Practice Areas

Real Estate Law

From contract to closing, our firm will guide you through the process. We represent buyers and sellers of residential and commercial property. We are available to review a contract, or negotiate and write a contract suited to your unique needs. Our attorneys will address all aspects of the transaction: title, deeds, taxes, notes and mortgages, and move you toward a successful closing.

Cooperation among neighbors is ideal, but when disputes arise, our firm is ready to find solutions that best suit your needs. We can guide you through the process if you have a dispute or claim regarding a title, boundary, or easement, our attorneys will be able to help advise and resolve the issues. Property disputes can be complex and involve tensions among neighbors or family. We are here to work out solutions to avoid unnecessary litigation.

Even when you have good neighbors, you may need legal advice in order to protect the value of your land, or prevent disputes that could arise in the future. Whether you are considering a complicated development, or a simple road or condo association, our services are available.

Wills, Trusts and Estates

With extensive experience in preparing wills and trusts, our attorneys can assist you with estate and tax planning. We will work with you to develop a strategy to protect your assets and fulfill your intentions and your family's needs. Planning ahead is the key to securing your family's future. We will work with you to develop a creative estate plan which will be tax efficient and which will achieve your lifetime goals.

We also provide services in the probate of wills and estates and the management of trusts. Our attorneys will advise and represent personal representatives and trustees to guide and assist them in carrying out their duties under wills and trusts, including court filings, creditor payments and distributions to heirs.

Probate Court

Adoptions, guardianships and conservatorships are complex proceedings that also fall under probate law. You may have a family member who is not able to make all decisions on his or her own — whether about money, or basic day-to-day needs. Navigating your way through the options to ensure that decisions are made in their best interests is difficult and requires legal help. Our attorneys can help you make the right arrangements. And if you are adding to your family through adoption, Attorney Jess Avery has experience in adoption proceedings.

Divorce and Family Law

The firm's family law practice is led by attorney Jess Avery, with over ten years of experience handling divorce and custody matters.

Business Law

Our firm serves as the agent for many area businesses it helped incorporate. We can advise you in setting up the right form of business entity, and also represent you in important transactions. For example: Drafting and negotiating contracts, resolving contract disputes, defending you against lawsuits. Whether you are planning ahead, or you need consultation on potential problems, contact us to help you resolve issues, avoid litigation, and allow you to get back to business.

Criminal Defense / OUI

Attorney Don Lawson-Stopps, a former prosecutor, is an accomplished trial lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the criminal justice system. He served for 5 years as Assistant District Attorney and will handle your case with skill and sensitivity. Don provides full services in criminal defense matters. If you have been summonsed, charged or investigated for a criminal offense, do not talk to the police or anyone else about the case and contact our firm as soon as possible.

Personal Injury

If you or a loved one has been in an accident, you need legal representation. Insurance professionals are working to protect their company's bottom line, not the injured person's best interest. They will use their training and experience to push you to settle early for as little as possible. You can rely on the personal attention we give our clients and our experience working with insurers, defense attorneys, mediators, and courts to protect your right to compensation for your injury and losses. Our experienced attorneys and staff can set you on a path that leads to recovery physically, mentally, and financially. We will evaluate your case, advise you on the best course of action, and if it must go to court, fight on your behalf for a fair outcome. At the same time, we will always listen to you and seek to resolve your case, negotiating with insurance companies and other parties for the out come you deserve.

Civil Litigation

Whether representing a person in a medical malpractice suit to a million dollar award, recovering half a million dollars for an estate, or suing for business debts of a few thousand dollars, our firm skillfully represents plaintiffs in civil litigation, always with the thorough and personal attention our clients have come to expect. We apply the same skill and personal attention to clients when we defend them. Our combined defense and plaintiff experience is broad and includes: real estate litigation, for example boundary disputes, easement and right of way disputes, landlord-tenant disputes, contract disputes, discrimination claims and employment matters.