REAL ESTATE
At Ratchford & Rafter, LLP, our attorneys provide
experienced and sophisticated advice with respect to the
complete range of commercial and residential real estate
transactions.
From transaction
inception to completion, our attorneys go beyond the
traditional legal role of document preparation and due
diligence. We have conducted real estate settlements in
Effingham, Chatham, Screven, Bryan, Bulloch and other
surrounding counties over 20 years, and we have
expertise in all types of loans, including assumptions,
FHA, VA, and Conventional. We cover every detail,
whether buying from a builder or a resale property or
refinancing or adding a home equity line. Our services
include a review of your contract and a review of title
to and survey of your home, including issuing title
insurance to protect you and your lender.
Ratchford & Rafter, LLP's representation of land developers and
owner/operators includes significant involvement in:
- Acquisition
- Construction
- Financing
- Leasing
- Management of
homes, businesses, multiple use developments,
industrial and business parks
- Planning
We provide advice and
representation to real estate owners, management
companies, users of real estate and real estate brokers.
We are involved with commercial leasing, ground leases,
and subleases.
In the area of land use
and zoning, we advocate our clients interests in
modifying, expanding or preserving their property's
development potential, which typically involve some of
the following:
- Condemnations
- Litigation
- Master plans
- Negotiation of
development agreements
- Special
exceptions
- Subdivisions
- Variances
- Waivers
- Zoning and/or
subdivision laws
- Zoning map
amendments
WILLS, TRUSTS, ESTATES, AND PROBATE
Ratchford & Rafter, LLP
is proud to serve as counselor to families in Georgia
regarding the transfer of wealth. Our lawyers advise
clients on advantageous estate planning opportunities as
they apply within the context of the particular family
situation. We draft a variety of instruments, such as
Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills, to ensure
your wishes are formalized. Ratchford & Rafter, LLP assists its clients in:
- Setting up
family trusts
- Advising in
the area of estate and trust administration
- Establishing
private family foundations and other charitable
and nonprofit corporations
- Structuring
various types of lifetime and testamentary
charitable gifts and bequests
Our lawyers also handle
will contests and litigation seeking the proper
construction of wills and trusts. From seeing a will
through probate and administrating a trust to dealing
with disputes concerning an estate, we can provide the
experience you require. In addition, we are particularly
experienced in estate planning for senior citizens and
families with a disabled member.
DOMESTIC RELATIONS
With the increasing
complexity and diversity of family and other
relationships and the attendant financial, emotional and
legal issues that can arise in these areas, Ratchford &
Rafter, LLP is uniquely qualified to assist our
clients when they find the need to seek such advice. We
serve the needs of our clients in a large range of
family and individual matters.
For those contemplating
entering into a marriage, we formalize agreements
regarding finances, property, custody and other issues.
These agreements include:
- Custody
Modifications
- Modifications
of Separation and Property Settlement Agreements
- Post-Nuptial
Agreements
- Pre-Nuptial
Agreements
- Reconciliation
Agreements
Unfortunately, some
individuals and families find that they must confront
conflicts that require dispute resolution, either in the
form of a negotiated settlement, mediation, or court
litigation. Our lawyers will assist you in resolving
disputes as appropriate in your personal situation. The
services that we provide in this area include counseling
and litigation services for disputes involving:
- Adoption
- Alimony and
other forms of support
- Child custody
- Child support
- Custody
modifications
- Distribution
and/or use of assets
- Divorce
- Domestic
violence or other civil disputes involving
families
- Guardianships
- Modifications
of separation and property settlement agreements
- Paternity
- Preservation
of and avoidance in dissipation of assets
- Separation and
Property Settlement Agreements
- Visitation
CONSTRUCTION LAW
Construction disputes
involve the interpretation of construction contracts.
Clients benefit from our lawyers’ extensive experience
analyzing, drafting and negotiating agreements. Our
knowledge acquired preparing design and construction
agreements translates into a proven ability to
successfully navigate the full spectrum of construction
disputes.
Our construction
practice includes:
- Acceleration
and delay damages claims
- Architect and
engineer liability claims
- Building
design defects
- Construction
liens
- Design and
construction claims
- Environmental
concerns
- Products
liability and warranty claims
- Public and
private surety bond claims
- Transportation
concerns
- Trials,
arbitrations and mediations involving contract
disputes
BUSINESS AND CORPORATE
LAW
Our attorneys have
extensive experience in business and corporate law, and
we serve public and private companies in the following
areas:
- Bank financing
documents
- Board of
Director representation
- Contract
negotiation and drafting, including
employment/non-compete agreements
- Customer
purchase or service agreements
- Dissolutions
and liquidations
- Formation of
profit and non-profit entities, including
corporations, partnerships, limited liability
companies and business trusts
- Joint Ventures
- Limited
Liability Company Operating Agreements and
Buy/Sell Agreements
- Owner dispute
resolution
- Partnership
Agreements
- Personnel
policies and manuals
- Shareholders
Agreements
-
Vendor/supplier agreements
Our Firm also provides
mediation services to private parties in connection with
disputes or litigation arising from commercial
transactions. In keeping with the fundamental objective
of mediation, the Firm's services are geared to
facilitating resolutions by the parties themselves so as
to avoid protracted and expensive litigation and
arbitration.
CRIMINAL DEFENSE
Protecting your rights
when you are accused of a crime is our primary concern.
Our attorneys will appear on your behalf in local or
state court or in any criminal proceeding from traffic
infractions (including DWI) and misdemeanors to felonies
including controlled substance offenses and other
serious crimes.
PERSONAL INJURY PRACTICE
For many years, we have
represented people and the families of those who have
been injured because of someone else's negligence,
including persons injured in automobile collisions, in
drunk driving incidents, in medical malpractice cases,
and in slip-and-fall or other injury cases.
Medical
Malpractice Claims
Medical malpractice
occurs where a medical practitioner acts in a
negligent manner when treating a medical condition.
Malpractice can occur from an action taken by the
medical practitioner, or by the failure to take a
medically appropriate action. Examples of medical
malpractice include:
- Failure to
diagnose, or misdiagnosis of a disease or
medical condition
- Failure to
provide appropriate treatment for a medical
condition
- Unreasonable
delay in treating a diagnosed medical condition
Medical negligence
cases involve complicated and sensitive matters. For
a free initial consultation or to get answers to
basic questions, please call us at (912) 754-7800.
We will keep your call confidential and give you our
evaluation of your case.
Products
Liability
Dangerous or
defective products are the cause of many thousands
of injuries every year.
Product liability
refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable
for placing a defective product into the hands of a
consumer. Potentially liable parties include the
manufacturer, a manufacturer of component parts, the
wholesaler, and the retail storeowner.
Our lawyers
approach a products liability case from every angle.
In proving a product is defective, we search out the
defect, whether it is a design defect that existed
before the product was manufactured; a manufacturing
defect that happened while the product was being
produced; and/or a marketing defect that arose from
improper instructions or failures to warn.
Proving that a
product is defective requires an attorney who knows
the law and is capable of gathering and effectively
organizing large amounts of crucial information. Our
attorneys have the resources and experience that it
takes to successfully pursue your products liability
case.
Wrongful
Death/Traumatic Injuries
Under Georgia law,
an action for "wrongful death" occurs when a person
is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of
another individual, company or entity. In such
instances of serious and fatal accident, the
decedent’s survivors or estate may bring a wrongful
death lawsuit. Survivors include the decedent’s
spouse, children and parents. Money damages that are
recoverable by survivors in a wrongful death cause
of action include:
- Medical bills
and funeral costs
- Pension and
retirement benefits had the decedent lived
- Loss of future
earnings had the decedent lived
- Loss of
companionship -- the cost of the “emotional”
loss to the relationship, including pain and
suffering that has resulted from the decedent’s
death
- Punitive
damages
If you have lost a
loved one because of the negligent actions or
misconduct of another, or have been the victim of a
serious and traumatic injury, you need professional
legal advice without delay. We will handle your
legal case with experience and skill, aggressively
pursuing all legal remedies and recourse to obtain
the maximum legal judgment to which you are
entitled. We will also treat you with the
sensitivity that your case warrants, and with the
dignity and respect that you deserve.
Car Accidents
While car accidents
make up a significant portion of personal injury and
wrongful death claims, they often involve a highly
complex set of issues that require a skilled lawyer
to sort through and resolve. Damages for which you
may be entitled include medical bills and expenses,
vehicle repairs, wage loss, property damage, pain
and suffering and other related expenses. Attempting
to handle your own auto accident claim will likely
result in lower compensation for your injuries and
property damages.
We thoroughly
investigate the cause of the accident, your injuries
and, after discussing the case thoroughly with you,
assess your level of damages. On this basis, we then
seek to reach settlement with the insurance company.
If the insurance company delays or is unwilling to
provide satisfactory compensation that reflects your
injuries and damages, we do not hesitate to file a
lawsuit to recover those damages to which you are
entitled.
