Jerrold E. Slutzky, J.D., CFP® is a Florida-licensed Attorney at Law and owner of The Slutzky Law Firm, which focuses primarily on Estate Planning Services (wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, health care surrogate designations, living wills, probate, etc.) and Small Business Legal Services (start-ups, buy-sell agreements, drafting of legal documents, contract negotiations, succession planning, and general business law, counseling, and advice.
Mr. Slutzky received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana), and a Juris Doctor Degree in Law from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. In 1977, Jerry obtained his Illinois law license and opened his own law firm in Chicago, which focused on small business law and family financial matters such as estate, retirement, and tax planning, as well as many other areas of the law.
In 1988, he and his family decided to move away from the Chicago winters to the Florida sunshine. He placed his Illinois law license on inactive status, and pursued a career in the financial services industry in Tampa for over 20 years, and in that capacity, he obtained his Series 7 (General Securities), Series 63 (Uniform State Exam), Series 65 (Investment Advisor Representative), and Florida insurance licenses (Life, Variable Life, and Health). In addition, in 1999, Jerry obtained his designation as a Certified Financial PlannerTM.
Although he had previously retired from the practice of law in Illinois, he yearned to be able to use all of his knowledge and experience, both in legal as well as financial matters to better serve the needs of his clients.
Inspired by his father, who practiced law until he was 96 years of age, Jerry decided to study for and take the Florida Bar examination, obtain his Florida law license and resume the practice of law, and was successful in doing so. He limits his legal practice to matters pertaining to estate planning, probate, small business law, and general legal counsel and advice.
In addition, with the combination of over 47 years experience in the legal and investment arenas, he also serves as an arbitrator in adjudicating investor disputes before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States
When not in the office or out giving educational lectures, Jerry is an active supporter of community theater in the Tampa Bay area, and can often be found performing on stage in one Broadway musical or another or spinning his wife, Dr. Helen Techler, around the ballroom dance floor. It has been said that “every lawyer is a frustrated actor,” and Jerry’s avocation lends credence to that statement. If you belong to an organization which would like Jerry to provide an interesting, entertaining, and extremely informative educational lecture, please call him or send him a note.
