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A Fellow of the prestigious American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, Sarah Butters represents clients in sophisticated estate planning techniques, administration of probates and trusts, and related litigation. She is also called upon to testify on legislation impacting this area of law, and to serve as an expert witness in related high-stakes disputes.

Sarah Butters is a shareholder at Ausley McMullen and has extensive experience in estate, trust and related litigation; the preparation of wills, trusts and sophisticated estate planning techniques; and the administration of probates and trusts. She frequently serves as an expert witness and consultant on high stakes disputes.

Sarah represents personal representatives, trustees, corporate fiduciaries, beneficiaries and numerous national charities in all aspects of trust and estate administration.  She has extensive litigation experience in elective shares, spousal rights, undue influence, incapacity and breach of fiduciary duty cases.

Sarah regularly testifies before the Florida House and Senate on legislation impacting the law of wills, trusts and guardianships.

Sarah is the Immediate Past Chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar and a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel.  She is an Adjunct Professor at Florida State University's College of Law where she teaches law of wills and trusts and is also a Past President of the Tallahassee Regional Estate Planning Council.

Education

  • Florida State University College of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 2001
  • Florida State University, B.S, 1993

Bar Admissions

  • Admitted to the Florida Bar (2001)
  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
    • Co-Chair of Legal Education Committee 2020-2023
    • Member of numerous substantive committees, including Fiduciary Litigation and State Laws
    • Fellow since 2014
  • Florida Bar - Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section (RPPTL)
    • Chair (2022-2023)
    • Chair-Elect (2021-2022)
    • Division Director – Probate and Trust Law (2019-2021)
    • Officer on the RPPTL's Executive Committee (2016 to date)
  • Tallahassee Regional Estate Planning Council
    • President (2010)
    • Board Member (2006-2009)
    • Member (2005 – 2022)
  • Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida
    • Inaugural Chair of the Board of Directors (2020-2022)
    • Founding Member (2020)
  • The Community Foundation of North Florida
    • Board of Directors (2020)
    • Professional Advisor and Member of the Planned Giving Council (2008 - 2022)
  • The FSU Foundation
    • Professional Advisor and Member of the Planned Giving Council (2008 - 2022)
  • The FSU Seminole Boosters
    • Professional Advisor (2008 - 2022)
  • Florida Legal Trend Magazine – 2013, 2015-2022 Legal Elite in Wills, Trusts and Estate
  • Top 100 Lawyers in Florida (Super Lawyers) - 2021 - 2024
  • Top 50 Women Lawyers in Florida (Super Lawyers) - 2019 - 2024
  • Super Lawyer 2016-2022 - Estate & Trust Litigation
  • Rising Star 2010, 2011 – Estate & Trust Litigation
  • “Danger Will Robinson: The New Frontier of Remote Online Notarization and Electronic Wills”, Co-Authored with Jenna Rubin, The Florida Bar Journal, November/December 2019
  • What’s Hot in Florida? Recent Developments in Florida Law (Co-Lecturers Shane Kelley and Elaine Bucher): University of Miami, Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando, FL, January 14 18, 2019
  • "Powers of Appointment in the Current Planning Environment," Co-Authored with Prof. Thomas P. Gallanis and Turney P. Berry, in The Forty-Ninth Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, edited by Tina Portuondo. New Providence, NJ: LexisNexis, 2015
  • Podcast Guest, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Electronic Wills in Florida, April 13, 2021
  • Speaker, Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida, Legislation Summary from 2021 Session, May 27, 2021
  • Speaker, Florida Legal Education Association - Probate Team Seminar, Electronically Signed Documents, October 29, 2021
  • Speaker, Tallahassee Estate Planning Council, Legislative Update on Laws Relating to Wills, Trusts, Estates and Tax, April 28, 2022