Chad Van Horn

Founding Partner Attorney, Van Horn Law Group, P.A.

Chad Van Horn, Esq. is a South Florida business leader and founding partner attorney of Van Horn Law Group, P.A. The firm is among the top five largest bankruptcy firms in Florida, and the top-ranked firm in Broward County based on the number of cases filed in the last 12 months (Pacer.gov). Van Horn Law Group also ranked among Inc. magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing, privately held companies in 2019 and 2020.

The firm’s success rests on its staff’s legal expertise and client-oriented mission: to restore peace of mind to individuals in financial distress by providing first-rate, affordable legal services with compassion, understanding, and respect. This philosophy filters down into all practice areas, including personal and corporate bankruptcy, student loan consolidation and litigation, estate planning/asset protection, LGBTQ+ estate planning/asset protection, foreclosure defense, corporate representation, debt consolidation, civil litigation, debt relief and consumer law. Van Horn also is well known for his proficiency in business and real estate transactions, commercial and real estate litigation, loan modifications, and landlord-tenant disputes.

“I believe the overall improvement of our community starts with giving our citizens – people who make up the foundation of our community – equal access to the legal system,” he said. “This serves as a stepping stone for their future accomplishment, opens doors to success, and strengthens the fabric of our society.”

In support of this view, Van Horn wrote and published Everything You Need to Know About Bankruptcy in Florida, a roadmap to bankruptcy outlining options available to those deep in debt. The book is free and available by visiting Van Horn Law Group, P.A.’s Website. He also published a second book titled The Debt Life, a collection of true stories that illustrate tactics to lift the burden of debt and the spirit-crushing stress it causes. The Debt Life is available here.

Helping people, especially those facing hardship, is a way of life for Van Horn that extends far beyond his law practice into all of his community and civic efforts. He applies his resources and network to helping others through a combination of spirited entrepreneurship, dedicated philanthropy, and legal expertise.

He also serves on the board of directors for Legal Aid Service of Broward County, and is an avid supporter of pro bono work for underserved communities. The firm has handled 190 cases for the elderly, veterans, minorities and all people in dire financial circumstances across the state translating to a contribution of services valued at $300,000.

Van Horn’s support of pro bono legal work extends to the next generation of attorneys. He and his firm partnered with Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law to enhance NSU’s Pro Bono Honor Program by providing $50,000 in support over a five-year period. The Van Horn Law Group Pro Bono Honor Program at NSU Laqw will ramp up the law student experience, maximize opportunities for students to provide pro bono services in the community, and increase the number of overall pro bono hours provided. Van Horn believes that students who participate in public interest law while in law school will develop a lifelong commitment to to pro bono work.

Van Horn also gives generously to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County, currently serving as immediate past board chair and having been on the board since 2013, sponsoring and participating in the organization’s events, and as a Big Brother mentor to Desmond since 2012.

Plus, he joins many of the nation’s preeminent lawyers in the fields of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights law as a board member of the American Board of Certification. The non-profit organization, committed to providing progressive and responsible leadership in the field of legal specialization, provides certification programs sponsored by the by American Bankruptcy Institute and Commercial Law League of America.

Van Horn has been recognized for his efforts by multiple organizations. In 2022, Van Horn’s company received Florida Trend’s Best Places to Work For Award, and Van Horn received the Spirit of Justice Award from Legal Aid Service of Broward. In 2021, his firm was named Law Firm of the Year by Legal Aid Service, and Van Horn was named a Florida Legal Awards On the Rise honoree by the Daily Business Review. In 2020, he received The Russell E. Carlisle Advocacy Award from Legal Aid Service of Broward County, the Up & Comer Award from South Florida Business & Wealth, the National Philanthropy Day Individual Hero Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the Legacy Builder Award from Legacy Lives Here, Inc. In 2018, he received the prestigious 40 Under 40 award by the South Florida Business Journal and was selected for Leadership Broward Class XXXVII. In 2017, he was named Florida Big of the Year out of 15,000 mentors statewide and 2017Attorney of the Year by Legal Aid Service of Broward County.

Van Horn’s journey to success began as a business major at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Business Management, focusing on Entrepreneurship and International Business in 2005, including a semester abroad at the American University of Rome in Rome, Italy. In 2005, Van Horn moved to South Florida and started working as a bankruptcy law clerk while attending law school at night. He earned his Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad Law School in 2009.

A Fort Lauderdale resident, Van Horn was admitted to the Florida State Bar in 2009 and the United States Supreme Court in 2014. He is a certified expert in both consumer and business bankruptcy by the Association of Boards of Certification and has appeared in more than 4,000 bankruptcy matters.

Van Horn Law Group, P.A., is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale with satellite offices in Doral, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Miramar, Orlando and West Palm Beach. For more information, call (954) 637-0000 or visit Van Horn Law Group, P.A.