Free Consultation: (256) 542-1955Tap to Call This Lawyer
James Blount Griffin
Estate Planning, Probate, Trusts, Real Estate
Badges
Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&A
Biography
We help you find the peace of mind that comes from taking care of your family and property. You want to protect your assets and save them for those you love. Almost every adult needs an estate plan: will, powers of attorney, and, sometimes, a trust. When someone dies, a close relative usually needs to open an estate in order to settle the deceased's affairs and make distributions to the heirs. Please call me if I might help you, and if I cannot, I'll try to find someone who can.
Practice Areas
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
- Gov & Administrative Law
- Administrative Law, Election Law, Government Contracts, Government Finance, Legislative & Government Affairs
Fees
-
Free Consultation
I can usually discern during the initial telephone call if I can help you. If I can help you, we will meet to discuss your problem and goals. - Credit Cards Accepted
-
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
Because every situation is different, standardizing fees is very hard unless it is a high-volume practice (e.g., title searches). Just as you would not select a surgeon based upon price alone, your search for a lawyer involves asking good questions. For instance: 1. What cases or matters have you handled that are similar to mine, what did you decide to do, and what were the results? The answer to this question should tell you if you were in the right lawyer’s office. 2. May I contact some of your clients or former clients? The answer to this question will tell you whether his clients love, like, or dislike him. 3. What is your preferred way to keep in touch with me, and how fast could you or a member of your staff get back to me? Poor communication is the most common complaint by clients of the legal profession. Feel free to call and ask me these questions.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Alabama
- Georgia
Languages
- English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
- Principal
- James B. Griffin, LLC
- - Current
- Help clients find the peace of mind that comes from taking care of family and property through estate planning, healthcare planning, elder law, probate law, real estate law, property law, and business succession planning. Focus directly on the clients and do not worry about the billable hours.
- Associate
- Bishop Colvin Johnson & Kent, LLC
- -
- Represented cities, school boards, and state agencies in land use, land acquisition, code enforcement, zoning, employment, annexation, civil rights, constitutional, and intergovernmental relations matters. Litigated appellate matters and land-use matters. Advised public officials on privacy, open records, employment, civil rights, statutory, and constitutional issues.
- Associate
- Law Offices of Wm. Thomas Craig
- -
- Represented county commission, development authority, and sheriff in fast-growing Atlanta metro area; litigated land-use, environmental, civil rights, and zoning matters. Acquired dozens of parcels of property for roads, public facilities, and water reservoirs. Advised elected officials on wide variety of legal matters.
- Associate
- Morris Manning & Martin, LLP
- -
- Practiced in real estate group of large Atlanta firm working on large commercial developments, land sales, leases, and timber leases. Assisted with defense in litigation of a Fortune 500 company facing shareholder suits.
Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School
- J.D. (2001) | Law
- -
- Honors: Associate Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law Phi Delta Phi
- Activities: St. Thomas More Society, Federalist Society
- University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
- M.A. (1990) | History
- -
- Studied European and American history; wrote thesis on religion and constitutional development during the Revolutionary and Republican periods.
- Honors: Colonial Dames Essay Award
- Activities: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant
- Gordon College
- B.A. (1984) | Economics & History
- -
- Wrote economics thesis on the impact of land-use regulations on housing markets (which became one of my practice areas in law) and a history thesis on John F. Kennedy's effectiveness as chief executive.
- Honors: Honor Society in Economics
- Activities: Student Union President
Professional Associations
- Environmental Law Section of State Bar of Georgia
- Chairman
- -
- Activities: Served as officer for four years and then as chairman. Organized annual conference and edited publications.
Publications
Articles & Publications
- A Predictive Framework for the Effectiveness of International Criminal Tribunals
- 34 VAND. J. TRANSNAT’L L. 405 (2001)
Speaking Engagements
- "Handling Ethical Issues in Engineering and Surveying Practice", Legal Issues for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors, Birmingham, AL
- HalfMoon Education, Inc.
- Discussed the ethics code for engineers and its practical applications.
- "Land Use Law", Legal Issues for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors, Birmingham, AL
- HalfMoon Education, Inc.
- Explained how zoning law works and how you can get in trouble when requesting or making land-use decisions.
- "Take a Comprehensive Look at Land Use Law", Land Use Law: Current Issues in Subdivision, Annexation, & Zoning, Birmingham, AL
- National Business Institute
- "Stay On Top of Environmental Considerations", Land Use Law: Current Issues in Subdivision, Annexation, & Zoning, Birmingham, AL
- National Business Institute
- Explained how zoning law works and how you can get in trouble when requesting or making land-use decisions.
- "Zoning Concerns and Planning Issues", Legal Issues Involving Local Governments, Birmingham, AL
- National Business Institute
- Explained how zoning law works and how you can get in trouble when requesting or making land-use decisions.
Websites & Blogs
- Website
- James B. Griffin, LLC Main Site
Legal Answers
9 Questions Answered
- Q. How should I deal with the people that call looking for the person in charge of my wife's Estate.. She had no will.
- A: This question opens other questions. The first people to call the survivors after someone dies are often credit cards servicers, who are actually the last priority for an estate administrator to pay. The highest priorities are court costs, taxes, funeral expenses, legal fees, and then secured creditors and finally unsecured creditors. If she has no property in her name alone, there might not be good reason to open an estate in her name. Call me if you need to.
- Q. Neighbor installed new over flow pipe from his man made pond to go straight onto my land and it has cause lots of damage
- A: Such overflows are complicated because they involve both a "trespass" and a "nuisance." Sometimes they also violate a federal law or regulation. Trespass once was the more important tort; it is a major part of Anglo-American law (and the Lord's Prayer). It is the physical violation of the overflow. You will need an excellent expert witness re: causation and damages. Nuisance is a big part of American law today; it is based on how much trouble and destruction of value the overflow causes. It is easier to prove that there is a nuisance, and you can sometimes prove damages by showing the devaluation of your property since the nuisance began. Give me a call. I might ... Read More
- Q. Mom passed, only one heir, resided in ˢᵀ.Martin Parish, owns home in Mont., AL, she passed in Htx, how to obtain probate
- A: I am not licensed in LA, so I cannot address the vehicle with any authority, though some states, such as Alabama, allow the transfer of a vehicle without the formal opening of an estate.
To lawfully transfer the Montgomery, AL real property, you would have to open an estate in the probate court of Montgomery County, AL. Unless there is a valid will, however, the administrator of her estate would have to be a resident of Alabama. Do you have any reliable and responsible relatives in Alabama willing to be her estate's administrator?
If not, I could probably do it, though I advise my clients that blood kin is generally preferable. Nonetheless, I have served as a court-appointed estate ... Read More
Social Media
Contact & Map
There are no recently viewed profiles.
There are no saved profiles.
There are no profiles to compare.