About McGrath Law Firm: Alabama's Construction Defect Attorneys
Our Firm’s History Fighting for Alabama Homeowners
The McGrath Law Firm team represents Huntsville and North Alabama homeowners in cases involving defects, termite damage, and real estate fraud. Tom is a 1992 Cumberland Law School graduate and has been licensed to practice in Alabama, Illinois, and Colorado for over 30 years. In addition to those states. Tom has also handled cases in Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida, Idaho, and several other states. The McGrath Law Firm team has successfully handled hundreds of lawsuits and arbitrations, recovering tens of millions of dollars for the families they represent.
Attorney Credentials & Recognition
At Cumberland Law School, Tom earned a position on the school’s National Trial Team, competing in national competitions. After passing the Bar, Tom served as a faculty member at the National College of Advocacy, teaching deposition and courtroom skills to hundreds of lawyers from all over the United States. Tom recently received AAJ’s highest designation, Diplomat, for his courtroom skills.
It’s important to hire a lawyer with a proven record of winning trials and arbitrations. Construction contracts and defects are complex, time-consuming cases to prosecute. Contractors and companies that insure them spend huge amounts of money defending these claims, filing every possible motion and objection, often right up to the day of trial.
By handling almost nothing but construction and termite damage claims, we have acquired the wisdom, experience, and resources to defeat the “defend, delay and deny” playbook our opponents use over and over and over…
Finally, there is no substitute for having successfully tried dozens and dozens of cases to judges, juries, and arbitrators over the last 30 years. Successful settlements are the result of contractors, defense attorneys, and insurance companies knowing our firm’s winning history before ever having to set foot in a courtroom.
Our goal is not to handle the most cases; our goal is to tailor each case to obtain as much as possible for each client. We know only one case that matters to you.
Our Approach to Construction Defect Cases
The attorneys of McGrath Law Firm focus almost exclusively on construction defects, termite damage, and real estate fraud cases. We have handled hundreds of cracked foundations, structural failures, water leaks, mold, fraudulent termite letters, termite treatment failures, backed-up or overflowing septic systems, to name a few.
We have acquired extensive knowledge of construction methods, building codes, construction contracts, termite letters, and inspections. We have extensive experience working with engineers, construction experts, and state and municipal inspection departments, preparing and winning cases for our clients.
We take a hands-on, team approach where everyone in the firm participates in the preparation of each and every case. The firm carefully manages the number of lawsuits it handles at one time, so each case receives the utmost attention to recover as much money as possible for each family we represent.
Contingency Fee Representation – No Upfront Costs
When possible, we represent families on a contingency fee basis, meaning we take a percentage of the gross recovery as our compensation only when we recover money. Other times, we work on an hourly-fee basis, plus the cost of expenses.
Free Initial Case Reviews
We provide initial case reviews at no charge for anyone who fills out and submits our initial online intake sheet. One of our attorneys will review your submission, and if we believe we can help, we will reach out to discuss whether we will charge to conduct a further investigation.
Hourly fee consultations
We also provide initial consultations to families on an hourly fee basis for advice on resolving invoice disputes, evaluating defects, terminating a contract, filing a lien, and other issues. We have successfully defended scores of homeowners from illegitimate lawsuits and liens brought by builders.
How to Choose a Construction Defect Attorney in Alabama
Buying a home is often the largest, most consequential purchase a person or family makes in their lifetime. Hidden defects can cause financial ruin, foreclosure, and even bankruptcy. No one buying a new home should have their economic future jeopardized by a careless or incompetent builder. Hiring an attorney to represent you in a case against a bad builder is an important decision. It is essential to choose a partner with focused experience within Construction Law and who is passionate about defending homeowners' rights. For over 30 years, we have successfully represented hundreds and hundreds of veterans, retirees, and young families against builders and termite companies.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Construction Lawyer
- What is your experience in this field? How long have you practiced in this legal area?
- Have you defended builders in the past?
- In which subcategories of construction law do you have expertise? Subcategories include structural defects, landscaping defects, building envelope defects, and home system defects.
- What are some representative cases?
- What are your rates and how will you bill me?
- How will you keep me informed of progress in my case?