Our Accreditations

Board Certified, Marital and Family Law

Fl Bar Board Certified Logo Med

Board Certification is the highest level of recognition of competency and experience offered by The Florida Bar. The Board Certification program was created to assist the public in finding competent legal counsel in family law. Many lawyers handle marital and family law matters at various skill levels, but only Board Certified Marital and Family Law attorneys may use the term “specialist” or “expert” when referring to themselves. To become Board Certified a lawyer must have substantial family law experience for a minimum number of years and undergo a rigorous written exam and peer review.

Mr. Schutz is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law.


The International Academy of Family Lawyers

IAFL web

The International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) is an invitation-only worldwide association of practicing lawyers who are recognized by their peers as the most experienced and expert family law specialists in their respective countries. The Academy was formed in 1986, inspired in part by the success of the American Academy of Family Lawyers. By creating a network of expertise in international family law around the globe, IAFL Fellows share information about developments in the law in countries around the world. The IAFL represents over 600 attorneys in 44 countries.

Mr. Schutz is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). 

Experienced & Dedicated

The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

John Schutz Ralph White American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) was founded in 1962 to promote an elite degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law. AAML Fellows across the United States are generally recognized by judges and attorneys as preeminent family law practitioners with a high level of knowledge, skill and integrity.  To become a Fellow of the AAML, an attorney must be Board Certified in Marital and Family Law, pass both a state-wide and national peer review, a rigorous national written examination, and a state-wide oral examination.

Currently, there are more than 1,600 AAML Fellows in 50 U.S. states. In Florida, there are only 77 AAML Fellows, representing just .02% of all family law attorneys in the state.

Mr. Schutz is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and past- President of the Florida Chapter of the AAML in 2019.


Super Lawyers

Palm Beach Super Lawyer John Schutz

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Mr. Schutz has been selected as a Super Lawyer for the past 14 consecutive years.

    "Knows exactly how to approach a case."
    Coming from someone who has never really had great experience with attorneys, John was above and beyond in court. He completely dominates his specialty, thinks of everything, is unbelievably well-versed in the law and knows exactly how to approach a case without getting caught up in the awful and uncomfortable details that make litigation so depraved. Since hiring him I never felt taken advantage of, or unsettled. I always felt that he had me best interest and used the law to express that. There is not one minute in court were I felt uneasy about his approach. He was brilliant, calm and had an extremely confident demeanor. I can't thank him enough for keeping my babies here with me in a custody/relocation case that had been really ugly and toxic for many years before hiring him. Today in court, John was my hero and my husband and I can sleep well, knowing he fought for us.
    - C.C.
    "Mr. Schutz and his staff are communicative, sympathetic, and hard-working."
    Mr. Schutz is very knowledgeable about marital and family law. Mr. Schutz and his staff are communicative, sympathetic, and hard-working. I highly recommend Mr. Schutz should you ever need representation in a family law matter.
    - Robyn
    "Eternally grateful."
    Amazing attorney. So much class and confidence in the courtroom. Brilliant in terms of the law. Couldn't be happier with how John handled my case. Eternally grateful.
    - Candace
    "Hire this attorney! He's ten steps ahead of the competition and AMAZING in court!"
    I recommend Mr. Schutz without any reservations whatsoever. He is the ideal divorce attorney to have ON YOUR SIDE! Mr. Schutz is a fast thinker, he's always well-prepared, appropriately confident, and knows how to present a case to get the results you're looking for! Hire this attorney without giving it a second thought!
    - Anonymous
    "I highly recommend John Schutz."
    Mr. Schutz represented me in a highly contentious case wherein my ex-wife falsely alleged child abuse and many other horrible things to gain advantage. She spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in hiring a team of attorneys, forensic accountants, HR Specialists, and real estate appraisers. It was a funny sight in court….just me and John versus their entire Army. Even more amusing was how he so brilliantly and efficiently undermined all of the opposing team’s positions. The CPA’s 401K valuation was thrown out, the vocational evaluator’s opinion was rejected, I got the house and equal timesharing with my child. My home controls where our child attends school. We won on all counts…. Alimony was unavoidable, though the amount she was awarded was significantly less in amount and duration than what she was demanding. If you have the means to ‘Invest in the Best,’ I highly recommend John Schutz.
    - Mark
    "Great attorney!"
    Mr. Shutz is an exceptional attorney who always has your best interests at heart. He is beyond professional and motivated in helping you meet your needs in the court room!
    - Kathi
    "Mr. Schutz is a true professional."
    Mr. John Schutz is an excellent lawyer. I live in Peru and was not able to get any timesharing with my kids who have lived in Florida for 8 years. Mr. Schutz took on my case and made my dream possible. My children visited me in Peru for the first time in 8 years and I will be able to spend Christmas with them too here in Peru. I will be forever grateful.
    - Anonymous
    "Genius divorce lawyer"

    John Schutz is a brilliant lawyer. Not only did Mr. Schutz do an excellent job cleaning up the mess from the previous lawyer, he in my estimation was key in me ultimately obtaining a very good outcome. I had a very contentious divorce and the opposing lawyer was very unprofessional and somewhat abusive. Mr. Schutz through his professionalism and excellent people skills was able to reign in the opposing attorney's unprofessional conduct. Mr. Schutz ran circles around the opposing attorney as he was always prepared and was quick on his feet. He is well worth the money in my opinion. Due to his skill and the ability to outclass the opposing attorney, a trial was avoided which ultimately would have been far more costly. Highly recommend.

    - Elizabeth

Strong Reputation In Our Community

AV Rated, by Martindale-Hubbell

Palm Beach Divorce Attorney John Schutz

An AV rating demonstrates that a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence with regards to length of career, skill level, and integrity.  The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings system is based on the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary, including both those who are rated and those who are not.  There are two components to each Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating:

  1. Legal Ability Ratings, which take into consideration the standard of professional ability in the area where the lawyer practices, the lawyer’s expertise, and other professional qualifications.
  2. General Ethical Standards Rating, which denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.

John F. Schutz, P.L. is an AV Rated law firm by Martindale Hubbell.


“Best Law Firms” by U.S. News & World Report

Best Law Firms|Palm Beach Divorce Lawyer

The law firm of John F. Schutz is pleased to announce its inclusion in the list of 2018 “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News & World Report. John F. Schutz, PL is regionally ranked in 1 practice area. The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process.

  • Member of the AAML

    As a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, we aim to improve the quality of family law practice for clients.

  • Meet With Us Virtually Or At Our Office
    With virtual consultations, it's easier than ever to get started.
  • Family Law Is All We Do
    We're exclusively focused on handling family law cases.

Additional Accreditations

International Academy of Collaborative Professionals

Schutz White International Academy of Collaborative Professionals

The International Academy of Collaborative Professionals are leaders in the international collaborative divorce community, working together to change how conflict is resolved by focusing on the client. The IACP sets the bar for the ethical and practice standards of Collaborative Practice, establishing and distinguishing excellence among legal, mental health, and financial professionals. Collaborative Practitioners are required to meet numerous standards, including twelve hours of Collaborative training, thirty hours of client centered, interest-based conflict resolution training, and fifteen hours of advanced mediation training.

Palm Beach divorce lawyer, John F. Schutz is recognized by the IACP as a Collaborative Divorce Practitioner.


Best Lawyers®

Best Lawyers  Lawyer Of The Year -Contemporary Logo 200X 225

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.  Best Lawyers® selection is based on an exhaustive peer review evaluation. Lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers® is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

The Law Office of John F. Schutz and Mr. Schutz personally have been recognized as Best Law Firms in America©  and Best Lawyers in America, respectively, by Best Lawyer’s in America©  U.S. News & World Report annually since 2019 in marital and family law.

John F. Schutz was named the Best Lawyers® 2023 Marital and Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Palm Beach, Florida.

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