Courtney Montiero, Esq. is an experienced family law and criminal defense attorney who is dedicated to advocating for and defending the rights of her clients.

Courtney opened her own office as a solo practitioner in October of 2013. While initially practicing primarily criminal law, family law cases currently comprise approximately half of her caseload. Courtney initially handled child support cases for the friends and family of her criminal clients.  Courtney's passion for helping others navigate life's most difficult situations encouraged her to expand her practice to handle more family law cases.

Courtney is a stepmother to five children from her husband's two prior marriages so she lives and breathes family law every day.  She is intimately familiar with many of the issues that her clients experience.

In law school, Courtney interned at the Rhode Island Public Defenders Office where she was actively involved in trials, probation violation hearings, and plea negotiations. In addition, she was a member of the trial team and one of the first students to participate in the Pro Bono Collaborative Legal Rights Workshop, a project partnering law students with law firms and community service agencies to present legal rights workshops to the low-income constituents of community service agencies.

Upon graduating law school from Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island, Courtney obtained her LL.M. degree in Trial Advocacy, specializing in Federal Criminal Defense, from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. While studying at California Western, she volunteered at the California Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to obtaining the release of incarcerated individuals who have been wrongfully convicted. As part of the LL.M. program, Courtney interned with the Miami Federal Defender’s Office where she assisted in the defense of Guillermo Zarabozo, which is more widely known as the “Joe Cool” case.

After leaving her internship at the Miami Federal Defenders Office, Courtney was Of Counsel with the Law Office of Richard C. Klugh where she handled a vast variety of cases from driving on a suspended license, to driving under the influence, drug trafficking, fraud and murder. Courtney successfully obtained many dismissals and nolle prosequis in state court cases, including winning a Motion to Suppress in the case of State of Florida v. Guillermo Escobio who was charged with second degree murder in a ten year old cold case. She also represented clients in all types of state and federal trial, post-conviction, and appellate proceedings.

While Courtney was Of Counsel at the Law Office of Richard Klugh, she began taking on child support cases for the friends and family of her criminal clients. Since opening her own office, Courtney has expanded her family law practice and handles all family law matters including divorces, paternity/child custody cases, relocations, modifications and child support.

Courtney is admitted to practice law in Florida, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida and the District of Massachusetts as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Education

California Western
School of Law
LL.M. in Federal Criminal Defense, 2009

Roger Williams
School of Law
Juris Doctor, 2008

Roger Williams University
B.S., Criminal Justice & Sociology, 2005

Activities & Affiliations

• Florida Association of Criminal Defense
  Attorneys (FACDL)
• Broward County Bar Association
• Business Networking International (BNI)
• Women in Networking Now (WINK)
• NAACP

Bar Admissions

• Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island