Attorneys

Stephen P. Heuston

Managing Attorney
Heuston Legal PLLC

Stephen P. Heuston was born and raised in Eastern Washington and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. After graduation, Stephen moved to Washington, DC, and worked for the US Senate in various staff positions and then for the US House of Representatives where he was responsible for keeping the Member informed, including the time during the complete re-writing of the 1986 Internal Revenue Code. Stephen then attended George Washington University Law School in the District of Columbia and, after graduation, went to work for the Washington, DC office of a prominent Baltimore, Maryland law firm. There he practiced in the areas of estate and trust tax planning, estate planning, probate, and trusts. Stephen met his wife Denise in Washington, DC, who being a native of Vero Beach, Florida, persuaded him to move to Florida, where they raised their two children.

Stephen limits his practice to the areas of the law which relate to wills, trusts, probate, and estate and trust tax matters. He has a niche practice of representing charitable and non-profit organizations concerning their estate and trust matters throughout the State of Florida and nationwide. Charities oftentimes find themselves involved in complex estate and trust matters and need an advocate and advisor to guide them through the process. They need an advocate when a disgruntled heir is challenging their beneficiary interest. Charitable organizations also need an advisor when they are unsure how to respond to issues in an estate or trust of which the charity is named as a beneficiary. Stephen considers his firm to be a Champion for Charities.

Austin R. Payne

Associate Attorney
Heuston Legal

Beginning his law career as an associate at Heuston Legal, Austin Payne specializes in estate planning, probate, and trust litigation. Before joining the firm, Austin attended the University of Florida for his undergraduate education, where he dual majored in English and Political Science. Austin stayed at the University of Florida for his legal education and obtained a Certificate in Estate Planning when he was awarded his Juris Doctorate in 2018.

At the University of Florida, he developed his passion for college sporting events and continues to enjoy following the Florida Gators sports teams. As a Brevard County native born and raised in Melbourne, Austin Payne has returned to the area to apply his expertise in assisting clients by preparing unique and cost-efficient estate plans. He is skilled at drafting wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, and health care surrogate documents, specifically tailored for each client’s unique family situation. When you have a matter that involves complex issues, Austin has the skill set to analyze those issues and apply practical solutions. Austin daily applies his legal research skills and tenacity to help fight on behalf of clients involved in estate and trust litigation.

He looks forward to building his career at Heuston Legal and securing a Wills, Trusts, and Estates Board Certification from The Florida Bar in the coming years.

James D. Pretorius

Associate Attorney
Heuston Legal PLLC

Before becoming an attorney, James served as a business executive, high school calculus teacher, and young men’s tennis coach in central Florida prior to moving to Melbourne to begin his legal career with Heuston Legal. During law school at the University of Florida, James focused on tax-related coursework, clerked at a local Gainesville Elder Law firm, and served as the President of the Association for Tax Law. James participated in tax law-related events in his role for the Association for Tax Law. He oversaw the student-led UF Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to provide free basic tax preparation services to individual at-risk taxpayers.

James’s passion for helping others fits well with Heuston Legal’s focus on representing charities. James practices daily at helping our clients through the difficulty of a loved one’s passing by advising them on the processes and procedures for administering probate estates and probate-free trusts after a death.

James’ practice also focuses on trust administration and probate litigation and offers clients an empathetic understanding of the non-legal world as a second-career lawyer. He represents his clients with a high degree of compassion, skill, and integrity.

You will likely find James on the tennis court or involved in local community service projects outside the office. He looks forward to building his career at Heuston Legal and securing a Wills, Trusts and Estates Board Certification from The Florida Bar in the coming years. Go Gators!