Orlando Florida attorney Reed Bloodworth focuses on business litigation, and trust and estate litigation but provides many other legal services.
- Business Litigation
- Trust and Estate Litigation
- Undue Influence
- Lack of Capacity
- Tortious Interference with a Testamentary Expectancy
- Additional Legal Services Offered:
- Arbitration
- Banking and Finance Law
- Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
- Breach of Contract
- Breach of Warranty
- Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
- Commercial Disputes
- Commercial Landlord/Tenant Disputes
- Commercial Finance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Commercial Transactions / UCC Law
- Contract Disputes
- Corporate Compliance Law
- Corporate Governance Law
- Corporate Law
- Defamation
- Elder Law
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment related disputes, including non-compete and non-solicitation agreements
- Employment Law – Individuals
- Employment Law – Management
- Environmental Law
- Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
- Financial Services Regulation Law
- Franchise Law
- Fraud
- Health Care Law
- Improper conduct in business transactions, such as:
- Investor or Start-up Disputes (between investors in start-up ventures, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies)
- Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants
- Legal Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
- Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law
- Litigation – Banking & Finance
- Litigation – Environmental
- Litigation – ERISA
- Litigation – Labor & Employment
- Litigation – Land Use & Zoning
- Litigation – Mergers & Acquisitions
- Litigation – Real Estate
- Litigation – Trusts & Estates
- Mediation
- Mergers & Acquisitions Law
- Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law
- Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants
- Professional Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs
- Project Finance Law
- Real Estate Law
- Tortious or intentional interference with contractual or advantageous relations
- Trusts & Estates Law
- Unfair competition
- Venture Capital Law
I often talk with people who want to file a lawsuit due to broken contracts, failure to provide services or products or litigation as a beneficiary left out of a trust or estate. First I tell them that the filing of a lawsuit is predicated upon some wrong committed against you or your business.
Legal Services Fee Structures
I offer multiple legal services fee structures in an attempt to best suit my clients’ needs. I work on a contingency fee basis, a flat fee, a hybrid fee or an hourly rate. I work with clients to help them begin case activity immediately.
Cases Accepted on Contingency Fee Basis
A contingency fee structure means that I do not collect any attorney’s fees unless I make a recovery for the client. Essentially it means if we don’t win I don’t get paid. The contingency fee is a percentage that my client and I would agree to at the beginning of the case and that I would collect once I collect money from the defendant. A Contingency Fee structure is generally applied to plaintiffs in a lawsuit.
Cases Accepted on a Flat Fee
The next fee structure I offer is a flat fee. The flat fee would be negotiated with the client at the beginning of the case where the client would pay me in advance and I would complete the entire case for that negotiated amount. A Flat Fee structure can be used for both plaintiffs and defendants in a lawsuit.
Cases Accepted at an Hourly Fee
The next fee structure I provide is an hourly fee. The hourly fee is simply my fee charged for the amount of time I work on the client’s files. My invoices are then provided to the client on a monthly basis for payment. An Hourly Fee structure can be used for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Cases Accepted on a Hybrid Fee
The final fee structure I provide is what is referred to as a hybrid fee. This type of fee structure is often used in the context of representing a plaintiff or perhaps representing a counter-plaintiff where someone has been sued but has a counterclaim.
And the hybrid fee combines the aspects of the hourly fee agreement and the contingency fee agreement. Typically the hybrid fee agreement bills at a lower hourly rate and combines that with a percentage recovery if we are successful in either our claim or counterclaim.
Services on Contingency
One of the benefits of working with me on a case is the ability to start work for legal services on contingency. Clients don’t have to come up with a retainer for legal work to get started because I work on a contingency fee basis. It’s unusual to offer contingency fees for business litigation and trust and estate litigation as most people are familiar with personal injury cases being paid for through contingency fees.
Contingency means payment is contingent upon me, the attorney, collecting money from a completed case. Clients pay no fees upfront, nor are you billed for monthly payments. You pay attorney’s fees when the case is over and only if I have won the case. A performance-based lawsuit changes the dynamic of any legal case. I have to collect funds from a completed case that pays out, ending the lawsuit with the person or party who a client sues.
Contingency fees are helpful to both consumers and to attorneys who have cases that cannot proceed without a retainer. An attorney can send me a contingency fee case because our firm is able to take cases on after vetting the cases. We can handle cases while the client pays later. The client doesn’t pay money to an attorney upfront. We sign an agreement stipulating the legal agreement.
I work with many attorneys practicing business litigation, trust and estate litigation and who refer personal injury cases. I get to work immediately and handle the case until there is a settlement, a trial, a mediation to bring in the monies from the lawsuit. Then, and only then, will the client pay the law firm. And if there is no money rewarded, the client doesn’t pay. Filing a lawsuit is a serious decision and the person representing you should have experience in those areas of law. An attorney who spends a good portion of their time in courtrooms in front of judges and juries.
Equally as important is the ability to negotiate and settle a legal issue before it gets to court. Everyone wants a fighter, a lawyer who will fight for their rights. But what they really want and need is a skilled litigator who knows the law, how to apply it and negotiate if and when possible for the best outcome in accordance with the clients’ desired goals.
Cases From Plaintiffs and Defendants
Reed accepts cases from plaintiffs and defendants. Plaintiff clients are offered several payment methods to begin cases including contingency fee, project fee, hourly fee, or a hybrid fee structure. Defendant clients are offered hourly fees or project fees.
Reed feels it’s important clients understand the various outcomes when litigation on an issue begins. While a client often wants to sue an opposing party–which can become expensive and lengthy–there may be alternatives better suited to reach client goals. Reed forms a team with clients to pursue the desired outcome on a case.
When a business dispute incites legal action, or a problem or action arises involving a trust or an estate, learn your options. Reed invites you to ask questions and provides answers you’ll understand. Talk about your legal problems in a formal consultation by calling Reed at 407-777-8541 or send questions to attorney Reed Bloodworth at Reed@LawyerFightsForYou.com Work with a skilled attorney who you’re confident can and will help you in the area of law in which you’re having problems.
Services and Practice Areas
I focus on business litigation, and estate and trust litigation cases. I work with corporations, small business owners, franchise owners, construction companies, families and individuals. There is a broad range of people who need an attorney to resolve their legal issues.
I work for plaintiffs, people who have had to fight to get what is rightfully theirs based upon the law. They’re not defending themselves from lawsuits they’re filing lawsuits against other entities over a business issue, a car accident, slip & fall accident, a wrongful death.
I work on trust and estate litigation where a beneficiary is excluded, or maybe there was breach of fiduciary duty in a trust. Maybe the estate assets were mismanaged. Then you’d talk to me and we’d find out what happened to you and how to resolve this in or out of court.
Cases Taken on Contingency
One of the benefits in working with me is that I’m able to take client cases on contingency. This is known as accepting cases on a contingency fee basis.
In short this means that you don’t pay unless I collect on a case in a settlement or in a courtroom. Of course your case is evaluated and when accepted but you’re not putting money down, paying a lump sum to get started, and you’re not billed monthly. When the case ends with a financial payout, you’ll pay for the case then. The payment is contingent–dependent upon–my ability to getting it settled or getting a decision in court with a payment to you the client. Then, I get paid. If there is no money earned from the case, you won’t pay. The risk is on the law firm in taking the case.
Business Litigation
Business litigation is a very common term it means civil litigation pertaining to a business. Very typical business litigation scenarios are a breach of contract or a shareholder or partnership dispute, or various business torts. Such as fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation or violation of trade secrets.
Trust and Estate
Finally, I handle trust and estate litigation which means that I represent people who are beneficiaries or who should be beneficiaries in the realm of trusts and in wills or in probate litigation. Typical causes of action include Undue Influence, Lack of Capacity, or Tortious Interference with a Testamentary Expectancy.
Why I Enjoy Being an Attorney
What I find very appealing about working as an attorney and why I enjoy being an attorney is because of it’s important to the client’s interests to fight for those who need help.
Where at a traditional bill-by-the-hour law firm, the attorneys are often incentivized to just bill for hours, I’d rather focus on getting the results just as quickly as I can for my clients.
I’m a plaintiff’s lawyer and I promise to get to work on your case and fight for you.
I Form a Team With You
The model is “I’m going to form a team with you, the client. And I’m going to go try and collect the money that you’re owed you, client. Somebody has wronged you and I’m going to go try to collect it for you and I’m going to work like crazy to collect it.”
So again, my name is Reed Bloodworth I’m an Orlando Florida attorney. Let’s talk about your case, I’d like to find out what happened to you.
What are the 3 Stages of a Lawsuit?
Many people ask how a lawsuit “works” or progresses. I tell clients that the case varies and that no case can be compared to yours. Facts in every case vary so I thought I would answer the question what are the 3 stages of a lawsuit? Once the lawsuit is filed, the lawsuit proceeds in three stages:
Pleadings Stage
Complaint is Filed: You have your pleadings stage which is where we file a complaint stating what the other party did wrong and how you were injured.
We’re saying that someone did something wrong and that it caused physical harm or injury due the action taken by the other party. We file a complaint on behalf of you, the plaintiff, in a formal complaint against the other party.
It may be against a business, an individual, a corporation, or even a government entity but we’re stating that their actions or inactions caused physical harm or injury to you through their negligence.
Defendant Response: The defendant will then have to file an answer in affirmative defenses.
Now sometimes defendants file a Motion to Dismiss, in which case we have to go to a Hearing. Occasionally we have to file an Amended Complaint. If that occurs we will attempt to prevail on our motion to dismiss and the defendant will have to file an answer in affirmative defenses. When that is filed that is the end of stage one of a case and the end of the Pleadings Stage.
Discovery Stage
The second stage is Discovery. The Discovery Stage is made up of:
- Paper Discovery
- Evidence
- Questions
Paper discovery, meaning we go and attempt to gather up all the available information pertaining to your case.
Evidence and a lot of that evidence comes from a range of official sources, police records, contracts, paperwork signed by parties involved. Information provided in statements by witnesses, parties involved and we build a case.
The other thing we do is we’ll serve written questions to the defendant. Those are known as interrogatories and we make them answer those questions. Those are usually more basic questions such as who was involved.
What Happens in a Deposition?
The other standard discovery tool is a Deposition which I’m sure you’ve seen many times on TV. But what happens in a deposition? In a deposition, the attorney sits down with someone in the case, a witness in the case or a party in the case and asks a number of questions to lock in their testimony.
The deposition involves the plaintiff, or the defendant, and their legal representation. Both parties may be represented, but you are not necessarily going to be seeing the defendant. You are more likely to see the defendant’s attorney. The opposing counsel is allowed to ask you questions about what happened in the incident.
I will be at the deposition with you and I will prepare you for the deposition so that you understand what will happen. You will be asked questions and I will be there to raise objections should the opposing attorney become aggressive or ask questions that are not allowed.
The reason we do this is we want to know exactly what they’re going to say if and when we go to trial. If they attempt to say something different in trial we can then cross them with their previous testimony.
This is known as discovery. The opposing counsel has the right to find out what you will say in a court of law should the case go to trial. Stories must be exact and should not change.
Settlement
Sometimes a case will be settled out of court and resolved in an early Settlement. There is no way to know whether this will happen or what the amount will be.
A settlement involves negotiation between the two parties outside a courtroom and is usually involving attorneys: a plaintiff’s attorney vs. the defendant’s attorney who is often representing a business, an individual or a corporation or insurance company.
Sometimes when there is a disputed issue, mediation may be involved where both sides resolve differences by giving and taking to come to an agreed action or amount of money to right the wrong. But the goal is to resolve differences and settle on an amount that will be paid to the plaintiff for the wrong that occurred. When a settlement is not possible, the case goes to trial
Trial Stage
Summary Judgment
What is a summary judgment?
The Third Stage is the Trial Stage. In any case, if you don’t win a Summary Judgment the case will have to go to trial.
What is a Summary Judgment?
A Summary Judgment is when all of the facts in a case are agreed to by both sides and the only issue left to decide is one of pure law. A summary judgment ends the case.
How Long Will a Case Last?
Cases that do not resolve by settlement will go to trial. A trial, depending upon the complexity of the case can last anywhere from one day to multiple weeks.
The length of the case depends on the number of witnesses, the number of expert witnesses and the trial will be determined by a jury. It’s very rare that you have a bench trial which means the judge decides.
At the end of the trial the jury will render its verdict and that usually will conclude the lawsuit and the case will be over. If a case is to be appealed, it will be decided through an appellate court.