Family law, handled with a steady hand.
When your family is changing — through a divorce case — you deserve an attorney who has guided Polk County families through it for thirty-five years, and who treats yours like it's the only one.
One attorney. Your whole case.
Shelley Harrell Shelton has practiced marital and family law in Winter Haven since 1990 — thirty-five years of divorces, parenting plans, and family agreements in the same Polk County courts. She holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent® peer review rating, the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards, earned through the confidential assessments of judges and fellow attorneys.
This is a deliberately small practice, a few blocks from the Chain of Lakes. There is no team of associates to hand your file to. The attorney you meet on the first day is the one who negotiates your settlement, drafts your agreement, and stands beside you in court if it comes to that. This service is what sets Ms. Shelton apart, and provides her clients with a consistent level of service they can depend on.
Meet Shelley- Consultations that earn the word. The first meeting is an in-depth working session on your actual situation — you leave knowing where you stand, whether or not you hire anyone.
- Settlement-minded, trial-prepared. Most families do best with an agreement they shaped — negotiated from a case file built as if it were going to trial.
- Local to Polk County courts. Thirty-five years in the Tenth Judicial Circuit — the judges, mediators, and rhythms of Bartow's family division are familiar ground.
- Straight answers about cost. You'll always know which fights are worth having — and which are expensive ways to feel heard.
The whole of family law, under one roof
Twelve focused practice areas across divorce, parenting, guardianship, support, protection, and family agreements.
Divorce
Contested and uncontested dissolution, military divorce, and equitable distribution of property.
3 practice areas →Custody & Timesharing
Parenting plans, time-sharing, paternity, stepparent adoption, and temporary guardianship — built around your children's lives.
4 practice areas →Support
Child support under Florida's guidelines and alimony under the post-2023 framework — including modifications.
2 practice areas →Protective Measures
Injunctions for protection against domestic violence — for petitioners who need safety and respondents who need counsel.
1 practice area →Agreements
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and separation agreements — clarity put in writing.
2 practice areas →Child Support Estimator
A guideline estimate built on Florida's actual statutory schedule — income and overnights in, ballpark figure out.
Try the estimator →Four steps, one steady course
Every case is different, but the channel through it is the same. Like the canals that join Winter Haven's lakes, each step opens into the next.
Consultation
A confidential conversation about your situation, your priorities, and what realistic outcomes look like. See what to have available.
Case assessment
Shelley maps your assets, parenting picture, and legal position — and gives you an honest read on strength, cost, and strategy.
Filing & negotiation
Pleadings filed, financial disclosure exchanged, and the real work of negotiation and mediation — with a file prepared as if for trial.
Resolution
A settlement you shaped, or a judgment argued well — then the follow-through: deeds, QDROs, and orders done right.
What clients say
Answers before you even call
Three things travel well: depth of experience in the county where your case will be heard, what other lawyers and judges say about them (Shelley holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent® peer rating, based on confidential reviews by judges and fellow attorneys), and whether the person you meet is the person who will actually handle your case. Ask any attorney you interview all three.
Consultation fees are confirmed when the office schedules you — and the meeting earns them. Consultations here are genuinely in-depth working sessions, not meet-and-greets — most happen by phone or FaceTime, whichever suits you: Shelley goes through your situation fact by fact, asks the questions that matter legally, and gives you a realistic picture of your options, timeline, and cost drivers. You leave knowing where you stand — whether or not you hire anyone. Here's what to expect in detail.
The initial consultation fee is $100. Free legal consultations are typically limited to high-level information. A paid consultation gives you dedicated time with a family law attorney to learn how the law applies to your circumstances.
Most likely not. The large majority of Florida family cases resolve by agreement, and courts require mediation before nearly any contested trial. Cases settle on the best terms when they're prepared as if trial were coming — which is exactly how each case here is built.
By statute. Florida's guidelines combine both parents' net incomes, look up a guideline amount in the statutory schedule, and divide it in proportion to income — with an adjustment when each parent has the children at least 20% of overnights. Try the guideline estimator for a ballpark, then have Shelley run the exact numbers with the deductions and adjustments that apply to you.
Consultations are confidential. That said, the contact form on this site is for scheduling context, not case secrets — share the sensitive details in the consultation itself, not in writing before we've met. If your matter involves safety concerns, call the office directly at (863) 298-0606.
Read before you decide
Short, plain-language guides organized by where you are — researching, parenting, dividing, or done.
What to Expect at Your First Consultation
What the meeting covers, what it costs, what to have available, and what happens after.
Read → Parenting & ChildrenUnderstanding Florida's Parenting Plan Requirements
What every Florida parenting plan must cover — and what makes one actually work.
Read → Finance & PropertyAlimony After Florida's 2023 Reform
Permanent alimony is gone. Here's what the four current types actually provide.
Read →Get the free Getting Started guide
Not ready to call anyone yet — completely understandable. Leave an email and we'll send a short, plain-language guide to beginning a family-law matter in Polk County, plus the consultation checklist.
The guide is on its way
Check your inbox shortly. When you're ready to talk it through, request a consultation.
Talk to Shelley before you decide anything
Thirty-five years of Polk County family law practice, rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell. Tell us a little about your situation and the office will reach out to schedule a confidential consultation.