Common questions

Call the office to schedule a consultation. Depending on the matter, that may be a phone call or a meeting at the Golden office. Fees are discussed once Rocco Dodson knows enough about the case to give you a meaningful answer, rather than as a quote over the phone.

The firm's work is billed hourly, which is standard for business litigation. Fee arrangements are set out in a written agreement before work begins, so you know what you are agreeing to.

Litigation costs are driven more by how the other side behaves than by anything else. Part of the firm's job is giving you a realistic estimate early and telling you when litigation is not the best solution.

It varies widely. A payment dispute that settles once liability becomes clear may resolve in a few months. A construction defect case with multiple parties and expert testimony can run for a year or more.

Many matters never reach trial. Negotiation, mediation and arbitration resolve a large share of business disputes, often faster and for less than a trial would cost.

Yes. Colorado law sets time limits on civil claims, and construction matters have their own rules that can cut off a claim earlier than people expect. The limits depend on the type of claim and when the problem was discovered.

Because those deadlines are strict and the analysis is specific to your facts, the practical advice is simple: call early rather than waiting. A dispute you are still hoping to work out informally can quietly run out of time.

The contract or agreement, any correspondence with the other side, invoices or payment records, and, for construction matters, the plans, change orders and daily reports if you have them.

If you do not have everything, come anyway. Part of the early work is assembling the record.

The practice is primarily business-side civil litigation, including self-employed individuals and people in disputes over real estate, contracts or construction on their own property. Criminal, family and personal injury matters are outside the firm's practice.

With Rocco Dodson. This is a small firm, and the attorney you hire is the attorney who handles the matter. Calls are returned by the person who knows the file.

That is a common situation in construction and insurance disputes, and it is not by itself a disadvantage. Cases are decided on the contract, the record and the law, not on headcount. A smaller firm also carries lower overhead, which matters over a long matter.

Yes. The firm is based in Golden and represents clients throughout Colorado, in both state and federal court. Clients who live outside Colorado but have a Colorado matter often meet with Rocco Dodson by video.

Yes. Part of the value of an early conversation is finding out that a dispute is better handled by picking up the phone to the other side than by filing anything. You will be told if that is the case.