Our roots in Sanford go back generations. So does our family’s commitment to the Central Florida community.

Attorney James A. “Jim” Barks was born to Orville and Georgia Barks. Orville came from Herculaneum, Missouri, while Georgia grew up in Columbus, Georgia. Orville and Georgia came to Sanford in the early 1940s, where they began to raise their first child.

During World War II, Orville served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army Medical Corps. During his service overseas, Orville was captured and held as a prisoner of war for 27 months until being liberated.

After returning to the States, Orville and Georgia had three more children. Early on, Georgia was an English teacher in Sanford. Later, Georgia continued as a full-time homemaker, raising all four boys. Orville served as a general practitioner and anesthesiologist at Seminole Memorial Hospital in Sanford for about 30 years.

After graduating from Seminole High School, Jim Barks attended the University of Florida for his undergraduate studies, and continued on at UF for law school. Jim’s son Stuart also grew up in Central Florida, attending Lake Mary High School, then following in his father’s footsteps by attending the University of Florida for his undergraduate and law degrees.

Continuing the Barks family’s legacy, Jim and Stuart work together as attorneys at the Barks Law Firm office in Sanford, providing dedicated legal representation to clients throughout the Central Florida area.