Four generations of the same family have practiced law under one roof at McManus & McManus since the firm’s founding in 1953 by Fred McManus, making it one of the longest-running estate planning practices in the Tampa Bay area. The great-granddaughter of the founder, Danielle McManus Noble, now serves as an associate attorney alongside R. Bruce McManus and Mary McManus Taylor, continuing a 70-year tradition of keeping estate planning work within the family.
The firm operates out of Largo, Florida, with a primary focus on Pinellas County and the broader Tampa Bay region. Its practice centers on estate planning, asset protection, and real estate, with a public education component that sets it apart from firms that operate exclusively by private appointment.
www.mcmanusestateplanning.com/
79 Overbrook Blvd., Ste 2, Largo, FL 33770
Phone: (727) 584-2128
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
The core of the firm’s work involves drafting documents that accurately capture what clients actually intend to happen to their assets. This includes Last Wills and Testaments, Revocable Living Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills. A stated emphasis of the firm is ensuring that the documents clients sign will accomplish their real intentions, not just satisfy a technical legal form. Document preparation is paired with attention to asset titling, since improperly titled assets can bypass trust provisions and defeat the entire purpose of a carefully drafted plan.
Asset Protection
Beyond planning for death or incapacity, the firm addresses the risk that beneficiaries may lose their inheritance to creditors, divorces, or legal judgments after assets transfer. Protective strategies employed include homestead protections, life insurance structures, retirement accounts, annuities, and corporate structures such as LLCs, corporations, and limited partnerships. These tools can be used to hold and protect inherited assets so that the intended benefit actually reaches the intended recipient.
Settlements and Asset Titling
A recurring problem in estate administration is assets that do not transfer as intended because they were titled incorrectly relative to the trust or will. The firm addresses this issue proactively by reviewing how assets are held and making corrections before the client dies, rather than leaving the problem for heirs to discover.
Real Estate
The firm handles legal services for real estate transactions. Specific details about the scope of its real estate practice are not publicly elaborated on the firm’s website, but it is listed as an active service area alongside the estate planning work.
Public Workshops
McManus & McManus runs free workshops for both prospective clients and the general public on estate planning and asset protection topics. These educational events are available to anyone in the Tampa Bay area and serve as a way for individuals to learn about their options before deciding whether to engage an attorney.
Attorney Profiles
R. Bruce McManus
R. Bruce McManus holds an MBA and a JD and brings approximately 60 years of experience to the firm. His practice covers estate planning, business law, elder law, and real estate. He represents the third generation of McManus family attorneys practicing under the firm name.
Mary McManus Taylor
Mary McManus Taylor holds a JD and practices alongside R. Bruce McManus. Specific details about her credentials beyond her law degree are not publicly documented.
Danielle McManus Noble
Danielle McManus Noble graduated Cum Laude from Stetson University College of Law in 2015 and holds an undergraduate degree Magna Cum Laude from Florida State University. She earned a Certificate of Concentration in Elder Law and is a member of the Florida Bar’s Elder Law, Real Property, Probate Law, and Tax Law sections. She received the Dean Richard Dillon Excellence in Real Property Award from Stetson. Beyond her legal work, she serves as a board member of the Central Park Performing Arts Foundation and holds memberships in the Bluffs Business Association and the Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce.
Location and Service Area
The firm’s office is located in Largo, Florida, at 79 Overbrook Blvd., Suite 2. Largo sits in Pinellas County in the Tampa Bay area, and the firm’s primary client base draws from this region. The firm focuses on Florida residents whose estate planning needs are governed by Florida law.
Client Focus
McManus & McManus serves individuals and families in Pinellas County and the broader Tampa Bay area who are planning for the transfer of their estates, protecting assets for beneficiaries, or working through real estate matters. The firm offers free public workshops as an entry point for people who want to understand estate planning concepts before committing to a paid engagement.
Specific consultation fees are not listed publicly. Languages spoken at the firm beyond English are not publicly disclosed. The firm has operated continuously since 1953, which means its current team has been serving clients through multiple generations of Florida estate law changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has this firm operated under the same family name since 1953?
McManus & McManus was founded by Fred McManus, and four generations of his family have continued practicing under the firm name. The current team includes R. Bruce McManus (third generation), Mary McManus Taylor, and Danielle McManus Noble, who is Fred McManus’s great-granddaughter.
What are the free public workshops, and who can attend?
The firm conducts free educational workshops on estate planning and asset protection topics for both current clients and the general public in the Tampa Bay area. These are not sales presentations with an enrollment requirement; they are open to anyone who wants to learn more about how estate planning works.
Why does asset titling matter for a trust or will?
An estate plan’s documents can be technically valid but still fail to transfer assets as intended if those assets are titled outside the plan’s structure. McManus & McManus addresses this by reviewing and correcting asset titling as part of the planning process, not leaving it to be discovered by heirs later.
What is Danielle McManus Noble’s specialization?
She holds a Certificate of Concentration in Elder Law from Stetson University College of Law and is a member of four Florida Bar sections: Elder Law, Real Property, Probate Law, and Tax Law. Her academic distinction includes the Dean Richard Dillon Excellence in Real Property Award.
About the Firm
Seven decades in Largo, Florida, under the same family name does not happen by accident. What McManus & McManus has maintained across four generations is a practice that treats estate planning as a precision exercise, not a document assembly service. Clients who come for a will frequently discover they also need to look at how their assets are titled, how their beneficiaries will be protected, and what happens if they become incapacitated before they die. The firm’s free public workshops reflect the same orientation: people make better decisions about their estates when they actually understand what is at stake. The phone number for reaching the firm directly is (727) 584-2128.