Mitchell K. Karpf

Mitchell K. Karpf is a Senior Partner of Young, Berman, Karpf & Karpf, P.A., where he has practiced for more than 35 years. A native of Miami, Florida, Mr. Karpf has devoted his practice to marital and family law, representing clients in complex divorce and family law matters throughout Florida.

Mr. Karpf’s practice focuses on sophisticated and high-net-worth matrimonial matters, including complex equitable distribution, business and professional practice valuations, alimony and support, and enforcement proceedings. A significant part of his practice also involves the negotiation and preparation of complex prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, particularly those involving substantial assets, business interests and sophisticated financial arrangements. In addition to his litigation practice, he has extensive experience as a mediator of complex family law matters.

Mr. Karpf is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education and Board Certified as a Family Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator.

He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). His involvement in the AAML has included service on the Florida Chapter’s Board of Managers and numerous committees. Nationally, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers from 2015 through 2017 and has served in numerous other leadership and educational roles within the Academy.

Mr. Karpf has also held significant national leadership positions in the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. After serving in numerous committee and executive positions, including Secretary, Vice-Chair and Chair-Elect, he served as Chair of the ABA Family Law Section from 2009 to 2010. He also founded the Section’s “Families Matter” initiative. In 2012, the ABA Family Law Section presented Mr. Karpf with its Friend of the Family Award in recognition of his contributions to family law.

Mr. Karpf has received extensive peer recognition throughout his career. He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® continuously since 2006 and Florida Super Lawyers since 2006, and has been recognized as a Top Lawyer by the South Florida Legal Guide for many years. He holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV rating, its highest peer rating for legal ability and ethical standards.

For the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, Mr. Karpf was again recognized in both Family Law and Family Law Mediation and received the distinction of 2027 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” for Family Law Mediation in Miami. The “Lawyer of the Year” recognition is bestowed upon a single lawyer in a particular practice area and geographic region based upon Best Lawyers’ peer-review process.

Mr. Karpf has also made substantial contributions to family law scholarship and continuing legal education. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and has authored and co-authored articles addressing matrimonial law, trial practice, children and divorce, law practice management, and professionalism. His publications have appeared in the American Journal of Family Law, the ABA’s Family Advocate, the National Law Journal, and the Daily Business Review.

A frequent lecturer and moderator, Mr. Karpf has presented programs for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the American Bar Association and other professional organizations on subjects including complex equitable distribution, determination of income, trial advocacy, opening and closing statements, domestic violence issues, valuation and other sophisticated family law topics.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Karpf served in numerous leadership positions in state and local professional organizations, including the Family Law Rules Committee of The Florida Bar, the First Family Law American Inn of Court, and the North Dade Bar Association. He served as President of the First Family Law American Inn of Court after previously serving as Secretary, Treasurer and President-Elect.

Mr. Karpf received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University in 1979 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1984. He is admitted to practice before all Florida state courts, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Karpf has combined courtroom advocacy, mediation, professional leadership, scholarship and decades of experience handling sophisticated matrimonial matters. His practice today continues to concentrate on complex family law disputes, sophisticated marital agreements, and helping clients and fellow attorneys resolve difficult cases through both litigation and mediation.

Mr. Karpf is a Board Certified Marital and Family Law Lawyer by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education, Board Certified as a Family Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as well as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator.  He is the Past Chair of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association.