James Blount Griffin

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.

• 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.

Alabama

Since 2011

Georgia

Since 2001

Principal

James B. Griffin, LLC

2014 - 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

2011 - 2014

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

2002 - 2011

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

2001 - 2002

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.

Vanderbilt University Law School

J.D. (2001) | Law

1998 - 2001

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

1986 - 1990

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

1980 - 1984

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

Environmental Law Section of State Bar of Georgia

Chairman

2010 - 2011

Activities: Served as officer for four years and then as chairman. Organized annual conference and edited publications.

A Predictive Framework for the Effectiveness of International Criminal Tribunals

34 VAND. J. TRANSNAT’L L. 405 (2001)

2001

"Handling Ethical Issues in Engineering and Surveying Practice", Legal Issues for Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors, Birmingham, AL

May 5, 2015

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

May 5, 2015

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

October 1, 2014

National Business Institute

"Stay On Top of Environmental Considerations", Land Use Law: Current Issues in Subdivision, Annexation, & Zoning, Birmingham, AL

October 1, 2014

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

July 30, 2013

National Business Institute

Explained how zoning law works and how you can get in trouble when requesting or making land-use decisions.

Q. Can I bury my husband's ashes on my land? Hueytown, Al.

April 22, 2024

A: I would add that burial grounds are a special type of land use under Alabama law; cemeteries have their own sections of the Alabama Code. The burial of cremated remains by itself might not create a "cemetery" as defined under Alabama law, but if you if you put up burial markers, fences, etc. on private land, you might be backing into regulation by the state. As Mr. Arrasmith noted, cities, counties, and subdivisions also regulate the burying of human remains. I once represented an outer suburban county, once very rural, which had more than 300 little cemeteries in it, mostly with just a few graves. If you wanted a building permit, you had to delineate the grave sites. Messing with a grave is a big NO-NO. Do your homework! ... Read More

Q. Mom died without a Will. She has a home with a mortgage and a car.

April 12, 2024

A: That vehicle, if titled solely in the name of the decedent, is the estate's property. If you are personal representative, you are responsible to the estate, the court, the creditors, and the heirs to reclaim lost property. When there is no will, your duty to and supervision by the probate court intensifies, and you must play by the rules. Do you have a lawyer? If not, you need one if the estate's property was taken by one of the heirs.

Have you filed inventory? If so, did you report the existence and loss of the vehicle? If not, you need to discuss with your attorney the best way to report the loss, ask for a status conference or hearing, and, if necessary, serve legal process on your sibling to force him or her to show up in court and defend the taking of the vehicle.

Don't just hope this problem goes away by itself. Work with an experienced attorney and get this problem fixed. ... Read More

Q. How long do you have to start settling someone's estate

April 9, 2024

A: A will must be probated within five years in Alabama, or cannot be probated at all; you would then have to open the estate as if there had been no will. Also, if you don't get the estate open and moving, heirs might die and debtors might file for bankruptcy. If the people actually nominated in the will as executors all die, then you are stuck having to bond the administrator as if no executor had been appointed. Probate is slow enough as it is. Get started!

Once you open the estate, creditors have six months to file claims against the estate. All funds should be deposited in a special estate account segregated from all other funds; comingling estate funds with anyone else's money is an absolute no-no. For this reason, you should not distribute much of anything until those six months have passed.

If you are the executor, remember that the estate's priorities are: estate and court costs (including lawyer fees), funeral expenses, secured creditors, and finally, unsecured creditors. The heirs split the net proceeds and get nothing off the top except, in some cases, their reasonable expenses of caring for estate property, e.g., mowing grass, repairing doors and locks, etc.

If you open the estate, distribute cash to needy-sounding heirs, pay off the credit cards without paying the taxes, or sell property and don't pay off the creditors, you could be sued for "breach of fiduciary duty," that is, you misspent other people's money. You cannot even transfer the estate's real estate to the heirs in their respective shares until the six months have gone by; otherwise, a creditor could sue you as executor for taking their property.

Thus, be cautious, patient, and tough. Being an administrator of an estate is not for the weak. ... Read More