and staffing company) has helped Juliana to be able to give both practical business and legal advice to her clients.
Ms. Gaita earned a scholarship to Northeastern University School of Law where she participated in the unique co-op program they offered. This allowed her to gain real-life law experience while still in school, working for such state departments as the Office for Juvenile Justice, the Public Defender of Middlesex County and clerking for the Honorable Judge Borenstein (ret.).
Not one to shy away from a challenge or hard work, Ms. Gaita completed law school while raising her daughter and working as a full-time live-in nanny. It is during this time in her life that Ms. Gaita became acutely aware of the challenges that single parents face, and she is able to bring that understanding to her law practice now. After meeting her husband and shortly after the birth of her second child, Juliana and her family relocated back to South Florida, where they plan to remain.
Juliana has focused her practice of law in litigation and honed that skill through her representation of various clients in real estate, contract and family law matters: including national lenders in mortgage foreclosure actions, consumers, realestate investors and families facing various legal issues. Ms. Gaita is incredibly comfortable and tough in the courtroom. Ms. Gaita first became committed to giving back with her work through the Tracy Mcpharlin Pro Bono Project representing foster children in the dependency care system In Broward County. It was that pro bono work that changed Ms. Gaita’s entire life trajectory. After representing numerous children, Ms. Gaita and her family decided that they could give back even more by becoming a foster family. Ms. Gaita has cared for numerous children who have come into her home through foster care, all while still maintain her successful law practice. She has spent countless hours advocating for children and/or their caregivers, helping parents to make birth plans and helping families to finalize adoptions. Over the years her practice has become the go-to for the foster families and relative care-givers in the community, who are facing custody issues. Ms. Gaita and her husband adopted three children from foster-care and while they don’t expect to adopt anymore children, Juliana is passionate about helping families grow through the adoption process. Her experience as both a single mom and now an adoptive mother gives her unique perspective on the challenges and joys of adoption.
Ms. Gaita is committed to protecting your family, finances, business, assets and your real-estate sale and purchases and believes in a holistic approach to law, often emphasizing the counselor part of “counselor at law”. The firm looks at the entire individual to see where the law can assist the client and we are always looking to be the solution, not add to the problem. Ms. Gaita believes that a particular situation or “legal problem” cannot be adequately understood and addressed in the absence of a thorough understanding of the individual and that may affect the ways in which the particular situation is addressed moving forward. Once you have become our client, you have found lawyers for life, helping you with any legal situation that may come up in the future. As part of the Boston College Jesuit community she also holds the belief of their motto “men and women for others.” Juliana injects passion and determination into every action that she undertakes for her clients. Her law practice and her clients provides purpose, fun and fulfillment to her life. Ms. Gaita believes that when you truly are on purpose, the people, resources and opportunities you need naturally gravitate toward you and the world in turn benefits, as your actions automatically serve others. Ms. Gaita is accessible to her clients almost 24 hours a day, and she has come to know most of her clients not just as clients but as friends. Our Firm would love to see if you would be a good fit as a client and we encourage you to reach out to us.
Ms. Gaita is licensed to practice in MA, FL as well as the Southern District of Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Juliana is also a member of the Florida Adoption Council.
Samia Azad, J.D.
Samia Azad, originally born in Bangladesh, was raised in South Florida and has lived here now for 24 years. She received her Bachelors degree from Florida State University and graduated with honors in International Relations and Political Science. While at Florida State, Samia was heavily involved in service or human rights organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Amnesty International. However, her most rewarding experience was traveling abroad to work for a non-profit organization, where she helped children learn English. After graduation, wanting to gain real life experience, Samia worked in several divisions, including the Juvenile Division at the State Attorney’s Office in West Palm Beach.
She then pursued her law degree at Nova Southeastern University. While in law school, she spent her summers employed at a boutique family law firm. Ms. Azad was involved in the family law and public interest law society, became an editor of the Journal of International and Comparative Law. She was also a researcher for the Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (AIDD) Clinic on campus and graduated under the pro-bono honors program for the hours she dedicated her local community.
Her passion to help others through law comes from her desire to make the law accessible to everyone and, as an immigrant, to give back to this Country that has afforded her so many opportunities.
Stefanie Stern Grife
Florida Supreme Court Certified Family and County Mediator
Paralegal
After divorce, Stefanie found herself looking for a rewarding career where she could help others who are going through divorce and other legal family matters. In May 2015, Stefanie became a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family and County Mediator and mediated cases for many pro se clients looking for an easier, amicable and less stressful way to dissolve their marriage and/or deal with family law related matters. After years of mediating and working for different Family Law firms, Stefanie found her home with Juliana Gaita, P.A. Stefanie has been called the “client whisperer” and many of the clients call and ask to speak directly to Stefanie because of the way she is able to explain to the clients, what they can expect and it may seem overwhelming but as she says, “nobody dies from divorce and I’m here to help you”. She gets great satisfaction when her clients are finally divorced and feel a sense of relief. A new area of Family Law for Stefanie is Adoptions, which can be very intricate but extremely rewarding. Every time she watches a Final Hearing of Adoption, she always cries.
Stefanie grew up in New York and moved to South Florida just before high school. She attended the University of Florida, where she studied Political Science and International Affairs. After college, Stefanie lived in many great places in the U.S. and had many different positions but spent most of her adult life immersed in the most challenging and rewarding careers ever, as a Mom. Stefanie is the Super Cool Mom of two brilliant and driven young adults. Her son, who is an actor and entrepreneur and her daughter, who will soon graduate from the University of Florida and attend Law school. Stefanie feels that being their Mom has been the best part of her life.
Being a woman who has “survived divorce and lived to tell” has given her a unique and knowledgeable insight to all the emotional, financial and mental issues of Family Law, to all of her clients and they appreciate her experience and compassion.