As you might imagine, our barrier islands looked very different almost 70 years ago when Arthur T. Ratcliffe started a law firm here in 1948 and moved it to its present location in the early 1950’s.
The Don CeSar is the only existing major resort that predates the firm. Most of the homes on the beaches were built in the following decade. The office was located in St. Petersburg Beach then and there were separate towns named Pass-a-Grille, Don CeSar and Belle Vista. After a close vote, consolidation incorporated all of the island as St. Petersburg Beach in 1957.
Residents chose to shorten the name to ‘St. Pete Beach’ in 1994 presumably to distance the beach town from St. Petersburg, which had been nicknamed ‘wrinkle city’ by folks using Citizen’s Band (CB) radio before the advent of mobile phones. Gulf Beaches Elementary was a new school, built across the street from the Catholic Church. Both opened in 1951. F. Richard Hitt, began working with Ratcliffe in 1975 and took over the practice in 1980, when the firm became Ratcliffe & Hitt, Attorneys at Law, PA. While practice areas remain the same as ever, specializing in wills, trusts, estate and trust administration, powers of attorney, living wills, health care directives, and other areas of estate planning, the need for such services continues to grow as more baby boomers approach retirement.
Change continues today as Victoria S. “Vickie” Jones takes over as Principal of Jones & Hitt, Attorneys at Law, PA, the new name of the former Ratcliffe & Hitt, the oldest law firm in continuous practice here. Practicing law for over seven years since earning her B.A. and J.D. degrees at Stetson University, she started with the firm in 2014. Heading the support staff for Jones & Hitt is Joe Withrow. With the firm since 2001, a graduate of St. Petersburg Junior College, Joe works in the firm’s legal services areas. F. Richard Hitt remains active in the firm.
The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce will have an official ribbon cutting for the newly renamed firm on Thursday, January 14, 2016, 5pm at their offices, ½ block northeast of Bank of America in St. Pete Beach, at 433 76th Ave.
Managing Partner Victoria Jones is very active in the Tampa Bay community. She is an active member and Ambassador of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce and its Beaches Referral Team. She is a member of the St. Petersburg Bar including the Young Lawyers Division and Probate & Guardianship Section; SPCA Professional Advisory Council; Suncoast Hospice Professional Partners Council; Suncoast Estate Planning Council; Better Living for Seniors; and the Sunshine City Kiwanis (President 2011-2012).
New Principal Victoria Jones is honored to continue the legacy of the firm, providing excellent legal services to their many loyal clients as they enter their 68th year, and looks forward to expanding the business and helping new clients with their estate planning needs. People’s circumstances and tax laws are constantly changing. If you have not appointed a health care surrogate, do not have a living will, or have not had your estate plan reviewed by a Florida attorney in the last five years, it would be prudent for you to make an appointment soon. A little planning could save your children or loved ones a lot of trouble and perhaps some serious money as well.
For more information, contact Victoria Jones, Jones & Hitt, 433 – 76th Avenue, St. Pete Beach FL 33706 Phone: 727-367-1976, Email: vjones@jonesandhitt.com.
Story by Steve Traiman