Darla K. Snead, P.L., Attorney at Law

12/31/2025

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!

12/22/2025

Wishing everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Our office will be closed until January 5, 2025.

11/27/2025

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

11/21/2025

🚨🚨🚨 SCAM ALERT 🚨🚨🚨

This happened today in our county - a resident was contacted by a scammer who told her his name was "Sgt. Glover, badge number 0738" and that he was calling from the Polk County Sheriff's Office regarding her not showing up for jury duty.

(We don't have anyone here by that name, by the way)

He instructed her to meet him at our main operations center in Winter Haven - he even gave her the actual address. Fortunately she didn't fall for it, she called us instead.

The scammer sent her a photo of her "warrant" - we removed her name but do you see how elaborate of a ruse this is? It looks pretty legit if you aren't used to seeing a real warrant. Here's one clue: Winter haven spelled with a lowercase h. Also, he claimed to work here but this is supposedly a "federal" warrant. No.

Oh he also told her that she was under a "gag order" and not to tell anyone about this. Well of course he didn't want her to tell anyone - how else could he pull this off?

HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW:
He would have met her in our parking lot, or called her when she was en-route and re-directed her to another location.

He then would have told her to pay him electronically to "clear this matter up" and that she was free to go after that.

This is a common jury duty scam, with a new twist - a fake warrant.

Do a quick Google search and you'll see lots of other fake warrants that look just like this.

Stacy M. Butterfield, CPA, Polk County Clerk of Courts warns about jury duty scams all the time - they are the entity (not the Sheriff's Office) to contact regarding jury duty and they will never, ever call you with threats, and you will never, ever have a warrant issued if you don't show up for jury duty.

If you receive a call like this, hang up and contact the Clerk of Courts Office or your local law enforcement agency. Do not call the number back. Block the number that called you.

Be vigilant! Don't let the scammers get your hard-earned money.

11/11/2025

Happy Veterans Day! We appreciate all of our Veterans today and every day!

10/24/2025

How Mediators Help Parents Create Parenting Plans in Florida

Mediation can be very helpful for creating a parenting plan. Contact our Lakeland mediation attorney, Darla K. Snead, P.L., for help with this.

10/17/2025

What To Expect in a Virtual Divorce Mediation: A Brief Step-by-Step Guide

If you have questions or need help determining if divorce mediation is the best option for you, contact our Lakeland mediation attorney, Darla K. Snead, P.L.

10/10/2025

4 Common Parenting Plans Mistakes and How Mediation Can Help Avoid Them

For help creating a parenting plan, contact our skilled Lakeland mediation attorney, Darla K. Snead, P.L.

09/25/2025

Navigating Mediation With a History of Domestic Violence

If you’re involved in mediation and you are a domestic violence survivor, contact a Lakeland mediation lawyer at Darla K. Snead, P.L.

09/18/2025

How To Explain an Absent Parent to a Child

If you are dealing with a family law matter, contact a skilled Lakeland family law attorney at Darla K. Snead, P.L. for legal assistance.

09/11/2025

09/11/2025

Can Parents Agree on Time-Sharing Without Involving the Court in Florida?

If you are going through a Florida divorce and need help developing a timesharing agreement, contact an experienced Lakeland family lawyer at Darla K. Snead, P.L.