Firm Overview

Caleb Payne is a native Floridian who was introduced into the business of construction and renovations in the mid 90’s. In his early teens, Caleb worked for his uncle, Howard Chezar, a fine home builder and general contractor based in New York City and the Berkshires. During the summers, Caleb commuted from Bayside, Queens to Manhattan, and elsewhere, working on renovation and construction projects. During undergraduate study at Florida State, Caleb worked for Anderson Construction, building seawalls in the St. Marks area. In 2012, during law school, Caleb began an internship at Cohen Law Group (then Cohen Battisti) and became a full time attorney for the firm in 2014, focusing on first party disputes. He has successfully resolved several hundred property damage claims, and recovered tens of millions of dollars for his clients, before starting his own firm, Payne Law, PLLC, in 2019.

Nicole Payne is an Orlando native with strong ties to Central Florida. Nicole joins Payne Law’s team of First Party attorneys, while bringing an added — and much-needed [within the community] — specialization to the firm: First Party Property Dispute representation.

Nicole, who has been practicing law in Orlando and its surrounding regions since 2014, serves clients whose legal needs include homeowner insurance claims, business formation, contract drafting, and personal injury.

While running her own law firm, Nicole built a practice providing client-focused, personalized service with a high success rate involving complex legal issues. She began practicing law with the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida as a private registry attorney for dependency cases, termination of parental rights trials, and juvenile delinquency. She was also the judicial assistant to Honorable Linda D. Schoonover, Circuit Judge in Seminole County. Nicole also interned in the Orange County Office of the Public Defender, as well as other law firms. Nicole earned her juris doctor from Florida A&M University College of Law in 2013, and her bachelor of arts in business management and entrepreneurship from the University of Central Florida in 2010. She resides in Orlando with her husband Caleb and son Ari.

Why Don’t We Start Out With An Introduction On Yourselves And The Firm And Tell The Readers About Your Experience In Working On Your Client’s Behalf When They’re Facing First-Party Insurance Disputes Or Claims In Florida?

Caleb Payne: I was introduced to this area of law in 2011, while I was in law school, interning for a firm called Cohen Battisti. I started working full-time as an attorney doing first-party disputes in 2014. I’ve almost exclusively worked in this area since 2014, with most of my cases being assignment of benefits cases. That means that I represented contractors and vendors on behalf of homeowners, suing insurance companies for property losses. The law changed in 2018, and now today, in almost 100% of our cases, we represent property owners directly against insurance carriers for breach of contract actions. We handle everything from fires, water losses, wind, hail, lightning, animal infestations; you name it, if it involves property damage, we litigate it.

Nicole Payne: Caleb and I have known each other for a long time, and I was always very interested in the area of law that he was practicing. From time to time, I had referred him cases and worked alongside him to understand the process of how they can be legally rectified when they’re in situations where their carrier has underpaid or denied their claim. So I was working alongside him and learned a lot from him, but it wasn’t until 2019 when we joined forces, and I have handled these cases ever since.

Our Approach

Payne Law, PLLC is dedicated to understanding what results you want and to helping you understand what actions we can take on your behalf. We will work with you every step of the way to make sure that you understand the choices you are making and feel empowered to make them.

Why us?

Florida consumers are protected by Florida Statute 627.428, which ensures that if a judgment is obtained against a carrier on a property dispute, the carrier must pay for the Insured’s attorney’s fees. That means if we take your property damage case and file suit, you pay nothing upfront, we don’t get paid until you do, and the attorney fee is separate from your award.

Legacy of Success

We use our experience to help you down a path to the results you need. Check out our success stories, and then schedule your phone consultation today.