When litigation is consuming your most valuable asset, there is a better way.
In Florida, real estate is almost always the highest-value marital asset. Every month of contested divorce litigation erodes that value through exorbitant attorney’s fees, carrying costs, missed market windows, and the risk of foreclosure while the case drags on.
A Realtor Special Master is the missing link. We are licensed Florida attorneys and active brokers — appointed by the Court to protect the property’s value and your equity. We can be appointed by mutual agreement of the parties or by court order. Don’t wait until there is a problem.
Florida divorce litigation is often the most economically destructive legal proceeding a family can endure — and the asset it destroys most consistently is real property.
The standard process forces two adversarial parties to cooperate on the sale of their most valuable shared asset through a realtor who — by the nature of the relationship — often has a closer tie to one side. Favoritism is not always intentional. But it is almost always present.
One party blocks showings. The other refuses to agree on price. Offers come in and expire. The property sits. Days on market climb. Value drops.
Meanwhile, attorney’s fees accumulate at hundreds of dollars per hour. Carrying costs continue every month. And in the worst cases, the property enters foreclosure while the divorce is still pending — destroying the equity both parties needed.
The Realtor Special Master is the link that fixes it — protecting the asset and the equity from the litigation itself.
Every hearing, motion, and continuance adds to both parties’ legal bills. The property that could have closed months ago is still in litigation.
Mortgage, HOA, insurance, maintenance — these continue throughout litigation. A property tied up for 12–18 months loses real dollars every single month.
When neither party manages the property’s obligations, foreclosure can proceed while the divorce is pending. Equity can be wiped out entirely.
Buyers see days on market. A property that lingers due to party disputes signals distress. Offers come in lower. Or not at all.
We are the Attorney Special Master — the link between the Court’s authority and the real estate market’s reality. We protect the asset and the equity. We can be appointed by mutual agreement or by court order — don’t wait until there is a problem.
Every standard realtor in a divorce must represent both sellers — two adversaries. We represent neither. Our obligation is to the property’s highest value and both parties’ equity.
When parties know their cooperation — or obstruction — is reported directly to the judge, behavior changes. Showings get scheduled. Offers get considered.
Under Florida Family Law Rule 12.570(c)(3), our acts carry the same legal effect as the non-complying party. The Court can authorize us to sign on behalf of a refusing party. If they won’t agree on price — we set it.
We provide Broker Price Opinions and Comparative Market Analyses at no additional cost — giving the Court and both sides an accurate, unbiased picture of value from day one.
Instead of waiting months for a special-set hearing, we schedule monthly Case Management Conferences and drive the sale to closing. No delays. No gaps in oversight.
Once under contract, proceeds are held in escrow with Court approval — protecting both parties’ equity while the divorce finalizes. The house closes and funds are secured.
The Realtor Special Master appointment is designed to reduce your docket burden, not add to it. Once appointed, we take responsibility for moving the property sale forward — updating the Court monthly, flagging non-compliance immediately, and handling transactional details that should never require a special-set hearing.
Today’s family law dockets are increasingly dominated by pro se litigants using AI tools to file multiple motions. Each filing adds delay. Each delay chips away at the value of the parties’ most significant asset — their real estate or business. These filings consume judicial resources while the property sits, carrying costs accumulate, and equity erodes.
The Realtor Special Master removes the property sale from the litigation backlog entirely. We provide a proposed motion and order for your consideration. All final decisions — contract ratification, fund disbursement — remain with the Court.
We also provide Broker Price Opinions and Comparative Market Analyses at no additional cost. We can be appointed by mutual agreement of the parties or by court order.
For the legal authority supporting this appointment, including relevant Florida statutes and rules, click here for our Memorandum of Law →
Now more than ever, you need us. The traditional path to enforcing a property sale order in a contested divorce — filing a special-set hearing, waiting months for that date, arguing the merits, hoping the other side complies — is slow, expensive, and increasingly ineffective.
The Realtor Special Master eliminates that bottleneck. Once appointed, we set monthly Case Management Conferences. We move the sale forward. We report to the Court. You don’t have to wait months for a hearing to find out the property still hasn’t been listed.
We provide BPO & CMA at no additional cost and can be appointed by mutual agreement or court order. Our fee is a percentage of the sale, paid at closing — no upfront retainer required.
What We Have Seen
Realtors who hold themselves out as “divorce realtors” arrive at hearings unprepared — or not at all. They have no familiarity with litigation procedure, no obligation to the Court, and no authority to compel anything. Despite their marketing, they inherently represent one party. When a problem arises, they notify the attorney, who must then file a motion for a special-set hearing. By the time that hearing is scheduled and heard — weeks or months later — the damage is already done. Offers have expired. The market has moved. Equity has eroded.
The Realtor Special Master changes that dynamic entirely. We are officers of the Court. We set the CMCs. We file the reports. We act when parties won’t. And once we file our first status report and set the matter for a CMC, a miracle happens — cooperation. Parties now understand that non-cooperative behavior is no longer hidden until a special-set hearing. It is brought to the judge’s attention on a monthly basis.
You’ve filed your own paperwork. You’ve searched the Florida Courts Self-Help Center. Maybe you’ve asked ChatGPT to help with your pleadings. These are good starting points — but none of them can sell your house.
With the rise of pro se filings across Florida’s family law courts, there is no one with the authority to move the property sale forward. The Court cannot do it. Your spouse won’t. And you can’t force them.
The Realtor Special Master is the solution. We do not represent your spouse. We do not represent you. We represent the highest value of your home and protect your equity — the asset you both need most.
We set hearings. We update the Court. We provide an unbiased written report to the judge. Instead of your home counting days on the market while value drops, we actively list, show, negotiate, and drive to closing. Proceeds are held in escrow protecting your equity while your case finalizes.
When a dissolution judgment orders the sale of marital real property and one party will not cooperate — we step in as the Court’s appointed agent, protecting both parties’ equity.
When co-owners — former partners, siblings, investors — cannot agree on a sale, we serve as Special Master with authority to sell property that cannot be physically divided.
When a Court order for sale is being ignored or obstructed, our appointment provides enforcement that is more effective — and less adversarial — than contempt proceedings.
Cheryl-Dene Spring, Esq. is a Florida attorney, Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, and licensed real estate broker with over 17 years of practice. She began her career as a family law litigator — handling divorces, business disputes, and high-conflict asset cases — before pivoting to real estate, title, and mediation. That litigation background is exactly what the Realtor Special Master role demands.
She created the Realtor Ad Litem and Realtor Special Master practice areas because she saw firsthand how conflict derailed the sale of real property in litigation — and how no existing resource was bridging that gap. Her ability to navigate the sales process, combined with aggressive negotiation skills and deep market knowledge, is critical to reducing attorney fees, costs, and extended litigation for all parties.
Cheryl-Dene is an active business broker and real estate broker. She serves as Adjunct Faculty at Broward College teaching the Florida Real Estate Sales Associate course, and is regularly invited as a speaker on how to sell and value a business.
Michael Vines, Esq. is a licensed Florida attorney and real estate professional with over 26 years of practice in South Florida. He is the founding attorney of The Law Office of Michael R. Vines, P.A., handling Real Estate, Probate, and Estate Planning, and owns a companion title company to service the real property transactional needs of his clients.
Mr. Vines, Esq. began his career in Real Estate and Family Law, and has litigated family, probate, and partition actions throughout his career. He served on the statewide Young Lawyers Board of Directors for the Florida Bar for two consecutive terms, then served on the statewide Florida Family Law Rules Committee — giving him direct insight into the rules governing the proceedings in which Realtor Special Masters are appointed.
Mr. Vines, Esq. was appointed and then elected to two consecutive terms on the Board of Directors for the Broward County Bar Association, where he also chaired the Lawyer Referral Service and the Professionalism Committee.
Our fees are a percentage of the asset, paid at closing. We do not require upfront retainers.
Divorce is already one of the most financially stressful events a family can endure. Parties are already splitting income, managing child support, paying attorney’s fees on both sides, and trying to keep up with the carrying costs of a shared property.
The last thing either party needs is another upfront retainer demand. We understand that. Our fee structure is designed specifically for this situation — we are paid as a percentage of the sale proceeds at closing, just like any real estate professional. There is no money required to get started.
This means we are fully aligned with both parties’ interest in achieving the highest sale price. The more the property sells for, the better the outcome for everyone — including us. No conflict. No upfront stress. Just results.
Our fee is a percentage of the final sale price, disbursed at closing from proceeds. No money out of pocket to begin. No retainer. No hourly billing.
Parties in divorce are already managing attorney’s fees, child support, and split living expenses. We do not add to that financial pressure. We step in immediately, at no upfront cost to either party.
Because we are paid from proceeds at closing, we are fully motivated to achieve the highest possible sale price — protecting both parties’ equity and maximizing what each party walks away with.
Broker Price Opinions and Comparative Market Analyses are provided to the parties and the Court at no additional charge — giving everyone an accurate, unbiased picture of value from day one.
Proudly Serving
Broward County•Palm Beach County•Miami-Dade CountyWhether you’re a judge, attorney, or party with a home tied up in litigation — we’re here. Appointed by mutual agreement or court order. Don’t wait until there is a problem.
