David M. Caveda has been licensed to practice law in Florida since 1992.
He graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa in 1987 and received his law degree from the University of Florida College of Law in 1991.
David’s practice areas include Marital and Family Law, Divorce, Child Custody, Mediation, Military Divorce, and Guardianship.
David has received an AV® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the oldest and most recognized evaluator of attorneys and law firms. A small percentage of lawyers achieve this rating, which is the highest one possible.
David has extensive experience in representing clients in contested family law matters, including mediations, hearings and trials. He is a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and its Family Law Section. David is also a member of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association and its Military Law Committee.
He completed Regular Army Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in 1986 and graduated first in his platoon at the ROTC Advance Camp in Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1987 before being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve in 1990. He graduated the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1994 and continued to serve in the Individual Ready Reserve as a Field Artillery Officer until he was Honorably Discharged in 1999.
On a personal note, David is a life-long resident of Florida and is fluent in Spanish. He was a volunteer assistant coach with the University of Tampa junior varsity baseball team between 2007 and 2009. He is married and resides with his family in the Hyde Park section of South Tampa. He was born in Miami in 1965.
Professional Recognition
Member, Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, 2009
AV-Rated, 5.0 out of 5 (Preeminent). The Highest Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
(According to Martindale-Hubbell: “An AV rating is a significant accomplishment – a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence. A lawyer must be admitted to the bar for 10 years or more to receive an AV rating.”)
Rated 10 (Excellent) on Avvo.com
Bar Admissions
The Florida Bar, 1992
United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, 1993
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 1994
Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, 2000-2006
Professional Affiliations
Member, The Florida Bar (Member, Family Law Section)
Member, Hillsborough County Bar Association (Member, Family Law Section)
Member, American Bar Association (Member, Family Law Section)
Member, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Former Member, Family Law Inn of Tampa, 2000-2005
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida Bachelor of Arts, 1987
Juris Doctor, University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, 1991
Military Background
Field Artillery Officer, United States Army Reserve, 1991-1999
Member, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
Member, Tampa Chapter of MOAA
Publications & Seminars
Co-Author, Modification of Child Support, Florida Proceedings After Dissolution of Marriage, The Florida Bar (9th ed., 2009)
Speaker & Author, Working With Divorce Clients and Opposing Counsel, Half Moon Seminars (2002)
Community Service
Assistant Coach, University of Tampa Junior Varsity Baseball, 2007 – 2009
Former Coach, Bayshore Little League Baseball