About Us
Who I am
S. JUDSON WAITES, II, P.C.
Mr. Waites was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and grew up in Dallas, Texas and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he was on the Dean’s List, was a legislator in the Student Government Association, played on the varsity football team, and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Mr. Waites attended Mercer University School of Law in Macon, Georgia, where he was on the Dean’s List and was a member of the Mock Trial team. After graduation from law school in 1992, Mr. Waites practiced law in Montgomery, Alabama for three years before moving to Georgia in 1995. Mr. Waites opened up his own legal practice in 1999. Mr. Waites is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the State Bar of Alabama, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, MENSA, and the Due West United Methodist Church. He enjoys sports, music, travel, and spending time with his family and friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Do you Charge
Mr. Waites is paid for his services based on one of the following commonly-used attorney fee arrangements
(a) an hourly basis plus expenses,
(b) a contingency fee basis, also known as a percentage basis, where Mr. Waites receives a percentage of the monies recovered, plus expenses, or
(c) a flat fee plus expenses.
Which fee arrangement will apply to your case depends on, among other things, the type of case, the facts of the case, and the laws that may apply to your case.
What is the difference between negotiation, mediation, and arbitration?
Negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation are different methods with which to resolve disputes. Negotiation refers to the communications directly between the parties, or their attorneys, in the hope of resolving, or settling, the case. Mediation is a meeting of the parties (and any attorneys involved) with a neutral, unbiased person who acts as a mediator to encourage settlement of the case. The opinion of the mediator as to who should win the case is not binding on the parties, and often is not revealed during the mediation’s encouragement of settlement. Arbitration is similar to mediation in that it is a meeting of the parties with neutral, unbiased person(s), but arbitration is different in that the arbitrator(s)’ decision as to who should win is binding on the parties and resolves the case. Litigation of a dispute occurs when a trial of the case takes place in court in front of either a judge (a.k.a. bench trial) or a jury.
Am I permitted to represent myself in court?
It depends.
In general, the answer is yes, any person can represent himself or herself in court. However, a person increases his or her chances of winning a case by retaining the services of a lawyer, who is trained in the nuances of dispute resolution. In addition, Georgia law requires that a corporation be represented in any court of record by an attorney only.
Instances when a person is not permitted to represent himself or herself include the representation in court of minors and legally incompetent persons.
Will my case be settled prior in court, or will I have to go to court for a trial?
While the great majority of cases settles prior to trial, some still have to go to court for a trial to resolve the case.
Whether a case settles or goes to trial depends on the type of case, the facts of the particular case, the laws that apply to the case, and the personalities of the parties, witnesses, lawyers and other people involved in the case.
“Jud is quite simply, amazing. He is knowledgeable, approachable, and ALWAYS responds. He has helped myself and I have referred him to many business associates and friends.
If you are looking for someone to help with a contract dispute or personal injury claim, you will not be disappointed by giving Jud a call.
Thanks for always being there for our community Jud."
Cassandra Bickel
Client
“Nobody likes it when you have to call an attorney for a contract dispute... but Jud Waites made things super simple, very clear, and overall was extremely helpful when I needed his expertise and help. He helped me navigate a situation that could have gotten way worse.
Don't hesitate to call him. You'll be very glad you did!”
Jimmy Allen
Client
“Jud Waites will go to bat for you. He helped me with an issue where a business did not want to own their mistake. We were able to keep it out of the court system and resolve the issue because of the way he handled our situation. Thank you, Mr. Waites, for helping us!”
Sean Perren
Client
“Mr. Waites was extremely professional and responsive. He explained all options and was invaluable in our legal process. I can't recommend him enough. It is never fun to be in this type of situation but Jud was honest, fair and brought our dispute to a close quickly.”
Jessica Harrison
Client
“I’ve had my fair share of working with attorneys over the past 20 years. Most, unfortunately, have been not good experiences. My experience with Jud Waites was the best client experience I could have asked for from an attorney, or any other service for that matter. Jud is thorough, detailed, a great communicator, and best of all...he gets the job done. I highly recommend Jud Waites.”
Blake Coty
Client