About Us

ATTORNEYS

Lawrence Datz and Albert Datz (retired) combine more than 80 years of family law and other legal expertise to form the core of Jacksonville’s Datz & Datz law firm. They bring to the firm extensive experience in trial and appellate court cases where their legal work focused largely on family law cases. They also represent clients in matters of business law disputes, criminal defense and personal injury.

Their work in representing clients in legal appeals has involved intermediate state and federal appellate courts, the Supreme Court of Florida, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lawrence Datz

Lawrence C. Datz

Lawrence Datz is one of only 13 attorneys in Jacksonville who are Board Certified in Marital and Family Law. He is one of just six area attorneys who are Fellows of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and he is listed among The Best Lawyers in America and in Super Lawyers. A former chair of the Florida Bar’s Marital and Family Law Board Certification Committee and past president of the Florida Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts, Datz is widely recognized as one of the state’s leaders in family law, high-asset divorces, high-conflict parenting disputes, division of business interests and other complex issues. 

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Albert J. Datz

Albert J. Datz

Albert Datz (Retired) is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. 

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FIRM HISTORY

Albert J. Datz (Left) Lawrence Datz (right)

History of Datz & Datz, P.A.

Datz & Datz is a First Coast law firm specializing in family law and business law that traces its origins back three generations to Jacksonville’s early 1920s. Founding partner Albert Datz’s uncle Nathan Schevitz was an exceptionally bright American-born son of European immigrants. Equipped with outstanding self-taught typewriting skills and diverse job experience, he gained employment with the Duval County Sheriff’s Office. In those days, Duval County had only two deputy sheriffs, an “outside” deputy and an “inside” deputy. The outside deputy served process while the inside deputy handled all the administrative duties. Nathan was the county’s inside deputy. He was quick to learn and soon knew more about writs, process documents and related matters than did most Jacksonville lawyers who came into the Sheriff’s Office. In time, most of those lawyers would come to consult with Nathan.

Eventually he decided to go to law school and then he opened an office in Jacksonville and became the beneficiary of referrals from lawyers who had relied on him when he worked in the Sheriff’s Office. He also became known as a highly competent criminal defense lawyer.

He was then appointed to the position of assistant state attorney by Florida Gov. Fuller Warren. At that time, the state attorney only prosecuted capital crimes and handled extradition matters and bond validations.

Later becoming an expert in extradition and bond validation matters, and he also tried many first-degree murder cases. Nathan also kept working his private law practice where he developed a general clientele handling automobile accident injury claims, family law cases and criminal defense cases.

In 1948, Nathan’s nephew Albert Datz graduated from the University of Florida School of Law and joined his uncle in the general practice of law.

In order to avoid conflicts of interest, Nathan’s criminal cases were referred to Albert as a sole practitioner. However, in early 1950, Albert was appointed as one of the county’s four assistant county solicitors.

In that capacity, he became adept at prosecuting criminal cases. When Albert’s time in the state attorney’s office ended, he returned to private practice with Nathan.

Nathan continued his dual role as chief assistant state attorney and part-time private practitioner, while Albert was the firm’s only full-time attorney handling criminal defense cases. The firm’s name became the Law Offices of Albert Datz. Criminal law dominated Albert’s practice, and he began to represent many high-profile criminal defendants.

Albert Datz continued his law practice for more than a decade. In 1964, Samuel Jacobson left his position as an assistant United States attorney to practice with Albert. Later, they formed the partnership of Datz & Jacobson, gradually expanding into other areas of civil law but maintaining their dominate fields of criminal defense and family law.

The firm employed other lawyers from time to time. Lawrence Datz joined the firm in 1986 after spending three years in the State Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted everything from misdemeanors to major felonies. Later, David Garfinkel began practicing at the firm. When Lawrence and David became partners of the firm, its name changed to Datz, Jacobson, Lembcke & Garfinkel, P.A. Several years after David left, Kenneth Wright joined the firm, and its name changed to Datz, Jacobson, Lembcke & Wright, P.A. That firm also employed other associate lawyers.

Satisfied clients and other attorneys became the greatest source of the firm’s new client referrals. The public defender system grew throughout the 1970s and 1980s, guaranteeing an indigent criminal defendants counsel. Consequently, the firm’s focus shifted to family law including divorce cases. In 2003, the members of the firm decided to reduce its size. Albert Datz and Lawrence Datz became the present firm of Datz & Datz, P.A., moving their offices from Downtown to Southpoint.

What Our Clients Say

“In the field of family law, many attorneys promote themselves as “sharks” and tough negotiators. Lawrence Datz is different. He takes great pride in the success he’s had achieving resolutions where both parties remain friendly and the family as a whole is better off for it. He’s a caring, extremely professional attorney. I strongly recommend Datz & Datz.”

What Our Peers Say

Best Lawyers in America – 2013 – 2020

Best Law Firms 2020 – U.S. News & World Report

Super Lawyers – 2013 – 2020, Top-rated Family Law Attorney in Jacksonville

AVVO Rating 10 out of 10