Attorneys at Law
CALL: (386) 738-0080
Practice Areas
At Huddleston & Associates, we believe we are masters at what we do. Over the last 31 years we have handled the most complex cases involving personal injury, family law, military law, estates and civil litigation. We have tried to completion over 1000 cases before the judges and juries of this community. We are here to fully assist you in your case or claim.
Personal Injury Claims
Huddleston and Associates has the experience and expertise to fully resolve your personal injury claim either through a negotiated settlement or by litigation.
* Automobile Accidents
* Motorcycle accidents
* Truck Accidents
* Boating accidents
* Dog bites
* Soft Tissue Injuries
* Slip and Falls
* Premise Liability
* Negligent Security
* Wrongful Death
When to call a Personal-Injury Lawyer? An Insurance Company is certain to make a quick offer, and it won't be the best one. Sometimes you need an attorney to make sense of it all. When you've been in an accident and sustained injuries and damages, the insurance company of the person at fault will likely contact you and make an offer to settle the claim immediately or in a very short time. It is unlikely the insurance company will ever provide you with their best offer. The insurance adjuster may say it's offering you a "fair settlement", but why would they be fair to you, a person they do not represent?
Insurance companies are in the business to make a profit. The insurance company doesn't arm their claims adjusters with a shield of justice. The claims adjuster is there to save its company as much money as possible, by paying as little as they can on your claim.
At Huddleston and Associates we will seek to collect as much as possible on your claim and if the claims adjuster will not make what we believe is a "fair settlement", then we will file a law suit and present your claim before a jury.
At Huddleston & Associates all personal injury claims are handled on a contingency basis. We only get paid if you do.
When the claims adjuster calls you, DO NOT GIVE A RECORDED STATEMENT. Talk with us before you talk with an adjuster. Protect your rights.
GET A FREE PERSONAL INJURY CONSULTATION TO LEARN YOUR RIGHTS.
Family Law
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Civil Litigation
Civil litigation is a legal dispute between two or more parties that seeks money damages or specific performance rather than criminal sanctions. A lawyer who specializes in civil litigation is known as a “litigator” or “trial lawyer.”
Lawyers who practice civil litigation represent parties in trials, hearings, arbitrations and mediations before administrative agencies, federal, state and local courts.
Civil litigation encompasses a broad range of disputes. Several common types of civil litigation we practice include:
• Money/Debts Owed
• Products Liability
• Landlord/Tenant
• Construction Defects
• Breach of Contract/Agreement
Civil litigation is an adversarial process that involves oppositional positions, conflict and controversy.
Civil litigation can be divided into seven stages: investigation, pleadings, discovery, pre-trial, meditation, trial and appeal. Not every lawsuit passes through each stage of litigation; most lawsuits are settled prior to trial and many cases that reach a trial verdict are not appealed.
The lifespan of a lawsuit can range from several months to several years. Complex civil litigation often takes years to pass from pre-suit investigation through trial/settlement.
Discovery is the longest and most labor-intensive stage of civil litigation. Contrary to the image portrayed by television, most of our time is devoted to the discovery stage of litigation not the actual trial.
At Huddleston and Associates we are prepared to put the time and energy into your case to see that you receive the best possible outcome. We can even assist you with the enforcing your jury award or judgment. A Judgment is only a piece of paper; we are skilled in the collection of your judgment.
Wills and Estates
Huddleston & Assocates is more than willing to provide you with complete planning of your estate from start to finish
* Wills
* Power of Attorney
* Health Surrogates
* Living Wills
* Guardianships
* Probate of Estates
* Probate Litigation
Wills are the most common way for people to state their preferences about how their estates should be handled after their deaths. Many people use their wills to express their deepest sentiments toward their loved ones. A well-written will eases the transition for survivors by transferring property quickly and avoiding many tax burdens. While it is difficult to contemplate mortality, many people find that great peace of mind results from putting their affairs in order. Wills vary from extremely simple single-page documents to elaborate volumes, depending on the estate size and preferences of the person making the will (the "testator"). Wills describe the estate, the people who will receive specific property (the "devisees"), and even special instructions about care of minor children, gifts to charity, and formation of posthumous trusts. Many people choose to disinherit people who might usually be expected to receive property. For all these examples, the testator must follow the legal rules for wills in order to make the document effective.
Probate Administration
Today the probate process is a court-supervised process that is designed to sort out the transfer of a person's property at death. Property subject to the probate process is that owned by a person at death, which does not pass to others by designation or ownership (i.e. life insurance policies and "payable on death" bank accounts). A common expression you may have heard is "probating a will." This describes the process by which a person shows the court that the decedent (the person who died) followed all legal formalities in drafting his or her will. The movement to avoid probate is primarily motivated by the desire to avoid probate fees. It is, in fact, quite possible to avoid the probate process completely. There are three primary ways to avoid probate and its protections: joint ownership with the right of survivorship, gifts, and revocable trusts. The probate system, however, exists for the protection of all the parties involved and the focus of this article is what occurs in probate.
What Happens in Probate?
The probate process may be contested or uncontested. Most contested issues generally arise in the probate process because a disgruntled heir is seeking a larger share of the decedent's property than that he or she actually received. Arguments often raised include: the decedent may have been improperly influenced in making gifts, the decedent did not know what they were doing (insufficient mental capacity) at the time the will was executed, and the decedent did not follow the necessary legal formalities in drafting his or her will. The majority of probated estates, however, are uncontested. The basic process of probating an estate includes:
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Collecting all probate property of the decedent; Paying all debts, claims and taxes owed by the estate;
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Collecting all rights to income, dividends, etc.;
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Settling any disputes; and
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Distributing or transferring the remaining property to the heirs.
Usually, the decedent names a person (executor) to take over the management of his or her affairs upon death. If the decedent fails to name an executor, the court will appoint a personal representative, or administrator, to settle the estate. At Huddleston and Associates we will personally guide you through the process.