Conti Moore Law is the ideal landing spot for longtime family law attorney and former General Magistrate as she enters the next stage of her highly successful career.

Erin Duncan

Erin Duncan has always been a true believer in the idea that any kind of growth requires change.

From her childhood as a military brat and her unusual journey to a college degree to her successful career spanning various areas of the law, her own life has borne that out. Perhaps that is why she is so excited about shifting gears once again and joining Conti Moore Law, a prestigious Orlando firm where she serves as a senior attorney and gets to continue following her passion for family law.

“This is my 21st year in family law, and what I enjoy about it is educating and empowering people to make their own decisions,” she says. “My favorite part is giving them enough information that they can come to agreements or resolutions, or even if it’s litigation, helping them put their ideas and thoughts together themselves to present to the court for the best outcome.”

While Duncan has set down roots in Central Florida since 2003, she moved all over the country as a child since her father was in the Air Force, so adapting to new environments is something that comes naturally to her. Her dad worked in the JAG (Judge Advocate General) office and encouraged Duncan and her three siblings not to pursue the law but to focus on business instead, and at first she heeded that advice. She earned credits at various colleges but accepted a sales job before graduating, and thrived in that position for years.

Eventually, however, the law called to her, and 17 years after receiving her high school diploma, she completed her degree at the University of Central Florida and went on to law school. While working for Diana M. Tennis—currently a Ninth Circuit Judge—Duncan homed in on family law.

“I will forever be grateful for her,” she says of her mentor. “She’s the smartest woman I’ve ever met, and I just watched what she did. She practiced family law, criminal law and dependency, and I ended up liking family law and stayed on that track. At the end of the day, it’s all about families for me.”

Duncan worked in private practice for many years before being appointed General Magistrate for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Osceola and Orange counties in 2019. Calling it “a wonderful job,” she helped take the workload off busy judges’ schedules by listening to testimony and making recommendations on evidentiary matters, and she especially liked working with pro se clients who did not have representation.

After four years in the role, Duncan was drawn back to private practice by the opportunity to mentor the next generation of family lawyers.

“As General Magistrate, I recognized that a lot of the lawyers who came before me needed assistance—sometimes more than their clients,” she says. “So I talked with my family about leaving that position and going back into private practice as a senior attorney with the hope of giving assistance to younger attorneys and educating the community.”

She met Conti Moore, who founded her practice in 2012, at a conference and immediately hit it off with her.

“Conti is an extremely energetic and passionate person,” Duncan says. “She’s a very good businessperson who has a computer science background and has kept up with the times by implementing technology, automation, software and AI. I was intrigued by everything she was doing.”

Duncan, who is certified to mediate family, civil, county and appellate cases, also co-founded her own mediation company that is geared toward pro se clients. Moore offered her a chance to operate Best Family Mediators in conjunction with her position as senior attorney.

As senior attorney, Duncan does not represent her own clients but instead oversees three teams and consults the lead attorneys on their caseloads. She is able to offer her unique insight into the court system from her years as a magistrate.

“If the attorney needs assistance, comes across a unique legal issue, wants to strategize on the best way to approach a situation, wants to talk about something they’ve never seen before, or just needs some mentorship or training, that’s my role,” she says. “I get to talk to them about the possible outcomes based on what judge they’re in front of or who the opposing counsel is.”

In the brief time she has been with the firm, Duncan has enjoyed sharing her knowledge with the team while also learning from Moore and other lawyers.

“The senior attorney role has really been an eye-opening experience,” she says. “Attorneys generally tend not to share with one another. Somebody may be your ally one day because you share a common interest in the law, but they may be your adversary the next because you have a case against them. Generally, I think we’re closed-off people, but I have found the opposite to be true in Conti’s firm. These are extremely open people who are interested in learning. One of Conti’s favorite expressions is, ‘Feedback is a gift,’ so we openly share in all areas. We meet daily to talk about issues and what can be improved, and I really like that.”

Conti Moore Law
Orlando
(407) 831-0203
ContiMooreLaw.com