Established Experienced Knowledgeable

Headshot of attorney R. Craig Harrison

Biography

Craig Harrison was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1983 and to the Florida Bar in 1985. Craig moved to the Sarasota area in 1989. He received his Board Certification from the Florida Bar as a Specialist in Wills, Trusts and Estates in 2010 and was selected as a Super Lawyer in 2015.

Craig has been married to his wife, Cecilia for over 30 years. They have two daughters, one is a tax accountant for a national accounting firm in New York, the other is an attorney for a national law firm in Tampa. Both are double Gators. The last member of the family is Maizey Blu, a beautiful poodle, named after the University of Michigan.

When time permits, Craig enjoys tennis, golf, and fishing.

Education

  • University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, Michigan
    • J.D. - 1983
  • Grand Rapids Junior College
    • A.A. - 1978
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
    • B.A. - 1980

Practice Areas

  • Estate Planning
  • Trusts & Trust Administration
  • Wills & Probate Administration
  • Trust Litigation
  • Estate Litigation
  • Guardianship
  • Guardianship Litigation
  • Real Estate

Professional Associations

  • Sarasota County Bar Association
  • The Florida Bar
  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Probate and Trust Litigation Committee of the Florida Bar
  • Guardianship, Power of Attorney, and Advance Directive Committee of the Florida Bar
  • Chairperson: Florida Guardianship Law and Guardianship Advocacy Bench Guide: proposed outline in response to recommendation 6.1 of the judicial management council guardianship workgroup final report, June 2020 Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar Guardianship, Power of Attorney & Advance Directives Committee, 2020
  • IRA, Insurance, & Employee Benefits Committee of the Florida Bar

Bar Admissions

  • Florida, 1985
  • Michigan, 1983

Published Works

  • "Homestead — The Post-Death Spousal Disclaimer: A Cure for a Constitutionally Prohibited Devise," The Florida Bar Journal, April 1996
  • "Fundamentals of Will Drafting," NBI Institute, May 2011
  • "Using Living Trusts and Powers of Attorney as Estate Planning Tools," NBI Institute, May 2011
  • "Trusts: TBE or Not TBE," The Florida Bar Journal, May 2013
  • Protecting the Elderly from Financial Exploitation: The Dilemma and Solution, Part I, The Florida Bar Journal, 2014
  • Protecting the Elderly from Financial Exploitation: The Dilemma and Solution, Part II, The Florida Bar Journal, July/August 2014
  • Mental Capacity: 50 Shades of Gray Financial Exploitation of the Elderly: The Low Hanging Fruit, Probate & Pumpernickel, Series 2016
  • Protecting The Elderly From Financial Exploitation And The Newly Revised Exploitation Statute, Probate & Pumpernickel Series, 2015
  • Financial Exploitation Injunction, Probate & Pumpernickel Series, 2018, 2018
  • Estate Administration: Timeline Overview and Procedural Update, NBI Institute. December, 2019

Representative Cases

Honors

  • American Jurisprudence Award: Trusts and Estates
  • AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
  • Selected Super Lawyers 2015- current

Classes & Seminars

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Sarasota Blue Ribbon Committee
  • Aesthetic Task Force in Sarasota
  • Sarasota Downtown Association, Former President
  • Sarasota Downtown Association, Former Director

Past Positions

Languages

Fraternities or Sororities

  • Delta Theta Phi

Certified Legal Specialties

  • Board-Certified Estate Planning and Probate Lawyer, Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education (2010 to present)