John Griffin Watts
About John
Biography
There are many things about my work that I enjoy but the part that is most satisfying is taking a bad situation and turning it into a good situation.
I often have clients that come in very upset over a situation. Maybe they are facing foreclosure. Or dealing with an abusive debt collector. Or their credit reports are so incorrect that they are losing their security clearance or they are losing a mortgage over it. Other times clients are dealing with the constant pain of injuries from a car wreck.
They are frustrated and upset to have to deal with this problem. They don't have accurate information on their rights and options. This is exactly where the insurance companies, debt collectors, and mortgage companies want you to be.
Unsure of your rights and unsure of what action to take. You see they assume that you:
- Don't know your rights; and/or
- Even if you know your rights you won't take action.
Practice Areas
3
Practice Areas
31 years | 400 cases
31 years | 300 cases
31 years | 500 cases
Fees and Rates
Cost
33%-50%
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Alabama for 30 years
State: Alabama
Acquired: 1995
No misconduct found
Location
Law Offices of John Griffin Watts
301 19th Street North, Birmingham, AL, 35203
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John Griffin Watts's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
201 Client Reviews
Showing 46 - 50 of 56 reviews | Debt Settlement
Posted by Anika | February 27, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Debt Settlement
Informative, friendly and knowledgeable
Imagine being sued by a debt buyer while you are making monthly payments to them, unheard of right? Well it happened to me. When I received a court summons from them I felt I had no options and I felt intimidated. I was put in touch with John Watts and his wonderful staff. From my first call with Car...
John Watts
Replied last February 27, 2016Anika, Thank you for the feedback and your nice comments. So often when we are sued by debt buyers (debt collectors) we do feel that we have no options. I'm so glad you investigated your options. Carolyn and the rest of our team do their best to help gather the facts and also let you know you do have options. Thank you for telling us that they did a great job. We appreciate you hiring us and letting us help you. Thanks for sticking with us during the process. Again we appreciate so much your kind thoughts and wish you only the best! John Watts
Posted by Lee S | February 16, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Debt Settlement
Top Notch!
I ran across John's YouTube channel while researching my options when I was sued by Asset Acceptance. I decided to contact him instead of trying to fight this on my own. The entire staff was very helpful! John advised me as to what my options were. The case was disputed and thrown out. Asset Acceptan...
John Watts
Replied last February 16, 2016Thanks for your review Lee! Glad the YouTube videos were helpful and always great to hear our staff helped you out -- they are a wonderful part of our team approach. We do enjoy fighting the debt buyers and suing them for money damages. :) We appreciate you letting us represent you -- you stood up to these guys and that will make them think about this in the future when they are planning on breaking the law in Alabama. Thank you again for the very nice review and so happy that you felt comfortable with us at your side. John Watts
Posted by Mike | February 09, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Debt Settlement
John is the real deal
I strongly recommend John Watts to anyone having legal problems. He is so polite and nice I told him he was not what I was expecting! I called him about a lawsuit and was near the deadline to file an answer on and I had no clue how to handle even that simple step. Within two days he had resolved the ...
John Watts
Replied last February 09, 2016Mike, Thank you for the review -- appreciate it! Funny about not what expecting -- I like people to be nice to me so I do my best to be nice to others. :) You did a great job taking action -- so many people wait till time runs out and then they have a huge problem -- a default judgment. Very happy to have the opportunity to help you out and again we appreciate the kind testimonial very much! Have a good one! John Watts
Posted by Kimberly | January 14, 2016 | Debt Settlement
Excellent and Continuous Communication
We contacted Mr. Watts for a consultation regarding our mortgage. We had fallen behind on our home mortgage due to unforeseen financial issues and we did not want to lose our home. We applied for a home modification through our mortgage company. We were unsure of the process because we were not gett...
John Watts
Replied last January 14, 2016Kimberly, Thank you for leaving your review of your experience with us. We know that dealing with foreclosure/loan modification issues can be very frustrating and there are a lot of scams out there. I'm glad the free online videos were helpful to you -- they help me when I speak with folks because we don't have to spend time on the basics -- instead we can get right into the heart of the matter to find solutions. I hope that you are finding great success right now and never need to call us back. But if you do, we'll be ready for you. Best wishes on your loan modification and thank you again for your kind words! John Watts
Posted by Debbie | January 11, 2016 | Debt Settlement
John Watts Consultation
I found Mr. John Watts on YouTube. I was laid off from my job of 15 years and it took several months for me to find a new job. The new job came with a very substantial pay cut so I am no longer able to pay my mortgage. Mr. Watts made 4 DVDs available to me, for free, regarding all the options availab...
John Watts
Replied last January 11, 2016Debbie, Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad the videos were helpful to you. We made those to try to give a framework to folks dealing with mortgage companies. We appreciate any feedback as that helps us to improve those videos. I hope you don't need us but if you do give us a call. Best wishes and I hope to hear that you have everything fixed with your mortgage company ASAP. Thanks again for taking time out to leave your review. John Watts
John Griffin Watts's Lawyer Endorsements
"I have known John Watts for several years, and through that time, I have come to know John as an attorney of integrity who will fight for his client's rights. In light of the current economic crisis, John has studied issues related to wrongful foreclosures and other foreclosure issues, and as a result, he has been able to help his clients prevent abusive practices from financial institutions. In addition, John has helped clients recover compensation as a result of abusive debt collectors. If you need an attorney to protect your consumer rights, I highly recommend John."
"I have known John and he is very well respected and does top quality work in protecting and assisting consumers with financial and debt issues. In the past I have had issues with clients relating to credit card debt and John was the lawyer I turned to, to get advice and direction. He is truly the top in this field of law."
"John is one of the best consumer lawyers in Alabama."
"Though I don't know John personally, when I first stepped into private practice, I had hundreds of questions. I shot him an email, and this man took a good chunk of time out of one of his otherwise busy days to sit and chat with me, in detail about best practices in this field. I can count on one hand the folks who looked out for me when I started practicing, and of those, the majority were folks that I knew prior to practicing law. John helped me when he didn't even know me. He's a great benefit to our profession."
"I have known John for years. He is a fantastic advocate for the injured. He will take the time to explain all options to his clients without all the legalese that some lawyers throw around. John offers a lot of information on his website and you can learn a lot about your problem by watching his videos. Plus he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet."
"John is a very experienced and knowledgable lawyer who I have known for many years. Importantly, he'll tell you whether or not you really need an attorney and he'll explain things in a way that makes sense. John has a ton of great information at his website. I'd highly recommend that you reach out to him if you need a lawyer"
"Truly exceptional and professional attorney with an outstanding reputation in the legal field for providing high quality representation and results for his clients! I highly endorse John"
"John Watts is the attorney we send out any consumer protection cases to. Whether it creditors violating the law or mortgage companies that wrongfully foreclose on people's homes, John is the person you want on your side."
"I've known John for 20 years. Over the years, we've handled many cases together. He's one of the finest lawyers I've ever worked with. He is knowledgeable about the law, kind to his clients and gives great advice."
"I endorse John. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."
"I endorse this lawyer. It is clear by reading the answers in the AVVO community that this lawyer is a top notch attorney who is highly respected in the legal community."
"I endorse this lawyer. John is one of the "go to" lawyers for consumers who are the victims of identity theft or abusive collection practices."
"Top-notch lawyer. Highly respected in the legal community."
"John Griffin Watts is the kind of lawyer we all aspire to be & I am honored to have the opportunity to offer him my endorsement"
"I endorse this lawyer. John is very knowledgeable and takes and puts his client's interests first."
"John Watts is a top notch lawyer. He is smart, compassionate, precise, and personable. He is able to very quickly decipher legal situations and boil them down to very basic elelments and find solutions. He takes great care of his clients and is universally well-liked and respected."
"I endorse this lawyer. John is a very knowledgeable attorney in the field of Consumer Protection and Fair Debt Collection. He does a fine job for his clients and obtains favorable results with the courts. I have referred many clients to him and would do so again in the future."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I have known John for quite some time now and have worked with him with mutual clients and on other joint projects. I've always found him to possess the perfect blend of legal talent, experience and creativity. His clients love him and trust his judgment. In fact, they're not just clients — they are raving fans. But that's to be expected when you have a lawyer like John on your side. John speaks to his clients in plain English. No legal jargon here. I've also been impressed with the respect he displays toward his clients, by keeping them regularly informed of the progress of their case, by returning their phone calls promptly, and by always dealing with them as true equals. The confidence he inspires in everyone who works with him makes John just the sort of lawyer you hope yours will be. They just don't come any better than John."
"Having represented several major credit card companies, I have mixed feelings about seeing Mr. Watts' name appear on the other side of one of my cases. On the one hand, I know I better have an airtight and thoroughly prepared case to have any chance of getting a verdict against his client. On the other, I know I'll be treated courteously and with the utmost respect."
Personal injury lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
Car accident lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
Bankruptcy and debt lawyer
Debt collection lawyer
Car accident lawyer
Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
Bankruptcy and debt lawyer
Real estate lawyer
Elder law lawyer
Bankruptcy and debt lawyer
Bankruptcy and debt lawyer
Estate planning lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
Bankruptcy and debt lawyer
Bankruptcy and debt lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
Class action lawyer
Experience
Honors
2018
Preeminent 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell
2018
Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2010
AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2004
AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
1993
Law Review, Cumberland School of Law
1993
Moot Court Board, Cumberland School of Law
Work Experience
2011 - Present
Owner, Watts & Herring, LLC
2006 - 2011
Owner, Watts Law Group, PC
1995 - 2006
Attorney, Yearout & Traylor, PC
Associations
2006 - Present
National Association of Consumer AdvocatesMember
1995 - Present
Alabama State Bar AssociationMember
Sample of Legal Cases
Motion to dismiss was denied. 2012 WL 5379177
Attorney fees awarded at $375 per hour. 2012 WL 4329294
Education
1995
JD - Juris Doctor
1992
BS - Bachelor of Science
Speaking Engagements
2013
2013
2010
2010
2010
2009
Using Social Media In Marketing A Law Practice And In Litigation
2009
Preventing Identity Theft
2009
Understanding the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
2008
Credit Reporting By Debt Collectors and Defending Debt Collection Suits
2008
Credit Reporting By Debt Collectors
N/A
TCPA Class Actions: Phone, Text and Fax Solicitation Claims on the Rise
Publications
2006
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
How should i go about representing myself in a collections lawsuit ?
10 Apr 2024
How do I get a continuance if I still do not have a lawyer after contacting the bar associates? They said for me to ask
30 Apr 2023
During a loan modification, does the foreclosure sale date still appear in newspaper publications ?
09 Oct 2019
Legal Guides
What damages can I get if I sue under the FCRA for false credit reporting in Alabama?
18 Jul 2019
How will I know whether or not I've won my Alabama debt collection lawsuit?
18 Jul 2019
Can I use the TCPA to sue my credit card company for blowing up my cell phone?
18 Jul 2019