On Thursday, January 22, 2026, the Supreme Court of Florida approved an amended conditional guilty plea and consent judgment for discipline concerning attorney Dawn M. Aufenanger. The agreement stipulates a one-year suspension from practicing law, effective 30 days from the order’s date, to allow Aufenanger to manage her practice and safeguard client interests.
The case is entitled “The Florida Bar v. Dawn M. Aufenanger,” with case no. SC2025-1539.
The court order specifies that if Aufenanger notifies the court in writing that she is no longer practicing and does not require the 30 days, the suspension will take effect immediately. Aufenanger must comply with Rules Regulating The Florida Bar 3-5.1(h) and 3-6.1.
This decision follows a petition filed by The Florida Bar on December 29, 2025, requesting the court’s approval of the amended conditional guilty plea for consent judgment. It also mentioned that the Court had rejected a previous Conditional Guilty Plea for Consent Judgment tendered by Aufenanger on November 26, 2025.
As part of the disciplinary measures, Aufenanger is prohibited from accepting new clients or initiating new litigation on behalf of clients from the order’s date. She must also provide a copy of the suspension order to all relevant courts, tribunals, adjudicative agencies where she serves as counsel, all state, federal, and administrative bars of which she is a member, all clients, co-counsel, and opposing counsel, as mandated by Rule 3-5.1(h).
Additionally, Aufenanger is required to furnish the suspension order to all banks and financial institutions where she holds accounts containing client or third-party funds related to her representation. She must comply with any subpoena for trust account records and provide all documents and testimony necessary for a trust account audit by The Florida Bar.
Within 30 days of the order, Aufenanger must cease all legal practice in Florida, stop representing herself as a Florida Bar member or lawyer, and remove any indication of her status from websites, social media, telephone listings, stationery, checks, business cards, office signs, and email addresses. She is also required to withdraw from representing all clients, wind down all pending matters, and cease disbursing funds from any trust account holding client or third-party funds.
Furthermore, Aufenanger is prohibited from transferring ownership of any real or personal property acquired with client or third-party funds. She must provide an affidavit to The Florida Bar’s headquarters in Tallahassee, listing all entities notified of the suspension order, including courts, tribunals, bars, clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel, and financial institutions holding client funds. Aufenanger must also provide an affidavit listing the receipt and location of any fees or other sums received in connection with the practice of law received by the respondent after issuance of this suspension order.
Aufenanger is required to participate in the Fee Arbitration Program with multiple individuals, including Lydia Norris, Marilu Sanchez, Tim Monaco, Mayvelin Riveron, Ambar Villafuerte, Johanne Besselle, and Christine Dittrich, and adhere to the arbitrator’s decisions. She must also pay $1,800 in restitution to Cynthia Martin within 90 days and provide proof of payment to The Florida Bar. She must also pay the full amount of the restitution to The Florida Bar’s Clients’ Security Fund within 90 days of the date of this order. The court has entered a judgment against Aufenanger for $1,250 in costs, which are non-dischargeable in bankruptcy.
According to Avvo.com, Ms. Aufenanger is an intellectual property attorney in Coral Springs, Florida. She attended the St. Thomas University School of Law, graduating in 2002. She acquired her law license in Florida in 2003.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
