In her Fiduciary Leader role, Melissa L. Barnhardt coaches and mentors Fiduciary Advisors and provides guidance and account administration to individuals and families who have received funds related to a personal injury action. Melissa is passionate about knowing her clients and assisting them in aligning their future plans from both a personal and financial perspective.

Prior to joining Inspire, she honed her skills in the trust and fiduciary administration space at Wells Fargo and SunTrust (now Truist) serving in a variety of specialist and consultant roles. Melissa also practiced law in the areas of child dependency, adult guardianships, and wealth and disability planning. Melissa was also an adjunct professor at University of Miami School of Law and taught a class on Aging and Special Needs and co-authored a law review article and other papers related to planning and issues impacting those living with special needs.

Melissa holds a B.A., summa cum laude, from University of South Florida; J.D., cum laude, from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (p.k.a. John Marshall Law School); and a LL.M. in Health Law from DePaul University. She is often a speaker for various organizations, including the Florida Bar Elder Law Section.

When she is not working, she loves to volunteer at JAFCO’s Children’s Ability Center in South Florida and is currently Chair of the Board. She also enjoys cooking, spending time with her two dogs, swimming and rooting for the sports teams at LSU where her daughter attends college.