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15 May, 2019 by Lindsay
Shaun agreed to meet with me last minute in an emergency situation involving a multi- jurisdictional move-away case. He represented me in obtaining a restraining order against my estranged husband protecting me and my 3 children. This was an extremely difficult time for me & Shaun kept reassuring me that everything would be okay. He confidently took on my case knowing that it was a complicated situation and worked tirelessly knowing that time was not on our side. Shaun left no stone unturned when handling my case. He is professional, passionate and detailed. Most importantly Shaun believed in me. I can’t thank him enough & will be forever grateful for him.
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08 May, 2019 by Melanie
Shaun represented me in my divorce. He was extremely precise, polite, knowledgeable and understanding during this difficult time of my life. Shaun was dedicated to providing me with the most options in my case. Shaun was also passionate and hard working - which resulted in a positive settlement for me. I could not have asked for a better person and attorney to fight for me and guide my case. I am so grateful I had Shaun as my attorney!
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25 May, 2018 by Anonymous
During the last five years, I have been in a custody battle with my ex-husband. My ex was pretty much an absentee father for the first seven years of our child's life, and only came back into her life when she got Leukemia. During this time, my ex decided to get re-married to someone he met after returning to Sacramento. My child was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by my ex and his new wife. My ex-husband left the military (approximately two years after re-entering our daughter’s life), and decided to take me to court to get his child support lowered and attempt to obtain custody of our daughter. During this time, he lied and attempted to hide the fact he had a severance pay equal to his yearly salary, and was receiving unemployment at the same time. My ex spent the money on home improvements and furniture for him, his wife, and stepchild, instead of saving the money to pay his monthly child support. Because my ex-husband was in the military, and had never been in trouble with the law, owned a home, and had a new spouse at home, he looked like a great guy on paper. Meanwhile, I am a single mother who was living in an apartment at the time, working full time, and earning my degree, so my ex thought he would look like a better caregiver for our daughter. My ex hired an attorney with over 35 years of Family court experience, with a specialty in fighting for a father’s parental rights, and I was Mr. Culbreath’s first Family Law case. Thanks to Mr. Culbreath's legal ingenuity, my ex was not able to hide his income and assets, and was ordered to pay a higher amount of child support than he did before he left the military. Mr. Culbreath was by my side through every attempt my ex-husband tried to get out of his finanacial and parental obligations to my daughter. Mr. Culbreath also obtained an order banning the stepmother from interfering with my daughter’s medical, educational, and religious needs, effectively making my ex take more responsibility for our daughter. Shaun also obtained a stipulation stating my-ex and his wife are not allowed to physically, mentally, or emotionally, degrade or abuse my daughter any longer. To make an already long story, short; my ex-husband went through two more experienced Family Law Attorneys’, and Mr. Culbreath chewed them up and spit them out (figuratively), in court. Mr. Culbreath could combat every argument the opposition threw at him. Mr. Culbreath uses common sense, empathy, legal expertise, and digs into the details of a case before appearing in front of the Judge. Mr. Culbreath always informed the likely hood of success of any argument I wanted to make, and took the time to educate me on the nuances of the law. There was nothing my ex-husband could bring up that Shaun hadn’t already thought of a legal argument for. Mr. Culbreath is a Legal Assassin, and because of his ability to argue the detrimental flaws of my ex’s parenting, I now have 100% physical custody of my daughter. I also hired Mr. Culbreath to handle my Grandmothers estate after her passing, and he made this a painless process as well. Mr. Culbreath is a great attorney whether he is presenting in court, or handling in-office cases. Shaun Culbreath is the only Attorney I trust to handle my legal needs, and recommend him to anyone who has a need of Legal help.
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21 Feb, 2019 by Mike
I am a former Reclamation District Trustee. I always found Alan to be well organized and knowledgeable of Reclamation District matters. The Reclamation District meetings were always conducted very professionally. Alan always stayed current with new legislation and water code topics. Alan always challenged the State if he did not agree with their accounting methods. I would accredit the financial soundness of the Reclamation District to Alan's firm control and logical spending practices. Multimillion dollar construction projects were successfully administered and managed by Alan. Securing State funding and managing that money was Alan's responsibility and he always provided sound guidance to the Trustees. Without hesitation I would recommend Alan.
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19 Feb, 2019 by John
As the reclamation district manager, I work closely with Alan Coon, our reclamation district lawyer. He is highly knowledgeable about a wide range of issues. He has been an enormous asset to our work for many years. We recently undertook a large and complex levee project. His hard work, knowledge of the issues, perseverance, and professional expertise were essential to its completion. Over the years, I have also consulted with him on personal issues, and found him to be knowledgeable, resourceful, and effective. He is an asset to our district and his profession.
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18 Feb, 2019 by Skip
Alan represents a Reclamation dist which i am a board member of. He does an excellent job> i also have retained him for a few personnel matters and he has been very responsive and professional.
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15 Jul, 2015 by Anonymous
I have been a paralegal my entire life and embarrassed to say that I found myself in a horrible civil litigation matter. I purchased a home in December 2012 only to find leaks, mold, and dry rot the day I moved in. Even though I hired a home inspector and obtained pest and roof inspections, they all failed me and the seller lied and didn't disclose the massive mold and dry rot issues and standing water under the home. It was a nightmare and I had to move out of 1/3 of my home and seal it off due to hazardous contamination. The seller later filed bankruptcy. I first hired a Lodi attorney who essentially did nothing but bill us $10,000 in a 6 month period. I then went to Art Small in Stockton, who took my case on contingency. If it weren't for him trusting in me and our case, I would have been screwed and lost everything. The case was complicated because of the bankruptcy, but Art fought on my behalf in both BK and civil court and ultimately I received far more than I ever would have expected. I won't be rich but can now finally make all repairs and then some. Art went above and beyond and put up with my constant questioning. I now consider him a personal friend. He is hard working, honest, and fair...something hard to find these days especially in an attorney. I've worked with many, but Art is as good as they come. He really knows his stuff, especially in debt collection and litigation, and how to play the game. The Lodi attorney basically told me I had no case but took my money anyway. Art worked diligently for 2.5 years because he believed I was wronged and that meant everything. Fortunately, it finally paid off for both of us. I highly, highly recommend him!!
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28 Feb, 2013 by Anonymous
Mr. Small successfully defended me in a land use lawsuit. His professionalism and attention to detail created a positive environment to conduct business. I was promptly informed about each step in the case and Mr. Small excelled at clearing communicating the steps he would use to defend the case. A legal win is always sweeter when handled with the ease demonstrated by an attorney such as Mr. Small.
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16 Jul, 2009 by Anonymous
Mr. Small assisted me in a elgal matter involving a building contractor. Due to his professionalism and knowledge of the law, the case was resolved in my favor expeditiously and professionally.
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04 Nov, 2015 by Anonymous
Noah Schwinghamer represented me in a personal injury case. I am very happy with the service. Very informative and always kept me informed on what was going on. I was pleased with the outcome and would use them again, if ever needed. Highly recommended.
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25 Jun, 2015 by James
I was Mr. Schwinghamer's client an he did an excellent job helping me with my case. I could tell that he truly cared about me and my family. I recommend him to anyone.
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29 Mar, 2015 by Anonymous
Mr. Schwinghamer helped me with a legal matter and I found him to be smart, effective, and honest - exactly the three things that you want in a lawyer.
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16 Apr, 2013 by Scott
I hired Ms. Burrise to fight an un just traffic citation, and she took it to trial and won, I would definatly hire her again
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07 May, 2024 by George h
Would not recommend
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28 Nov, 2023 by Lisa demaderios
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09 Nov, 2023 by Wendi sherman
Have met with him twice. I like being kept in the loop.
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03 Sep, 2024 by Carlos montes
Lo peor que puede haber en abogados junto con sus staff, parece que te hacen el trabajo de gratis que se molestan cuando les llamas y al final te roban el dinero y desaparecen.
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28 Aug, 2024 by Cristal gomez
This person is genuinely not interested in building relationships or setting up clientele. Time and money wasted with this attorney. After setting up Appointments he would fail to appear. Calls were made and he was never available. Save yourself the disappointment and look elsewhere.
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27 Aug, 2024 by Rafael pina
La peor firma de abogados, sin ética profesional jamás contestan ni llamadas ni correos electrónicos mucho menos darle continuidad a los casos, aparte piden un depósito y al terminar no regresan el dinero que no se gastó Me pase de biena persona en ponerles una estrella Si necesitan quien los represente legalmente que sea su última opción Saludos tocayo ojalá mejores como abogado
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27 Jan, 2022 by Ruben
He was real understanding and when I was super cold in the mention it to the courts and push my court date until I got better
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07 Apr, 2021 by Anonymous
I was involved in an accident and he helped me through it completely. He was extremely helpful and guided me the entire way. He is very professional and cares about his clients.
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22 Oct, 2020 by Anonymous
After a very serious accident i was referred to Mr silvia. At first hes concerned compassionate and immediately throws me a contract. He seemed helpful. Months dragged out of very little communication. After he found that the one that hit me had little money. I had to deal with towyard myself just out of hospital,had to keep tryi g to ask him whats up. Took him months to get my medical or police records. 7 months in when im almost out of time to file things I find out he dropped my case without even telling me . This mans only care is money currently and dropped out for no reason with no communication
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08 Dec, 2013 by Angela
Mr. Chan is very personable and has great analytical skills. He had represented my daughter in a case that her high school altered her gpa information on her transcript up to the final week of her high school. Mr. Chan during the meeting was very energetic. He had accomplished nothing but to compromise with her school administrator to help her high school to persuade my daughter to accept the co-valedictorian status they had already offered to my daughter. All my daughter had wanted was to stop the school administrator from messing with her transcript. She needed an accurate and consistent final transcript to submit to her college. He had embarrassed her for compromising with the school administrators. My daughter had made it very clear to Mr. Chan during the meeting that she was not concerned about her ranking.
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FAQs
Questions? We have answers

What a Litigation Lawyer Can Do for You

A litigation lawyer specializes in representing individuals, businesses, or organizations involved in legal disputes. Whether you're the one filing a lawsuit or you're being sued, a litigation attorney will advocate on your behalf throughout the entire legal process. Their goal is to resolve disputes, either through negotiation, settlement, or trial. Litigation lawyers can help with a wide range of disputes, including contract disagreements, real estate issues, employment disputes, personal injury claims, and more.

Litigation lawyers provide strategic legal advice and manage all aspects of your case, from filing motions to representing you in court, ensuring that your rights are protected and that you have the best chance of achieving a favorable outcome.

When Should I Hire a Litigation Lawyer?

You should consider hiring a litigation lawyer if you're involved in a legal dispute that you cannot resolve on your own. Common situations include:

  • Breach of contract disputes: If a party to a contract fails to fulfill their obligations, a litigation lawyer can help you seek damages or enforce the agreement.
  • Business disputes: Litigation lawyers can represent you in cases of partnership disagreements, intellectual property disputes, or business fraud.
  • Employment disputes: If you're facing issues like wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, or wage disputes, a litigation lawyer can help resolve these matters through negotiation or court action.
  • Personal injury claims: If you've been injured due to someone else's negligence and are seeking compensation, a litigation attorney can help you pursue your case.
  • Real estate or property disputes: When there are conflicts over property ownership, boundary issues, or lease agreements, a litigation lawyer can assist in resolving the dispute.

Hiring a lawyer early in the process is beneficial, especially if a lawsuit seems imminent or you have already been served with legal documents.

What Does a Litigation Lawyer Do?

A litigation lawyer handles all aspects of your case, from the initial investigation to the trial and even the appeals process, if necessary. Their role includes:

  • Case assessment and investigation: Analyzing the facts of your case and advising whether it’s worth pursuing or defending.
  • Pleadings and motions: Drafting and filing documents to initiate or respond to a lawsuit, including complaints, motions to dismiss, and answers.
  • Discovery: Gathering evidence, including depositions, interrogatories, and document requests, to build your case.
  • Negotiations and settlement discussions: Attempting to resolve disputes through mediation, arbitration, or settlement talks before going to trial.
  • Trial representation: Presenting your case in court, examining witnesses, introducing evidence, and making legal arguments before a judge or jury.
  • Appeals: If necessary, filing appeals to challenge or defend the outcome of the trial.

Litigation lawyers are also skilled negotiators and often work to resolve disputes outside of court to save time, money, and stress for their clients.

How Are Litigation Lawyers Paid?

Litigation lawyers typically use a variety of fee structures depending on the type of case, the complexity of the legal matter, and the financial circumstances of the client. Common payment arrangements include:

  • Hourly rates: Many litigation attorneys charge by the hour, with rates varying based on experience and geographic location.
  • Flat fees: For specific, predictable legal tasks (such as filing a motion), lawyers may offer a flat fee.
  • Contingency fees: In personal injury or other cases where you seek damages, a lawyer may work on a contingency basis, taking a percentage of the settlement or award if you win.
  • Retainer: Some clients pay a retainer fee upfront to secure ongoing legal services. The lawyer then bills against this retainer as work is done.

The exact structure should be discussed in the initial consultation to ensure you understand how and when you'll be charged.

How Much Does a Litigation Lawyer Cost?

The cost of a litigation lawyer varies significantly depending on the nature of the dispute and the lawyer’s experience. Factors affecting the cost include:

  • The complexity of the case: More complex litigation involving extensive discovery, expert witnesses, or multi-party suits typically costs more.
  • Time spent: Litigation cases can be time-consuming, especially if they go to trial. The longer the case, the higher the legal fees.
  • Type of fee arrangement: Hourly rates can range from $200 to over $1,000 per hour, depending on the lawyer’s reputation and location. Contingency fees generally range from 25% to 40% of the settlement or award.
  • Stage of litigation: Cases that settle early in the process are often less expensive than those that proceed to trial or appeal.

It’s crucial to ask about cost estimates during your initial consultation to avoid surprises.

Top Questions to Ask a Litigation Lawyer

Before hiring a litigation lawyer, it's essential to ask key questions to ensure you're choosing the right representation:

  1. What is your experience with cases like mine?
    Ensure that the lawyer has experience handling your specific type of dispute, whether it's a contract issue, personal injury, or business matter.
  2. What are the potential outcomes of my case?
    Ask for an honest assessment of your case's strengths, weaknesses, and the likelihood of success.
  3. What is your fee structure?
    Clarify how you'll be charged, whether by the hour, a flat fee, or on a contingency basis.
  4. How long do you expect my case to take?
    While it's hard to predict, an experienced lawyer can give you a rough estimate based on similar cases.
  5. How often do you settle cases versus going to trial?
    Some lawyers are more inclined to settle, while others may be more experienced in the courtroom. It’s important to understand their strategy.
  6. What is your approach to resolving disputes?
    Some lawyers prefer aggressive litigation, while others focus on settlement or mediation. Choose one whose approach aligns with your goals.

How to Check the Credibility of a Litigation Lawyer

To verify a litigation lawyer’s credibility, consider the following steps:

  • Check bar association records: Ensure the lawyer is in good standing with the state bar and has no history of disciplinary actions.
  • Read client reviews and testimonials: Online reviews can provide insight into the lawyer’s professionalism and track record.
  • Look for litigation experience: Review the lawyer’s website or professional profile to ensure they have handled cases like yours and have a record of success.
  • Request references: Ask the lawyer to provide references from past clients who can speak to their effectiveness and approach.
  • Research their trial experience: If your case is likely to go to trial, ensure the lawyer has a history of courtroom success.

What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?

To make your first consultation with a litigation lawyer productive, you should prepare the following:

  • A clear outline of the dispute: Provide a timeline and key details about the legal issue you're facing.
  • Any relevant documents: Bring contracts, emails, letters, or any other documentation that pertains to the case.
  • A list of key players: Provide the names of individuals or companies involved in the dispute.
  • Questions about fees and the litigation process: Make sure you understand how the lawyer plans to approach your case and how you will be charged.
  • Your goals and expectations: Be clear about what outcome you're hoping for, whether it's a settlement, compensation, or another resolution.

By coming prepared, you can ensure that your initial meeting with the lawyer is both efficient and insightful, giving you a better sense of how to proceed with your case.

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