James Clifton
The Clifton Law Firm, LLC
James Clifton is the founding member of The Clifton Law Firm, LLC and oversees the firm's multi-state practice. During the course of his career, James has focused primarily on real property, bankruptcy, wills, trusts, and estates. Additionally, he possesses vast experience in suits to quiet title, real property and commercial lending transactions, comprehensive contract formation, title insurance claims, will drafting, estate planning, and probate litigation.
On the weekends, James enjoys donating his time to the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation's Saturday Lawyer Program where he represents indigent clients on a pro bono basis. In addition, he represented Fayette County in the Georgia Attorney General’s state wide food drive, The Legal Food Frenzy. In the past, he has served as an elected member of the Executive Council of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division and is a graduate of the prestigious Young Lawyer Leadership Academy. James is also a past president of the Fayette County Bar Association.
James is a member of the American Bar Association and its Real Property, Trust, and Estate Section. He is also an active member in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia and its Real Property Law Section, Bankruptcy Section, and Creditor's Rights Section; the Florida Bar and its Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section; the State Bar of California and its Real Property Law Section; the State Bar of Texas and its Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section; and the District of Columbia Bar and its Real Property Law Section.
In addition to the state licensures, James is licensed to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, and the United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit. On May 14, 2012, James was sworn into the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.
- Bankruptcy
- Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Debt Relief
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Foreclosure Defense
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
- Landlord Tenant
- Evictions, Housing Discrimination, Landlord Rights, Rent Control, Tenants' Rights
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
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Free Consultation
All consultations are free. - Credit Cards Accepted
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Contingent Fees
For any accident or personal injury cases, we only get paid if you get paid. -
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
We accept all major credit cards.
- California
- State Bar of California
- ID Number: 270535
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- District of Columbia
- District of Columbia Bar
- ID Number: 1004023
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- Florida
- The Florida Bar
- ID Number: 0064755
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- Georgia
- State Bar of Georgia
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- Texas
- State Bar of Texas
- ID Number: 24074043
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- 11th Circuit
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- U.S. Supreme Court
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- United States District Courts for the Northern & Middle Districts of Georgia
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- English: Spoken, Written
- Spanish: Spoken, Written
- Managing Attorney
- The Clifton Law Firm, LLC
- - Current
- Candidate for Georgia House of Representatives
- Georgia House of Representatives
- Candidate for Georgia State Senate
- Georgia State Senate
- Partner
- Consumer Attorney Services
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- Managing Attorney - Georgia Operations
- Albertelli Law
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- Law Clerk 2008
- Florida Coastal School of Law
- J.D. (2008) | Law
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- Honors: Graduated 17th in the class with cum laude honors; Governors Merit Scholarship Recipient
- Activities: Real Property, Trust, and Estates Law Society, Sports Law Society
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- University System of Georgia - University of Georgia
- B.S. (2003) | Psychology
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- Honors: Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society
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- University System of Georgia - University of Georgia
- B.A. (2003) | Political Science
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- Honors: Hope Scholarship Recipient
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- Good Rating
- Avvo
- Peer Reviewed (5/5)
- Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Services
- Executive Council of the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division
- Elected Member
- Current
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- District of Columbia Bar # 1004023
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Real Property Law Section
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- Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
- Volunteer Attorney
- - Current
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- State Bar of Texas # 24074043
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section
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- State Bar of California # 270535
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Real Property Law Section
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- The Florida Bar # 0064755
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section
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- American Bar Association # 01323032
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Real Property, Trust, and Estate Section
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- State Bar of Georgia
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Real Property Law Section, Bankruptcy Section, and Creditor's Rights Section
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- A Comprehensive Review of Zoning Regulations in Georgia
- Real Estate Law and the Economy, Fayetteville, GA
- Fayette County Bar Association
- A presentation about updates in real estate law and the economy. The presentation covered the effects of high interest rates, rising property taxes, and increased insurance premiums on real estate prices and foreclosure prevalence. Other topics included changes to foreclosure laws, restrictions on investment property purchases, and regulatory restrictions on insurance premiums and property taxes.
- Notary Public
- Fayette County Clerk of Court
Atlanta woman dies — then her family’s home is stolen
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DeKalb County family loses inheritance, family home, even late uncle’s ashes
A Lithonia family said they lost their inheritance, their family home and even the remains of their late uncle after what court documents call fraud. SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications...
- Q. Steps to sell inherited property with deceased heirs and debt in Georgia?
- A: If any of the deceased people left a will, the will(s) needs to be probated. If there are no wills, each of the heirs will need to sign a contract to sell the property. Everyone must be in agreement regarding the terms of the sale. Sometimes it is easier to consolidate the title in one heir through deeds from the other heirs. They may also be willing to sign a power of attorney to one heir, who will represent the interests of all of them. If you can't get unanimous agreement, you can force the sale of the property through a partition lawsuit. Schedule a free consultation to go over all of your options.
- Q. What are my chances of retaining a house left to me in my mother's will if her partner contests in Florida?
- A: If the will was drafted and signed in accordance with all applicable laws, it will be difficult to overturn in court. Also, an unmarried partner should have no right to inherit the property even if the will is overturned. You will also need to review the language in the deed to see if your mother added her partner as a joint tenant with right of survivorship as this would override the will. Schedule a free consultation to ensure your inheritance is protected.
- Q. Is signature required for foreclosure notice in Georgia?
- A: No, the notice does not have to be signed or accepted by the homeowner to be valid. Georgia law only requires that the notice of foreclosure be placed in the mail by the lender. They send it certified mail, return receipt requested as proof of mailing to comply with the law. Even if your lender has previously denied you, there are many alternatives to foreclosure including a repayment plan, loan modification, and forbearance.
As a last resort, you can explore bankruptcy, sale of the property, or deed in lieu of foreclosure.
If none of those options work out and the foreclosure does go forward, you may be owed money after the foreclosure and can negotiate for the payment of your moving expenses ... Read More
