John Griffin Watts

John Griffin Watts

4.9
Rating: 9.7

Licensed for 30 years

Consumer protection Lawyer at Birmingham, AL
Practice Areas: Consumer Protection, Personal Injury, Bankruptcy & Debt

301 19th Street North, Birmingham, AL

About John

Biography

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Consumer Protection 60%

Consumer protection means laws and strategies to protect consumers from abusive companies --whether it is debt collectors, credit reporting agencies, credit card companies, mortgage companies, etc. We show you your rights and help you to take the right action. So that you can get back to your life and not worry about these abusive companies anymore.

31 years | 400 cases

60%
Personal Injury 25%

Personal injury involves everything from car crashes to defective drugs and medical devices to train crossing cases. In my career I have handled all of these and more. My philosophy is the same in all areas -- I help people understand their rights and then encourage them to take action. Knowing is not enough -- we have to take action to have success. I'll help you understand your options and then you decide what is best for you and your family.

31 years | 300 cases

25%
Bankruptcy and Debt 15%

I have helped hundreds of Alabama consumers who are facing illegal and abusive debt collection tactics (including being sued in a collection suit) WITHOUT filing for bankruptcy. Whether it is an original creditor (credit card, auto loan, etc) or a bill collector, there are laws that protect you. I am glad to send you information about your rights so you can decide the best way to handle an abusive debt collector or creditor so that they will treat you with dignity and respect.

31 years | 500 cases

15%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Contingency

33%-50%


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Licenses

Licensed in Alabama for 30 years

State: Alabama

Acquired: 1995

Occupational License - Authorized to Practice

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

5.0 /5.0

201 Client Reviews

Showing 6 - 10 of 65 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by anonymous | March 07, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Debt Collection

Peace of Mind

I was at home with my children on a Sunday getting ready for the new week, and suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. I was being served by a debt collector I had never even heard of, and I was filled with so much anxiety that I became distracted with what I needed to do next. I couldn't focus ...for the rest of the day because the timeline to respond was so short, just 14 days. I called the office of John Watts and I was put at ease right away. They settled this case and had it dismissed in such a fast and simple way. I'd recommend John Watts to anyone in Alabama that is dealing with these types of lawsuits.

Posted by Randall Manweiler | October 22, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Consumer Protection

The Absolute Best

Absolutely the best at what he does, and explains the entire process to you. It is very special to have someone who can answer questions before you ask them. You don't have to worry about a single thing, because it is then in the hands of THE consumer law expert. You may feel anxious, but you don...'t have to. Hire John Watts to take care of business for you.

John Watts

Replied last October 22, 2020

Thank you very much for your feedback! We try to explain the process but we always welcome questions. Thanks for taking the time to write your review! John Watts

Posted by anonymous | September 14, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Debt Collection

Excellent! Thorough! Knowledgable! Compassionate!

After having received a fair amount of notifications, including but not limited to, multiple servers appearing at my house, I researched options for this debt collection lawsuit that I was now forced to face. One server literally was beating on my door and hollaring for me to show my face....as if I ...were some sort of criminal. It was mortifying. I had never been put in a situation like this and I did not know what to do. THEN, upon some research, I found a video done by John Watts. After watching it, I gave them a call and spoke with Carolyn. From the very beginning Carolyn and John helped me understand the situation in its entirety, and with their help, I was no longer freaking out. They were thorough in their explanations to me, and they treated me like a friend. When Carolyn explained how their fees worked, I couldn't believe my luck! Nice, friendly, job well done, and fair and reasonable fees! Sounded too good to be true! John Watts is very genuine and very true to his word. Carolyn is very genuine and very true to her word. I could have saved myself a good bit of stress had I found John Watts when all of it began. To be in such an awkward situation, I finally had peace, and I knew John and Carolyn were going to take care of me and my circumstance. While at first I was relieved even with just the initial correspondence, I had no idea just how well they would continue to go the extra mile, to go above and beyond. I am incredibly impressed by John Watts, Carolyn and this firm. My case is handled to great satisfaction, as promised would be by John Watts himself.... and still they are working with me and staying in continued correspondence with me to make sure they can do everything possible to help work on other resolutions regarding my overall debt situation.  I'm sure there are other very fine attorneys out there that are capable of representation in regards to any of Mr. Watts services, which include Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Foreclosures and RESPA, Debt Collection Lawsuits. However, the kind of perseverance, hard work, caring, compassionate, thorough, diligent, and going above and beyond is not usually a total package. John Watts and his staff, his firm, are the total package! I am so appreciative of both John Watts and Carolyn! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Mr. Watts and Carolyn for everything you do! Thank you for all the help and guidance you have provided along the way! Thank you for your hard work, your work ethics, your kindness, your attention to detail, your diligence, your respectful and kind nature! Thank you for everything! Definitely call John Watts today if you need representation in any of the areas I mentioned. You won't regret and you will be so happy you did! https://www.alabamaconsumer.com/about-us/john-g-watts/

John Watts

Replied last September 14, 2020

Thank you so much for the review and feedback -- we appreciate it very much and enjoyed representing you. Thanks again!! John Watts

Posted by Donald | August 16, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Debt Collection

I Am So Very Thankful!!

When I got that knock at the door and was served papers saying I was being sued by a debt buyer, I was so scared and nervous. It was mostly because I had no clue what being sued by a debt buyer even meant or how to go about trying to deal with any of it. I worried that I might have to go to jail beca...use of it. I also worried that they may try to garnish my income. I just had tons and tons of unanswered questions about it all. I started an online search for Alabama attorneys who specialized in debt buyer/debt collection lawsuits and over and over I kept coming across Mr. Watt’s name and website and loads of his YouTube videos. I watched several of his videos and immediately I was convinced he was the attorney for me. He seemed very genuine in his videos. I could tell he was extremely knowledgeable when it came to Alabama Law and Debt Collections. So I gave Mr. Watt’s office a call and I was able to speak with Miss Carolyn. Miss Carolyn was extremely pleasant to speak with. She and I communicated back and forth over the telephone and through emails many different times. No matter how many times I would email Miss Carolyn or telephone her and leave a voicemail, within a day or so, she always took the time to reply. I never felt dismissed or unimportant. Having Mr. Watts represent me in my debt buyer lawsuit, allowed me to stop worrying so much about what I was going to do to try and fix it all. I knew I was in very good hands. And it all worked out incredibly well. Just in the past week, Mr. Watts won my 2 cases, they were Dismissed with Prejudice, and I never have to deal with the trouble of them ever again. I am so very thankful to Mr. Watts and to Miss Carolyn for all of their hard work and assistance in everything they’ve done for me.

Posted by Shaunicka | April 10, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Debt Collection

Case Dismissed with Prejudice!!!!

I hired Mr Watts after googling garnishments and lawsuits filed by debt collectors. I came across a video of Mr Watts explaining the process of how debt collectors work and how they get away with judgements. After watching the video, I had a glimpse of hope to hold on to. The debt collector had al...ready filed two garnishments against me and were taking $865 from my check. I requested a consultation online hopeful for a lifeline, which is exactly what I got! Mr Watts was so understanding and informative. He didn’t pressure me to hire him and he gave me all the options that were available to me. I hired him after I filed my own answer to the court summons. Mr. Watts quickly withdrew my current answer and filed another requesting the case be dismissed with Prejudice. Mr. Watts handled my case most efficiently and got the results he was confident of! My case was dismissed with prejudice. I owe nothing! Mr. Watts will have Calvary remove it’s reporting to the credit agencies and I no longer have this worry hanging over my head! I would recommend Mr Watts’ services to anyone who finds themselves lost, depressed, or stressed by debt collection lawsuits and garnishments. Thank you Mr. Watts and your team!

See All Client Reviews

John Griffin Watts's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse John
Jon Ethan Lewis headshot
Jon Lewis

Foreclosure lawyer | Mar 01

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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."

Craig Philip Niedenthal headshot
Craig Niedenthal

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Feb 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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 Crad Hubbard headshot
John Hubbard

Consumer protection lawyer | Dec 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"John is one of the best consumer lawyers in Alabama."

Christopher Weaver headshot
Christopher Weaver

Consumer protection lawyer | Apr 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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."

Jason Michael Krebs headshot
Jason Krebs

Personal injury lawyer | Feb 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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."

Benjamin Weaver Glass III headshot
Benjamin Glass

Consumer protection lawyer | Feb 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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"

Gregory A Cade headshot
Gregory Cade

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Jan 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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 Michael Aaron headshot
John Aaron

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Feb 02

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"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."

Matthew A. Dunaway headshot
Matthew Dunaway

Elder law lawyer | May 28

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"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."

Michael S. Waddington headshot
Michael Waddington

Personal injury lawyer | Jun 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse John. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

Daniel Tam headshot
Daniel Tam

Unknown lawyer | May 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in 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."

Thomas Franklin Campbell headshot
Thomas Campbell

Debt settlement lawyer | Jan 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in 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."

Christian K. Lassen II headshot
Christian Lassen

Unknown lawyer | Oct 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Top-notch lawyer. Highly respected in the legal community."

Dorothy G Bunce headshot
Dorothy Bunce

Elder law lawyer | Apr 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in 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"

William J. Miller headshot
William Miller

Elder law lawyer | Mar 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. John is very knowledgeable and takes and puts his client's interests first."

Ronald C. Sykstus headshot
Ronald Sykstus

Debt collection lawyer | Feb 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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."

Paula Coleman Greenway headshot
Paula Greenway

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Feb 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"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."

Paul Aaron Herman headshot
Paul Herman

Debt settlement lawyer | Feb 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Davis Whitman Nelson headshot
Davis Nelson

Elder law lawyer | Dec 10

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"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."

Stephen Wright Williams headshot
Stephen Williams

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer | Sep 06

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"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."

View All Endorsements
Carmen Dellutri headshot
Carmen Dellutri

Personal injury lawyer

Jason Michael Krebs headshot
Jason Krebs

Personal injury lawyer

Charles Edward Boyk headshot
Charles Boyk

Car accident lawyer

Jonathan Levoy Griffith headshot
Jonathan Griffith

Personal injury lawyer

John N Skiba headshot
John Skiba

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

Michael Frederick Cardoza headshot
Michael Cardoza

Debt collection lawyer

Benjamin Weaver Glass III headshot
Benjamin Glass

Car accident lawyer

Matthew A. Dunaway headshot
Matthew Dunaway

Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer

Jason Lamar Yearout headshot
Jason Yearout

Personal injury lawyer

Dorothy G Bunce headshot
Dorothy Bunce

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

Stephen Wright Williams headshot
Stephen Williams

Real estate lawyer

William J. Miller headshot
William Miller

Elder law lawyer

Ronald C. Sykstus headshot
Ronald Sykstus

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

Paula Coleman Greenway headshot
Paula Greenway

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

Davis Whitman Nelson headshot
Davis Nelson

Estate planning lawyer

Matthew Steven Davis headshot
Matthew Davis

Personal injury lawyer

Elizabeth Irene Johnson headshot
Elizabeth Johnson

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

A. Wilson Webb headshot
A. Webb

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

M Stan Herring headshot
M Herring

Personal injury lawyer

George Richard Baker headshot
George Baker

Class action lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.7 (Superb)

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 Advocates

Member

1995 - Present

Alabama State Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Hope v. BSI Financial

Motion to dismiss was denied. 2012 WL 5379177

Carter v. Medicredit, Inc.

Attorney fees awarded at $375 per hour. 2012 WL 4329294

See More Legal Cases

Education

1995

Samford University, Cumberland School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1992

Indiana University-Northwest

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2013

Leveraging TCPA Developments in Federal Jurisdiction, Class Suitability, and New Technology Class Actions For Telephone and Fax Solicitation (TCPA) Post Mims

2009

Successful Practice Seminar

Using Social Media In Marketing A Law Practice And In Litigation

2009

Preventing Identity Theft

Preventing Identity Theft

2009

Jones School of Law Alumni Meeting

Understanding the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

2008

Collections Law Seminar

Credit Reporting By Debt Collectors and Defending Debt Collection Suits

2008

ABICLE Collections Law

Credit Reporting By Debt Collectors

N/A

Webinar

TCPA Class Actions: Phone, Text and Fax Solicitation Claims on the Rise

Publications

2006

Jones School of Law Alumni -- "The Jones Brief" Untapped Revenue Source for the Solo Practioner: The Fair Credit Reporting Act

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution