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All Business Dispute Practice Areas
Alabama · Georgia · South Carolina
Mechanic's Lien Lawyers
Perfecting and Enforcing Construction Liens
Where labor or materials have been supplied and the account is unpaid, a mechanic's lien makes the improved property security for the debt. We help contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers file, perfect, and enforce liens, and we defend against invalid ones.
Serving Alabama, Georgia & South Carolina · Commercial litigation and dispute counsel
Flexible Fee Structures
Contingency · Hourly · Hybrid
Seven Days a Week
Free, confidential consultation
Three States
Alabama, Georgia & South Carolina
The Governing State
Your State's Rules Control Your Dispute
Contract deadlines and forums differ across the three states we serve. South Carolina gives half the time Alabama and Georgia do. Choose the state where your dispute sits for the law that applies to your company.
Overview
Mechanic's Liens Lawyers Serving Alabama, Georgia & South Carolina
A mechanic's lien is among the strongest collection remedies available to anyone who improves real property, and in every state it is unforgiving on deadlines. Alabama law requires strict notice and a six-month window to enforce the lien through suit, and a single missed step can extinguish the security. Our mechanic's lien lawyers help contractors, subcontractors, materialmen, and suppliers across Jefferson County, Shelby County, and the Birmingham-Hoover metro file, perfect, and foreclose liens. We also represent owners and lenders against overstated or defective claims.
Our Representation
Mechanic's Liens Representation in Alabama, Georgia & South Carolina
If you furnished labor, materials, or equipment to improve real property and the bill went unpaid, a mechanic's lien lets you attach the property itself rather than chasing a contractor who may be insolvent. Alabama's lien statute is technical: the type of lien you can claim, the notice you must give the owner, and the deadline to file and then enforce all depend on whether you contracted directly with the owner or worked as a remote subcontractor or supplier. We handle the entire lifecycle - verified statement of lien, owner notice, the six-month enforcement suit, and foreclosure - while also representing owners, general contractors, and sureties who need to challenge, bond off, or discharge a lien that is inflated, untimely, or improperly filed.
Alabama's construction payment chain runs from owner to general contractor to subcontractors to suppliers, and the parties furthest down that chain are the ones most often left unpaid when a project fails. Mechanic's liens exist to protect those parties, but the notice rules differ sharply between original contractors and remote claimants. Alabama courts treat each tier differently, and a lien has to be prepared with the claimant's actual position on the chain in mind.
Our Clients
Who We Represent
General contractors and original contractors
Subcontractors and sub-subcontractors
Material suppliers and equipment lessors
Specialty trade contractors (electrical, mechanical, concrete)
Property owners and developers defending against liens
Lenders and title companies clearing clouded title
Common Mechanic's Liens
Unpaid balances after project completion
Disputes over whether lien notice was timely and proper
Liens by remote subcontractors and suppliers
Overstated or fraudulent lien amounts
Priority disputes between liens and construction lenders
Bonding off and discharging contested liens
What We Pursue for You
Unpaid contract and material balances secured by the property
Interest and statutory costs of collection
Foreclosure proceeds from lien enforcement
Attorneys' fees where contractually or statutorily available
Discharge of invalid liens clouding an owner's title
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions: Mechanic's Liens
How long do I have to file a mechanic's lien?
Deadlines depend on the state and your role. In Alabama, original contractors generally must file within six months of last furnishing, while materialmen and remote subcontractors face shorter windows. Georgia generally requires the lien within 90 days of last furnishing and suit to enforce within 365 days of filing. South Carolina generally requires filing and service within 90 days, with foreclosure and a lis pendens within six months. Because a missed deadline can void your lien entirely, contact us as soon as a payment problem appears so we can calendar every date.
Can a subcontractor or supplier file a lien if they never contracted with the owner?
Yes. Alabama allows remote subcontractors and suppliers to claim a lien even without a direct contract with the owner, but the available lien amount and the required notice to the owner are different from those of an original contractor. We make sure the correct type of lien and notice are used so the claim holds up.
I am a property owner and I believe a lien on my property is invalid - can you help me remove it?
Yes. We represent owners, developers, and lenders against liens that are untimely, overstated, or improperly perfected. Where a defective lien is holding up a sale or a refinance, the options include moving to discharge it or bonding it off so the transaction can close while the underlying dispute is resolved.
Is filing the lien enough to get paid?
No. A lien secures your claim, but you must file suit to enforce it - in Alabama, generally within six months. Filing alone preserves your position; enforcement is what converts the lien into payment, which is why timing matters so much.
Further Reading
Free Guides on Mechanic's Liens
Related Practice Areas
Construction Disputes
Construction projects generate complex disputes over payment, defective work, delays, and scope. We represent owners, contractors, and subcontractors across Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina when projects go wrong.
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Business Collections
Unpaid invoices and delinquent accounts tie up capital a business has already earned. We handle commercial debt collection and judgment enforcement for creditors across Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
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Subcontractor Payment Disputes
Subcontractors furnish the labor and carry the risk, and they are paid last. We represent Alabama subcontractors in payment disputes, retainage claims, pay-when-paid disputes, and lien enforcement against general contractors and owners.
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