Previous Law Firm Name

• J. Burton Hunter, III, Attorney at Law, January 1, 1990
• Roy D. Law, Attorney at Law, March 1, 1990
• J. Burton Hunter III, Attorney

Languages

• English

Law Firm Overview

Welcome. My practice is a "trial practice" focusing on representing individuals in domestic matters, personal injury, and civil litigation. For example, I provide advice and guidance on divorce and related issues, such as custody and support, I assist people who have been injured in auto accidents, due to defective products, medical malpractice, and victims of bad faith settlement practices by insurance companies. I have been advocating for clients for over 30 years since returning to Buckhannon, where my wife Nancy and I attended college, after I finished four years of service in the United States Air Forces Judge Advocate Corps.

While I have a reputation for being an aggressive representative of my clients, it is less well known that I successfully negotiate a very high percentage of divorce settlements. I initiate settlement discussions early in my cases and invite the Respondent to a face-to-face settlement meeting. I have received extensive training in domestic mediation, not just so I can be a mediator, but also so I can be effective in helping my clients through mediation or settlement.

The attorneys in Buckhannon and Weston are facing great competition from the "television lawyers." These are the guys that offer "big money fast" or "you will never lift a finger." The truth is that the preparation and settlement of a personal injury claim is a collaborative effort between the attorney and the insurance representative. It takes work by the attorney, the client, and the insurance adjustor to achieve a settlement without a trial.

When you work with the "television lawyers", chances are if your case goes to trial, you will probably be represented by an associate because the "television lawyer" may not want to face the jury that has seen him dancing with bears or sitting in a car that is sawed in half. It may seem old fashioned, but the small town jury responds most favorably to an attorney it respects and believes.

What is not old fashioned about our practice is the technology. We employ a Windows XP™ network with a Dell server. We use Outlook to organize our office. Our basic pleadings are in "Hot Docs" document assembly software, and we use the Lexis-Nexis CaseSoft litigation support software. By using broadband internet, we have constant communication between home and office, including video conferencing.

My staff includes a receptionist and billing clerk, an office manager, and two bright, energetic paralegals and a mail/filing clerk. Each of them started with me right out of school, and I have given them superior training. They all know that the "client comes first," and that "service is everything."

If you have questions about how we can serve you, contact us anytime.

Areas of Practice

• Adoption/Grandparents Rights
• Child Support
• Civil Litigation-Boundary Lines/Defective Houses/Easements/Wills
• Custody & Visitation
• Estates/Contract Disputes
• Family/Domestic Law-Divorces/Custody/Contempt/Modification 75%
• Four Wheeler/Product Liability/Industrial Accidents/Medical Malpractice 20%
• Insurance Law
• Legal Malpractice
• Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
• Personal Injury/Insurance Law/Auto/Truck/Motorcycle/Bycle
• Products Liability Law
• Professional Malpractice Law
• Railroad Worker Injury/FELA

Honors and Awards

• West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Presidents Awards, 1994
• West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Member of the Year Award, 1995

Representative Clients

• The "Little Guys" Who Otherwise Would Get Kicked Around

West Practice Categories

Mediation, Bad Faith Insurance, Family Law, Adoption, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Childrens' Rights, Collaborative Law, Custody & Visitation, Divorce, Domestic Violence & Neglect, Juvenile Law, Paternity, Prenuptial Agreements, Insurance Law, Insurance Malpractice, Insurance Subrogation, Motor Vehicle, Property & Casualty, Litigation & Appeals, State Appellate Practice, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Animal Bites -- Plaintiff, Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff, Premises Liability -- Plaintiff, Property Damage -- Plaintiff, Railroad Accidents -- Plaintiff, Slip and Fall -- Plaintiff, Wrongful Death -- Plaintiff, Products Liability Law, Professional Malpractice Law, Dental Malpractice, Legal Malpractice, Medical Malpractice, Railroad Worker Injury/FELA