Tara Petzoldt

Attorney Tara Petzoldt, Esq., is an experienced litigator and negotiator focusing her practice on marital & family law matters. Prior to narrowing her practice to family law, Tara practiced general civil and commercial litigation for nearly seven years at two large, national law firms.

During her time practicing general civil and commercial litigation, Tara represented clients ranging from large financial institutions and corporations to small business owners and individuals, honing her advocacy skills for a broad range of clients both inside and outside of the courtroom. She has years of comprehensive litigation experience, supervising matters from inception, advising clients at the outset and throughout litigation, drafting and preparing dispositive motions and briefs, handling depositions and discovery, participating in mediation and settlement negotiations, conducting and attending high-stakes hearings, bench trials, and jury trials, and overseeing appellate matters including drafting complex appellate briefs. In addition to her commercial litigation experience, Tara's firm experience included handling matters dealing in family affairs, including trust, probate, and estate litigation as well as family law issues-one matter concluding in Tara second chairing a lengthy bench trial on the enforcement of a complicated marital settlement agreement with hefty tax implications, where her and her team achieved a successful result for the client.

While Tara's litigation past provides her the ability to handle complex matters, her true passion has always been utilizing her skills to help individuals, especially those navigating a difficult time in their lives or a complicated issue leading to an exciting new personal milestone. Her extensive legal experience coupled with a true compassion for clients and individuals makes Tara the perfect fit to handle any family or marital law issue you and your family might face.

Prior to her admission to the Florida Bar in 2016, Tara attended Stetson University College of Law, where she was awarded a Full Presidential Merit Scholarship. She graduated number seven in her law school class with honors, magna cum laude. During her time at Stetson, Tara was heavily involved with extracurriculars, including the Stetson Law Review, where she served as an Articles and Symposia Editor and Assistant Managing Editor. She was a Constitutional Law research assistant for Professor Louis J. Virelli III, a Trial Advocacy teaching assistant for Professor Christopher Hunter, and a Criminal Law teaching assistant for Professor Roberta Flowers. She also served as a federal judicial intern for the Honorable United States District Judge James D. Whittemore in the Middle District of Florida.

For her undergraduate studies, Tara attended the University of South Florida, where she played NCAA division one soccer for the USF Women's Soccer Team. During her time on the USF Women's Soccer Team, Tara earned honors as a member of the Big East All Academic Team. She was also a member of the USF Honors College and graduated summa cum laude (highest honors) with a B.A. in Political Science.

Tara was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Palm Harbor, Florida in elementary school and has made Tampa Bay her home ever since. She now resides in Tampa with her husband, Drew. When she's not working, Tara enjoys cooking a homemade dinner for family and friends, traveling to new places, and enjoying Florida's gorgeous beaches.