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
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Three States
Alabama, Georgia & South Carolina
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.
Alabama
Six years on written contracts, from the breach (Ala. Code § 6-2-34)
Mechanic's Liens in Alabama
Georgia
Six years on written contracts, from the breach (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-24)
Mechanic's Liens in Georgia
South Carolina
Three years on written contracts, from when the breach was or should have been discovered (S.C. Code § 15-3-530)
Mechanic's Liens in South CarolinaMechanic's Lien 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 suit to enforce the lien within six months after the entire debt comes due, 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.
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 enforcement suit due within six months after the debt matures, 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.
Who We Represent
Common Mechanic's Liens
What We Pursue for You
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 of last furnishing, with foreclosure and a lis pendens within six months of last furnishing. 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 after the entire debt becomes due under your payment terms, not six months from recording). Filing alone preserves your position; enforcement is what converts the lien into payment, which is why timing matters so much.
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.
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.
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.