Civil Litigation

The Law Offices of Ripley & Associates specializes in both the defense and prosecution of civil lawsuits.  No matter if we are representing a plaintiff or a defendant, our philosophy is always the same: be aggressive.
 
Many of our clients have never been involved in a lawsuit before.  We take the time to educate you about all aspects of your case so you don't feel like you are just along for the ride.  From demurrers, discovery, motions for summary judgment, depositions and trial, we will let you know what everything is about and why we are doing what we are doing.  After all, it is your case and you have a right to know.
 
We don't specialize in any one type of litigation.  The Law Offices of Ripley & Associates are litigators who focus on gathering the facts, knowing the law and presenting your case in the best possible way to maximize the chances of you receiving a beneficial outcome. 

Real Estate Law

Real estate law deals with real estate, or property, which encompasses anything permanently affixed to land, such as buildings, fences, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, or other items that would be personal property if not attached. Real estate law includes a wide variety of legal issues relating to acquiring, developing, managing, constructing, commercial and residential real property of all kinds, including:

• Construction defects and mechanic's liens, including disputes that owners, builders and contractors may have in regard to construction disputes, construction defects and claims, as well as construction accident claims.
• Real estate disputes, including disputes over adverse possession, prescriptive easements, title and boundaries, views, trees, branches, party walls, fences, as well as nuisance, trespass and encroachment, as well as sale disputes (e.g., breach of contract, specific performance, non-disclosure, fraud or misrepresentation).
• Real estate broker issues, including claims against and defense of real estate brokers and agents including negligence, fraud/misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, disclosure obligations.
• Land use and zoning matters, including representation of property owners before governmental entities (cities, counties, zoning boards, design review boards) relating to land use applications, permits variances, zoning exceptions, design review approvals, and special use permits, as well as common interest communities, including interpretation and enforcement of Covenants and Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R's).

Construction Law

Construction Law is a legal, problem solving approach to construction and real estate development issues focusing on loss prevention and maximization of profits.

Construction law includes improvements of all sizes and complexity from basic, residential work, to enormous, complex projects, city planning, and mass transportation.

Construction law cuts across a broad spectrum of laws, but is closely related with many of the traditionally recognized principals and doctrines of the law, including: real property, contracts, torts, business organizations, labor, and tax law.

Contract

The fundamental type of dispute involved is, one way or another, the classic breach of contract or agreement, with its many permutations. A contract can take several forms - it can be written on a piece of paper (or napkin, even) or it can be just a verbal agreement if it satisfies the Statute of Frauds.

Contract litigation can determine what is and is not consideration, whether a contract was actually intended, if the parties making the contract were legally competent, whether there was fraud or duress involved, or how a contract is terminated.

Certain contracts are not legally valid, for instance, if the contract goes against public policy.