Jerry Reiss Actuary

For Alimony

I should also say that, as I made this determination, and I listened to the experts that were presented to me, Mr. Reiss was, frankly, a vastly superior expert who gave me an extraordinary amount of information and appreciation of this very difficult subject matter area. The opposing expert (who is referred to) is a practicing retirement plan attorney in south Florida.

Judge Harnage of the Miami Circuit Court

The client prevailed on all issues raised in the Appeal. Your knowledge of the case law and understanding of retirement benefit issues were the reason for this success.

Tom Casper,

Tampa LawyerGeneral Practitioner

"It is with great enthusiasm that I highly recommend JERRY REISS. I am a retired firefighter. ...Jerry found me a local attorney who was up for the challenge. ...His vast mental reference book of Family law cases helped my attorney immensely. I am so glad that my ex husband did not hire him!

R N

Gainesville, FL

Mr. Reiss' testimony is often sought by both sides of the controversy when an expert is retained on a must win trial basis.

Here are some comments made by some attorneys.

During my twenty-five years of practice in the field of marital and family law, I have experienced many changes in this area of practice with perhaps the most significant change being the need for competent and persuasive expert witnesses to address the various issues that confront the marital and family lawyer. As many of you already know, Jerry Reiss, ASA, is an extremely competent and persuasive expert witness for retirement plans. I have presented the testimony of Mr. Reiss in more than one case and did achieve a winning result in each of those cases. However, in addition to utilizing Mr. Reiss as an expert witness in the retirement area, I have found Mr. Reiss to be an invaluable resource in the analysis and legal interpretation of pension language, alimony and related language found in marital settlement agreements. In addition to Mr. Reiss serving as a sounding board for my legal interpretation and "theory of the case" for cases involving these issues, he has never failed to provide an enhancement to the final presentation of my case.

Mr. Reiss was very knowledgeable, as any lawyer, in the area of equitable distribution and retirement plans.

Jeffrey Connor

(Orlando)Board Certified Family Law

LAW OFFICES OF

SUZANNE FANNON

I recently retained Mr. Jerry Reiss, an enrolled actuary, as an expert witness in a divorce case. Although Mr. Reiss had a short amount of time to get up to speed on the case, he provided excellent consultation on issues related to the valuation of a federal pension and the appropriate amount of alimony. Mr. Reiss is a very knowledgeable expert on retirement and pension issues and, especially critical, he is acutely aware of the lawyer's challenges in advocacy. He has an incredible handle on the case law and he can analyze the facts of a divorce case in a clear, concise fashion. I strongly recommend Mr. Reiss to any family law attorney involved in these types of issues.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Fannon Summerlin

WOW! What a great Memo Of Law you wrote for me. I explained the issue to you, sent the pleadings and transcripts and you created a masterpiece that defended our position perfectly with all case law and statutes to back it up. I could not have done the work and the amount of research you did for the small amount of money you charged. I definitely will use your services again if the need arises. Thanks again for a job well done.

Sincerely,
Pamela Huddleston, Esq.
Melbourne, FL

Jerry Reiss' presentation in the court room was amazing to view as our Judge hung on every word he said and our overwhelming victory at trial was mostly due to his performance.

Lee M. Gantz

Business Proprietor (Ft. Lauderdale)

ERISA matter

I completed the most complex imputed income matter of my 40 year career in Family Law in the three states in which I practice. I took this case with less than a month before a scheduled two day trial. I was confident I could be ready for one reason...Jerry Reiss was our expert! Jerry is the most knowledgeable expert I have ever encountered in the field of family law. Aside from his financial, actuarial and numbers expertise in imputed income he has at his fingertips a command of judicial procedure, case law understanding, statutory understanding and a sense of trial strategy second to none. No sooner were we hugely successful with this case than was I thinking of the many other ways I could use his amazing talents in my practice for other matters from family to personal injury to employment cases. I have used the services of very good forensic accountants in the past but never someone with the passion and concern for his client that Jerry displayed in the handling of this matter. His prices were not unreasonable and he was willing to work with the client and above all.....he cared and clearly for him it was never just about the money. The client's thoroughly beaten spouse left the courtroom unable to keep from giving Jerry a derogatory parting remark which to me is the crowning sign of having thoroughly and completely done your job in a case. For any of you who try law suits you know exactly what I mean! If you have a need for an expert for anything from Family to PI to Employment, give Jerry Reiss a call. You won't regret it and neither will your client.

David Hirsch

For Appellate Law

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

I have known Jerry Reiss, a well-recognized actuary and forensic expert witness, for over 15 years. I know him very well and have co-authored with him two articles appearing in the Florida Bar Journal, July 1998 and August 2006. Also, I co-authored with him an article for a national publication, Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Winter Edition 1998. Additionally, I have worked with Jerry on several Briefs and have used him in matrimonial cases as an expert witness. Jerry Reiss has an impressive resume and courtroom talent. He has a unique writing talent and has helped many Florida practitioners in briefing complicated legal issues in our appellate Courts. I unhesitatingly recommend him to you as one of the outstanding Florida family law expert witnesses."

Michael R. Walsh

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Thank you for your assistance in writing the Initial and Reply Briefs in the Richardson case, 900 So.2d. 656 (Fla 2nd DCA, 2005). Your expertise and insight regarding equitable division of retirement benefits proved invaluable.The client prevailed on all issues raised in the Appeal. Your knowledge of the case law and understanding of retirement benefit issues were the reason for this success. As I advised the trial court issues regarding QDROs and proper division of retirement benefits are extremely complex and often beyond the understanding of the attorneys and judges. Your efforts and commitment to this case are the reasons that we succeeded on the appeal. Had I been able to use your expertise at the trial level I am sure an appeal would not have been necessary. I might also add that your collaboration regarding life insurance as security for payment of alimony was

of great value as well.

Once again, thank you for your assistance and best regards.

Thomas D. Casper

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Dear Mr. Reiss:

Thank you for your assistance with my article on the California appeals Court decision in In re Shelstead.

Enclosed is a complimentary copy of the issue in which the article appears.

As you know, we are always looking for interesting story ideas- everything from ground breaking cases that you may be involved in to trends in the profession that you think we should be covering.

Please do not hesitate to write or call me if you have any ideas for future stories or any comments on the work

we have done in the past.

Thank you again.

Sincerely yours,

Susan A. Bocamazo

Associate Editor

For Pension Valuations

LAW OFFICES OF
SUZANNE FANNON SUMMERLIN, P.A.

To Whom It May Concern:

I recently retained Mr. Jerry Reiss, an enrolled actuary, as an expert witness in a divorce case. Although Mr. Reiss had a short amount of time to get up to speed on the case, he provided excellent consultation on issues related to the valuation of a federal pension and the appropriate amount of alimony. Mr. Reiss is a very knowledgeable expert on retirement and pension issues and, especially critical, he is acutely aware of the lawyer's challenges in advocacy. He has an incredible handle on the case law and he can analyze the facts of a divorce case in a clear, concise fashion. I strongly recommend Mr. Reiss to any family law attorney involved in these types of issues.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Fannon Summerlin

Fletcher & Conner
Counselors and Attorneys at Law
Lyman T. Fletcher Jeffrey A, Conner
Board Certified Marital and Family Law Member of the Florida Bar
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Specializing in Marital & Family Law

To Whomever it May Concern:

I am a Family Law practitioner in Jacksonville, Florida. In the course of my practice, I have had the opportunity to work with Jerry Reiss, an Enrolled Actuary. The issue I had was a relatively new issue regarding the Deferred Retirement Option Plan and how it fits into a past Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage which divided a pension. The Final Judgment was entered prior to the enactment

and existence of the

Deferred Retirement Option Program.

Mr. Reiss’ involvement proved to be extremely beneficial. Mr. Reiss was very knowledgeable, as any lawyer, in the area of equitable distribution and retirement plans. I found Mr. Reiss to be very thorough in his preparation and examination of the issue. As there was a large sum of money at stake, the investment in hiring Mr. Reiss was money well spent. I would recommend Mr. Reiss’ services in any case involving valuation and distribution of

retirement assets, particularly if such assets are of significant value.

I appreciate your attention in this matter.

Jeffrey Conner

For QDRO'S

McCarthy, Summers, Bobko,

Wood, Sawyer & Perry, P.A.
Attorneys At Law

Dear Fellow Practitioner:

I have been a civil trial practitioner for the past 27 years, and I have engaged the services of literally hundreds of experts. Of those experts I retained over the years, there are only a handful of experts I would vigorously endorse. Jerry Reiss is a member of than handful of experts who I would vigorously endorse.

Mr. Reiss is the only enrolled actuary in our area, and his expertise in that discipline, together with his litigation support skills, are truly extraordinary.

If you have not already read articles co-authored by Mr. Reiss in the Florida Bar Journal, as well as the Family Law Commentator, I would respectfully suggest that you consider doing so. Mr. Reiss’ articles in the Florida Bar Journal have appeared as far back as February and March, 1995, regarding the drafting of QDROs. I would suggest reviewing the enclosed of articles. It is my considered opinion that the contents of those articles provide compelling evidence of his understanding and capacity to deal with complex analytical issues. I have utilized Mr. Reiss’ services in the past and will continue to do so in the future, and I would respectfully suggest that you review those articles which he co-authored to determine whether or not his expert services would be appropriate for you in your practice.

Yours truly,

Noel Bobko, Esq.

Michael R. Walsh

Attoney and Counselor at Law

To Whom It May Concern:

I have known Jerry for more than five years and can represent to you that he is an excellent pension valuator as well as one who is more adept and skillful in drafting Qualified Domestic Relations Orders as I have ever encountered
I unhesitatingly recommend him to you.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Walsh, Esquire

Miller, Schwartz & Miller, P.A.

Attorney at Law

I have known Jerry Reiss, ASA for several years and am familiar with his work in connection with valuation and division of pension and retirement benefits. He is very knowledgeable and thorough in dealing with a subject matter that is extremely complex and fraught with the potential for professional malpractice. In my opinion, he is more than up to the challenge of almost any problem that might arise in connection with valuation and division of these benefits. Thank You Very Much.

Sincerely,

A Matthew Miller

Law Offices

Marc H. Brawer

To Whom It May Concern:

I have known Jerry Reiss for several years in his capacity as an actuary in regard to pension and valuation benefits,

and the structuring of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders. I can say without hesitation that I do not know anyone who is more knowledgeable than Jerry, in this field. His approach is painstakingly careful, analytical, and he discovers and investigates issues which would not ordinarily occur to the matrimonial practitioner, but which are often of crucial importance. He will also not hesitate to forcefully negotiate with a plan administrator who has made arbitrary or incorrect assumptions concerning the qualification of an order or the interpretation of a plan. I have used no one other than Jerry as an expert in any of my cases involving these matters, since first making his acquaintance.

Sincerely,

Marc H. Brawer, Esquire

FOR ELDER LAW

OFFICES OF DANA BOWIE

Re: Jerry Reiss

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

This Letter will serve to summarize my recent experience with Jerry Reiss.

I retained him as a consultant in an elder law matter involving two clients who resided in nursing homes and were applying for Medicaid. There were numerous issues relating to the type of asset which they held and their Medicaid application.

Jerry demonstrated a high degree of proficiency in analyzing the issues and

assisting in the Medicaid application process, His extensive experience in accounting and financial matters helped enormously in untangling the situation and determining how to proceed.

I highly recommend Jerry for further work in this area.

Dana Bowie

FOR EMPLOYMENT LAW

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

I used Jerry Reiss, an actuary,

not too long ago, and his report and deposition testimony in a sex discrimination in denial of promotion/discharge case was very helpful in enabling me to secure a very good settlement. My female plaintiff was a highly paid individual, and Jerry was able to formulate some original and quite impressive theories which translated into expert testimony. One caveat is we did not get to test his innovative theories in court because the case was settled, but I thought they would fly and I guess the defense did too. Jerry has an impressive resume re cases in which he has testified and credentials.

Jesse Hogg

Coral Gables, FL

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

William A Carew Attorney at Law

Mr. Reiss, a professional actuary, has great command of the pension law and ERISA, as well as federal and state case law that governs these retirement plans and welfare issues. As a result, he is uniquely qualified to provide pension plan valuation testimony and QDRO drafting services to family law attorneys and, accordingly, he is rightfully recognized as a leader throughout the United States in the family law area. But that expertise is by no means limited to family law. I personally employed his services to value the economic loss resulting from wrongful termination of a management employee of a major corporation. I found that valuation and his accompanying analysis to be thorough and persuasive, and the overall product to equal the quality of work that earned him the excellent reputation in the area of family law. I recommend him highly to any attorney that needs help with a pension or welfare plan. This could include a valuation issue, testimony support, ERISA compliance issues, QDRO drafting, or just the valuing of a loss for purposes of litigation. Over the past two years that I have come to know him, I can vouch that he is smart, articulate and, as an additional plus, gets the work done on time. To attorneys that believe that economists best value economic losses in areas of litigation support, I would urge such attorneys consider employing an actuary in the future, such as Mr. Reiss.

I stand ready to discuss Mr. Reiss'

very fine work product at any time.

Sincerely Yours,

Bill Carew

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Werner & Hough Attorneys at Law

Dear Jerry:

The results of the trial, completed yesterday afternoon are: The Defendants were found to have defamed (our client) and committed the tort of willful infliction of mental

and emotional distress upon her.

Damages awarded: $600,000 + interest of 8% from the date of the offensive conduct + court costs. Many thanks. Your testimony was extremely helpful, professional and instrumental in the favorable result. Hope to work with you again in the future.

Sincerely,

Steve Werner

FOR ERISA

Jerry, a consummate expert, knows his actuary subjects from pensions to alimony. What a great writer! As a Florida Attorney I have first hand experience in using Jerry's services in domestic pension and alimony issues, both a the trial court and appellate levels. Jerry is a real professional being so immersed in his work. He is enthusiastic and timely and doesn't back down from challenges. Jerry's fees are reasonable and he is very responsive.

Eugene O'Neill

I’ve known Jerry Reiss since 1983 when he was a top pension actuary and ERISA specialist, and he gave small retirement plans the same expertise, attention and creativity usually reserved for larger plans at a fraction of the cost. When Jerry told me he was expanding his practice into the complex world of dissolution of marriage valuations, he approached it with the intensity and intellect that has made him the go-to expert with a national reputation for excellence. A true fighter, Jerry has the competence and confidence needed to get the best financial results for his clients in the rough-and-tumble world of divorce lawyers and fighting spouses. Truly an expert and champion to have in your corner, Jerry has proven himself again and again, and his work is well respected by judges, juries and litigants alike. Highly recommended.

David Thompson

As a board certified business litigator and marital and family law attorney, I do not hesitate in recommending the services of Jerry Reiss, ASA. His knowledge, thorough preparation and demeanor as an expert witness were instrumental in the successful result reached in a very contested and complicated case. He presented himself as a highly credible, persuasive and authoritative. Without going into the details of the case, some of the issues included administration of a pension plan, labor law, transfer of assets and projection of investment earnings. It is hard to find an expert witness who fits all of the requirements that we as litigators seek.

Mr. Reiss is able to quickly grasp the facts of a matter, research the issues he spots, remain independent, charge reasonably for services, and testify with competence of facts and the law in his area of expertise. If anyone needs further detail on the value of his services, I can be contacted at

(954) 962-2526.

Sincerely,

Michael L. Addicott,

Addicott & Addicott, P.A.,

450 North Park Road, Suite 805

Hollywood, FL

Congratulations On a Job Well Done!

Steven Thompson (of Fort Myers) writes:

I thought you did an excellent job of explaining a complicated area of pension law in a memorandum to be used in a

trial brief on a case in Lee County. The memorandum was well done and displayed an extraordinary knowledge of the nuances of pension law in Florida and its many ambiguous areas. I greatly appreciated your help in explaining the law to the court in that case in a way that made clear to the court the choices it had to make to resolve the dispute. Great job!

Steven Thompson

Board Certified, Family Law

FOR WILLS AND TRUSTS

We engaged Jerry to review the provisions of an unusual trust and to determine the value of a benefiary's claimed but disputed life estate interest. He was very thorough and helpful in assisting us resolve the dispute to our satisfaction.

Anthony Serritella

I recently required an actuary to compute the value of various beneficiaries' interests under a terminating trust, and retained Jerry Reiss to assist with same. There were numerous complicating factors in determining the amount of entitlement for each of the current income beneficiaries. Mr. Reiss clearly outlined the methodology he proposed to use prior to beginning the calculations so that most of the parties would be comfortable with same prior to the majority of the work being undertaken. At the conclusion of the assignment, Mr. Reiss provided us with a well reasoned and thorough analysis of the value of all beneficiaries' interest in the trust. I would gladly use Mr. Reiss again as an actuary in a trust matter.

Christopher Jones

Giles & Robinson, P.A.

401 N. Mills Avenue, Suite A

Orlando, FL 32803

(407) 425-3591 Ext. 403

Facsimile: (407) 841-8171

cgjones@cfl.rr.com

For Alimony

For Appellate Law

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

For Pension Valuations

For QDRO'S

Michael R. Walsh

Miller, Schwartz & Miller, P.A.

Law Offices

Marc H. Brawer

FOR ELDER LAW

FOR EMPLOYMENT LAW

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

Best Lawyers® Recommendation

FOR ERISA

FOR WILLS AND TRUSTS

Stay updated

Stay Connected

This website uses cookies.