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Law Offices of JAMES GLASSFORD
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CONTACT INFORMATION
CALL ME: (925) 274-0210 SEND ME AN EMAIL |
PRACTICE DETAILS and METHODS:
I focus my practice on the law of contracts. In addition, I rely on advanced technology and the internet.
CONTRACTS IN GENERAL:
This area includes handling, drafting, consulting and litigating problems in and disputes over various kinds of contracts, including real estate sales agreements, broker's agreements, leases, and just about any other kind of contract.
CONTRACTS FOR THE SALE OF GOODS:
This area includes lawsuits and claims for breach of contract as well as writing, analyzing, and negotiating the following types of contracts:
CIVIL LITIGATION:
This really means lawsuits. It involves filing a complaint in court or an answer to a complaint, preparing a case to go to trial, negotiating settlements, or trial of claims in the courts. Litigation usually follows a breakdown in negotiations between the parties over a breach of contract. When that happens, lawyers are hired to sue the contract-breaching party. I have served as counsel for many plaintiffs and defendants in lawsuits throughout the State of California.
I focus my practice on the law of contracts. In addition, I rely on advanced technology and the internet.
CONTRACTS IN GENERAL:
This area includes handling, drafting, consulting and litigating problems in and disputes over various kinds of contracts, including real estate sales agreements, broker's agreements, leases, and just about any other kind of contract.
CONTRACTS FOR THE SALE OF GOODS:
This area includes lawsuits and claims for breach of contract as well as writing, analyzing, and negotiating the following types of contracts:
- Contracts for the Sale of Goods under the UCC Article 2
- Promissory notes under the UCC Article 3
- Security agreements under the UCC Article 9
CIVIL LITIGATION:
This really means lawsuits. It involves filing a complaint in court or an answer to a complaint, preparing a case to go to trial, negotiating settlements, or trial of claims in the courts. Litigation usually follows a breakdown in negotiations between the parties over a breach of contract. When that happens, lawyers are hired to sue the contract-breaching party. I have served as counsel for many plaintiffs and defendants in lawsuits throughout the State of California.
IS A LAWSUIT RIGHT FOR YOU?
A lawsuit always has an outcome.
1. Is a lawsuit worth the effort and cost?
A lawsuit, like anything involving future events, has risks. The outcome of every case, however, depends upon the facts and the truth.
You have likely heard friends tell horror stories about their lawsuits. They say: "It took forever. The lawyers charged too much. In the end, my lawyer lost my case." Some of this is true. The law's delay was noted by Shakespeare. Lawyers don't come cheap.
But your friends are probably wrong about why they lost their cases. Nobody wants to admit that their lawyer did the best he could, even though the case was lost. Nobody wants to admit that they were stupid in suing on a lousy case in the first place. In most cases, justice prevails.
For example, merchant sued restauranteur for money damages. The claim was just. The defendant never offered to pay one penny. Eventually, judgment was entered in favor of the merchant. Still, the defendant refused to pay. The merchant asked the court for an order to compel the defendant to come to court to talk about his assets. He failed to show. The court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant for violating the court order. The sheriff arrested the defendant at his restaurant during the dinner hour. The defendant was most embarrassed when he was dragged out in handcuffs before the watching eyes of his patrons. He paid the judgment immediately. With effort, justice was served.
2. Will you win your lawsuit?
Outcomes are unpredictable. But I do know one thing about lawsuits. In hotly contested cases, there are always two sides to every case. For a party to win, the party must accept the truth of the other party's case. Taking the attitude that the other side has no case or there is no way I can lose is a ticket to a disaster, similar to a crap shoot.
For example, a man owed three years in back child support to his wife per a settlement agreement. The child support was for his son from the time that he turned 18 until he reached 21. His wife filed a lawsuit to recover the money owed. There was no question that the man had not paid his wife any of the back child support. During that time, however, the man's son was living with him, not his wife. There was no question that the man had provided his son a roof over his head and food on his table. The wife could never understand the truth of these facts. She insisted that she be paid the entire amount of the three years in back child support. The husband merely wanted some consideration for what he had done for his son. The wife would not bend and demanded a court trial. The court had no choice but to award the back child support. Yet the court did so with compassion and justice. The court ordered the husband to pay the money to his son. Since his son was still living with his dad, the son never asked for the money.
At the end of the day, the man put his faith in the court and it paid off.
In addition, a claim for breach of contract can have one or more of six standard problems. See Contract Problems for details.
3. Can you get relief without a lawsuit?
Yes. Sometimes arbitration or mediation will work wonders. See Mediation and Arbitration of Disputes.
A lawsuit always has an outcome.
1. Is a lawsuit worth the effort and cost?
A lawsuit, like anything involving future events, has risks. The outcome of every case, however, depends upon the facts and the truth.
You have likely heard friends tell horror stories about their lawsuits. They say: "It took forever. The lawyers charged too much. In the end, my lawyer lost my case." Some of this is true. The law's delay was noted by Shakespeare. Lawyers don't come cheap.
But your friends are probably wrong about why they lost their cases. Nobody wants to admit that their lawyer did the best he could, even though the case was lost. Nobody wants to admit that they were stupid in suing on a lousy case in the first place. In most cases, justice prevails.
For example, merchant sued restauranteur for money damages. The claim was just. The defendant never offered to pay one penny. Eventually, judgment was entered in favor of the merchant. Still, the defendant refused to pay. The merchant asked the court for an order to compel the defendant to come to court to talk about his assets. He failed to show. The court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant for violating the court order. The sheriff arrested the defendant at his restaurant during the dinner hour. The defendant was most embarrassed when he was dragged out in handcuffs before the watching eyes of his patrons. He paid the judgment immediately. With effort, justice was served.
2. Will you win your lawsuit?
Outcomes are unpredictable. But I do know one thing about lawsuits. In hotly contested cases, there are always two sides to every case. For a party to win, the party must accept the truth of the other party's case. Taking the attitude that the other side has no case or there is no way I can lose is a ticket to a disaster, similar to a crap shoot.
For example, a man owed three years in back child support to his wife per a settlement agreement. The child support was for his son from the time that he turned 18 until he reached 21. His wife filed a lawsuit to recover the money owed. There was no question that the man had not paid his wife any of the back child support. During that time, however, the man's son was living with him, not his wife. There was no question that the man had provided his son a roof over his head and food on his table. The wife could never understand the truth of these facts. She insisted that she be paid the entire amount of the three years in back child support. The husband merely wanted some consideration for what he had done for his son. The wife would not bend and demanded a court trial. The court had no choice but to award the back child support. Yet the court did so with compassion and justice. The court ordered the husband to pay the money to his son. Since his son was still living with his dad, the son never asked for the money.
At the end of the day, the man put his faith in the court and it paid off.
In addition, a claim for breach of contract can have one or more of six standard problems. See Contract Problems for details.
3. Can you get relief without a lawsuit?
Yes. Sometimes arbitration or mediation will work wonders. See Mediation and Arbitration of Disputes.
THE LAW OFFICE IN THE CYBER AGE:
The more things change, the more they stay the same. If anything, the internet has made the practice of law more personal than in the old days.
The use of email, cell phones, conference calls, and pdf files has made client contact with lawyers less difficult. Information is exchanged between the client and lawyer faster and more often than in the past. No longer do clients have to wait a day or two for a return phone call or an office appointment to find out what is happening on their cases. The practice of law is evolving with the tech revolution. This revolution has lead to greater confidence in what lawyers do for their clients.
The old ways still exist in many areas. Clients still come to the office for important meetings. Clients and witnesses still have their depositions taken in conference rooms, sitting face-to-face with lawyers. Lawyers and clients still go to court for hearings and trials. The parties still gather together in law offices for mediations and arbitrations.
Lastly, a lawyer's duties to his client remain unchanged. A lawyer must represent his client competently and diligently, protect client confidential information, and avoid conflicts of interest.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. If anything, the internet has made the practice of law more personal than in the old days.
The use of email, cell phones, conference calls, and pdf files has made client contact with lawyers less difficult. Information is exchanged between the client and lawyer faster and more often than in the past. No longer do clients have to wait a day or two for a return phone call or an office appointment to find out what is happening on their cases. The practice of law is evolving with the tech revolution. This revolution has lead to greater confidence in what lawyers do for their clients.
The old ways still exist in many areas. Clients still come to the office for important meetings. Clients and witnesses still have their depositions taken in conference rooms, sitting face-to-face with lawyers. Lawyers and clients still go to court for hearings and trials. The parties still gather together in law offices for mediations and arbitrations.
Lastly, a lawyer's duties to his client remain unchanged. A lawyer must represent his client competently and diligently, protect client confidential information, and avoid conflicts of interest.
email me or call (925) 274-0210
Home | Making a Claim | Defending a Claim | UCC Sales Contracts | Mediation/Arbitration of Disputes | Resume |
Home | Making a Claim | Defending a Claim | UCC Sales Contracts | Mediation/Arbitration of Disputes | Resume |