C. Debra Welch

C. Debra Welch practices almost exclusively in the area of Marital and Family Law. She is the principal and owner of The Law Firm of C. Debra Welch, P.A., located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She represents clients in all aspects of family law litigation including divorce, alimony, paternity, child support, child custody, time-sharing, relocation, equitable distribution, and business and asset valuation. She is a Certified Financial Litigator as certified by the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators. She is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator. She often works on behalf of children through her work as a private Guardian ad Litem or Attorney ad Litem. In addition, she is trained as a Collaborative Lawyer.

C. Debra Welch has been recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer every year since 2013, an honor given to only 5% of all lawyers in Florida. In 2019, she was the recipient of the Raymond T. McNeal Professionalism Award given by the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar. In 2020, she received The Honorable John L. Phillips Professionalism Award from The Susan Greenberg Family Law American Inn of Court of The Palm Beaches. Between 2017 and 2025 she was also honored by Lawyers of Distinction, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys - 10 Best, The National Advocates Top 100 Lawyers, Legal Elite, and Palm Beach Illustrated Top Lawyers. She is an inaugural member and Past President of The Susan Greenberg Family Law American Inn of Court of The Palm Beaches. She continues to be actively involved in the Family Law American Inn of Court and served as Co-chair of the Mentoring Committee from 2019-2023. She was also a founding member and Co-Vice President of the South Palm Beach County Collaborative Law Group. Since 2015 she has served as a faculty member of the Speaking for Kids – Guardian ad Litem Training Program where she teaches communication skills to other lawyers and mental health professionals desiring to work as a Guardian ad Litem.

She has served as a member of the Executive Council of The Family Law Section of The Florida Bar (FLS) since 2012. Throughout her career, she has chaired numerous FLS committees including the Continuing Legal Education Committee, Publications Committee, Bar Journal Committee for Publications Committee, Children’s Issues Committee, and Rules and Forms Committee. She has also served as an officer or member of the Legislation Committee, Professionalism Committee, Mediation and Collaborative Law Committee, ADR Committee, Finance Committee and Sponsorship Committee. In addition, she has been a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association since 1995, chaired its Continuing Legal Education Committee from 2013- 2014, and 2021 -2022, and served on its Professionalism Committee from 2011-2013 and from 2015-2016.

Prior to becoming an attorney, C. Debra Welch enjoyed a successful career in higher education which focused on direct service counseling, psychotherapy, and college student development. During that time, she presented and guest lectured for numerous organizations and at various colleges and universities. C. Debra Welch last served as the Associate Director for Counseling and Student Development at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Since becoming an attorney, C. Debra Welch continued her work in higher education by serving as an adjunct faculty member at Palm Beach State College (f/k/a Palm Beach Community College) (1999-2010) where she taught Family Law and Business Law in the college’s paralegal program. From 2010 through 2020 she served on the Palm Beach State College Paralegal Program Business Partnership Counsel. C. Debra Welch continues to be a frequent guest lecturer and speaker on various topics relating to family law. In 2023 she was a guest speaker for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Florida Chapter) on Rebutting Rogue Reports/Effective Cross-examination of Parenting Experts, and she served as an expert witness for the Trial Advocacy Program of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar.

C. Debra Welch is a graduate of Stetson University, from which she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. She holds a Master of Education in community counseling from Georgia State University. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from New England School of Law - Boston. C. Debra Welch is a member of the Massachusetts Bar (1992) and the Florida Bar (1993). She is admitted to practice in the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts (1993) and the United States Supreme Court (1998).