Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys

What Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys does

The Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys (AFELA) is a Florida-based nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1993, operating as the Florida state chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). Its primary customers are private practice elder law attorneys in Florida who focus on estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianship, special needs planning, and elder abuse. Membership requires concurrent NAELA affiliation and adherence to aspirational professional conduct standards; membership excludes judges and government attorneys, ensuring a curated private-practice membership base.

AFELA's product portfolio centers on member services and public-facing resources. Core offerings include the Find a Lawyer member directory (which funnels Florida consumers to AFELA attorneys through afela.org and NAELA's national directory), the AFELA Listserv open peer forum, a four-month mentorship program pairing senior and emerging attorneys, on-demand continuing legal education webinars, a dedicated Medicaid HCBS Fair Hearing Workshop, and the signature annual UnProgram conference held at The Grand Bohemian Hotel in Orlando. The underlying technology stack is a standard association web platform combining a member directory, a webinar hosting system, and a listserv communication tool, with no AI/ML capabilities or proprietary software disclosed.

The organization is funded primarily through recurring membership dues, event and webinar registration fees, and voluntary member contributions that support the Joint Public Policy Task Force with the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar. AFELA earns no revenue from consulting or external services; instead, its strategic value is delivered through advocacy (with documented legislative wins including HB 73 on Supported Decision-Making in 2024 and the Stop the Scammers bill in 2025), curated education, and peer community. Leadership comprises a volunteer board with elected officer roles and a single Executive Director, Ashley Gonnelli, with President Kole J. Long and chairs across sponsorship, marketing, continuing education, listserv, membership, and website committees.

Name

Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys

Legal name

Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys

Website

https://afela.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys is a Florida nonprofit professional membership association serving private practice elder law attorneys through continuing legal education, a Find a Lawyer directory, peer listserv, mentorship, and legislative advocacy via the Joint Public Policy Task Force.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallahassee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AFELA membership requires NAELA membership, with annual dues supporting organizational operations, advocacy efforts, and member benefits including access to publications, education, and networking.
2. Events and Webinars: Revenue generated from the annual UnProgram event and on-demand webinars offering CLE credits to attorneys. Events include registration fees for educational programming.
3. Task Force Contributions: Voluntary contributions from members fund the Joint Public Policy Task Force's advocacy and lobbying activities on behalf of seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AFELA is a nonprofit professional membership association that provides Florida elder law attorneys with continuing legal education (in-person and on-demand webinars), peer networking via the AFELA Listserv, a four-month mentorship program, and an annual UnProgram conference, while maintaining a public Find a Lawyer directory and the Florida Joint Public Policy Task Force advocacy initiative. Membership requires NAELA membership and adherence to aspirational standards of professional behavior.

Product overview

The Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys (AFELA) operates as a professional association offering a portfolio of member services and public resources centered on elder law practice. The core offerings include a member attorney directory for consumer referrals, continuing legal education through on-demand webinars and an annual UnProgram conference, a mentorship program for emerging attorneys, and an active listserv forum. AFELA also provides educational content including elder law definitions, FAQs, and blog posts. Through the Joint Public Policy Task Force, AFELA advocates legislatively for seniors and disabled individuals. The organization also recognizes outstanding advocacy through the Jerome Solkoff Elder Advocacy Award.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AFELA Membership Annual membership (requires concurrent NAELA membership) for Florida private practice elder law attorneys, providing access to the AFELA Listserv, educational programs, advocacy, and the Find a Lawyer directory.
• AFELA UnProgram (Annual Conference) AFELA's annual signature in-person event providing collaborative educational sessions, breakout tracks, networking, and CLE credits for elder law attorneys; held at venues such as The Grand Bohemian Hotel, Orlando, FL.
• On-Demand CLE Webinars Recorded continuing legal education webinars covering Florida elder law topics such as estate tax exemption, special needs trust taxation, grantor trusts, Medicare, guardianship rules, and the Corporate Transparency Act.
• Medicaid HCBS Fair Hearing Workshop On-demand workshop providing training on Medicaid fair hearings for home and community-based services, including trial techniques and legal authority for elder law attorneys.
• AFELA Mentorship Program A structured four-month mentorship program pairing experienced elder law attorneys with rising professionals through monthly Zoom or phone meetings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful passage of HB 73: Supported Decision-Making (2024), providing an alternative to guardianship for individuals with developmental disabilities
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFELA is the Florida state chapter of NAELA. Membership in AFELA requires membership in NAELA. The organization is one of the largest state chapters of NAELA, which has many other state chapters around the nation. This affiliation provides members with access to NAELA publications, the Online Education Library, and networking with attorneys across the state and country.
• Elder Law Section of The Florida BarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFELA and the Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar jointly formed the Florida Joint Public Policy Task Force for the Elderly and Disabled over 10 years ago to address concerns with administrative public policy and proposed legislation affecting elder law practice in Florida. The Task Force is balanced with 4 Officers from each organization and 5 attorneys selected at large. Nearly all AFELA members are also members of the Elder Law Section, though AFELA is a separate organization with its own board and administrator.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Elder Law Section of The Florida Bar: The Elder Law Section is the Florida Bar's specialized section for elder law practitioners and AFELA's joint Task Force partner. It serves a near-identical Florida attorney member base and provides overlapping CLE and advocacy, making it the closest functional peer and frequent collaborator.
• ElderCounsel: ElderCounsel is a national membership organization for elder law and estate planning attorneys, providing practice resources, CLE, and peer community. It competes with AFELA for attorney mindshare, particularly on member benefits, education, and practice development resources.
• American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys: AAEPA is a membership-based organization for estate planning and elder law attorneys offering education, marketing resources, and peer community. It overlaps with AFELA's audience (private practice attorneys in estate planning/elder law) and competes on member benefits and CLE content.

Others

• WealthCounsel: WealthCounsel is a member network and technology/cooperative provider serving estate planning and elder law attorneys with drafting software, education, and peer community. It is comparable as an enabling ecosystem that competes for AFELA member time and CLE spend, though its core product is software rather than advocacy.
• National Elder Law Foundation (NELF): NELF is a credentialing body that certifies elder law attorneys (Certified Elder Law Attorney designation). It is an adjacent, thematically related organization that overlaps with AFELA's membership base and reinforces the professional standards AFELA members adhere to.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): ACTEC is a prestigious, invitation-only association of trust and estate lawyers. It is a broader incumbent serving a related but more elite and wider specialty, with overlapping CLE, publications, and committee work that intersects with AFELA's elder law scope.
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA): NAELA is the national parent organization of AFELA and the broader trade body for elder law attorneys across the U.S. It is directly comparable as the umbrella membership body that defines the profession, sets aspirational standards, and produces publications and educational resources — AFELA is its Florida state chapter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flaelderissues
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElderLawFlorida
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-of-florida-elder-law-attorneys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys