Legal Representation for Opelika Residents and Businesses
Opelika is the county seat of Lee County and one of Alabama’s faster-growing mid-sized cities, with a 2024 population of approximately 32,820 residents and a diverse economy anchored by East Alabama Health, the Lee County School System, a Walmart Distribution Center, and a strong base of automotive manufacturing and food processing employers. As the seat of Lee County government, Opelika is home to all of the county courts that serve not only Opelika residents but also residents of Auburn, Smiths Station, and the surrounding area. For Opelika residents and business owners facing a legal matter, The Wright Legal Group serves this community from our Columbus, GA office approximately 40 miles away, with attorneys who appear regularly in Lee County courts.
We serve Opelika residents from our Columbus, GA office at 3100 Gentian Blvd, Ste 8B, and we appear regularly in Lee County courts on behalf of our clients. You can see our full Alabama service area on our Alabama attorney page.
Courts That Handle Opelika Cases
Opelika Municipal Court
Opelika Municipal Court is located at 300 Martin Luther King Blvd in Opelika and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The municipal court handles traffic violations issued by Opelika Police Department officers within city limits, zoning and building code infractions, noise ordinance violations, and minor criminal offenses occurring within the city. Citations issued by Opelika city officers are routed here. Citations issued by Lee County Sheriff’s deputies or Alabama State Troopers are routed to Lee County District Court.
Lee County District Court and Circuit Court
The Lee County District Court and Circuit Court operate from the T.K. Davis Justice Center at 2311 Gateway Drive in Opelika. Court hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The District Court handles misdemeanor criminal matters including most first-offense DUI charges brought by county or state agencies. The Circuit Court handles felony matters and higher-value civil litigation.
Lee County Probate Court
The Lee County Probate Court is located at 215 South 9th Street in Opelika, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It handles estate administration, will probate, guardianship petitions, and conservatorship proceedings for all Lee County residents. A satellite office is maintained in Smiths Station at 2336 Lee Road 430. Contact the Smiths Station satellite directly at 334-448-3299 to confirm current hours before visiting.
How We Help Opelika Residents
DUI Defense
A DUI arrest in Alabama triggers two separate legal processes simultaneously. If you were arrested by an Opelika Police Department officer within city limits, your criminal case moves through Opelika Municipal Court. If you were arrested by a Lee County Sheriff’s deputy or an Alabama State Trooper, your case moves through Lee County District Court. The administrative case, which determines what happens to your driver’s license, runs separately through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency regardless of which court handles the criminal matter.
You have only 10 days from your arrest date to file a written demand requesting an administrative hearing to contest your license suspension. Miss that window and the suspension takes effect automatically before your criminal case is ever heard. If you were arrested for DUI anywhere in Opelika or Lee County, call us the same day.
Our managing attorney spent years as a Forensic Toxicologist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab before founding this firm. We bring direct working knowledge of how breath and blood tests are performed, where errors occur, and what the lab records should show. We examine the legality of the stop, the administration of field sobriety tests, whether implied consent notice was properly given, and whether chemical test results can be challenged on scientific grounds.
Commercial driver’s license holders face additional federal consequences beyond Alabama’s standard penalties. A first DUI conviction in a personal vehicle can result in a one-year CDL disqualification, and a second conviction can result in a lifetime ban. For workers in Opelika’s distribution, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors who depend on a CDL, the defense needs to account for that from the start.
Full details: Alabama DUI Attorney
Probate and Estate Administration
When an Opelika resident passes away, their estate is administered through the Lee County Probate Court at 215 South 9th Street in Opelika. The probate process begins with a petition filed in that court, and the creditor claim period of six months from the date letters are granted sets the minimum timeline for most formal cases.
Smaller estates may qualify for Alabama’s Summary Distribution process if the estate consists entirely of personal property with no real estate and a net value at or below $37,075 for the 2025-2026 period, a threshold adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index. That process is significantly faster and can often be completed in six to twelve weeks rather than the six to twelve months required for full probate administration.
We assist Opelika families with every stage of the Alabama probate process, from the initial petition through the final accounting, including estates with real property, outstanding debts, business interests, or disputes among heirs. We also handle guardianship petitions for minors and conservatorship proceedings for adults who can no longer manage their own affairs.
Full details: Alabama Probate Attorney
Business Law
Opelika’s business environment reflects a city in sustained growth. Since 2005, the city has seen more than $2.6 billion in new industry investment and the creation of over 4,700 jobs, driven by automotive manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, and distribution operations. Many Opelika business owners operate across the Alabama-Georgia line, employing workers in both states or maintaining vendor and customer relationships with Columbus-area companies.
We assist Opelika business owners with LLC and corporation formation, operating agreements, contract drafting and review, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, breach of contract claims, partnership and LLC disputes, employment agreements and handbooks, and foreign entity qualification for Georgia-formed businesses conducting operations in Alabama.
Alabama requires all LLCs to maintain a registered agent with a physical in-state address and to file an Initial Business Privilege Tax Return within two and a half months of formation. The annual Business Privilege Tax scales based on net worth, though entities with a calculated liability at or below $100 are fully exempt from both payment and the filing requirement for tax years beginning after December 31, 2023.
Full details: Alabama Business Law Attorney
Traffic Violations
Where your traffic citation is heard in Opelika depends on who issued it. Citations issued by Opelika Police Department officers within city limits are heard at Opelika Municipal Court at 300 Martin Luther King Blvd. Citations issued by Lee County Sheriff’s deputies or Alabama State Troopers are heard at Lee County District Court at the T.K. Davis Justice Center on Gateway Drive. Your citation paperwork will identify the issuing agency and the court.
Paying a citation is an admission of guilt that adds points to your driving record. Alabama’s point system suspends your license when you accumulate 12 or more points within any rolling two-year period, with suspensions ranging from 60 days to 365 days depending on the total. Reckless driving is a criminal offense in Alabama carrying a mandatory minimum of five days in jail, a fine of up to $500, and 6 points on your record, the highest single-violation value on the standard schedule.
Commercial driver’s license holders face federal disqualification standards significantly stricter than the standard suspension schedule. Serious violations committed in a personal vehicle count toward CDL disqualification the same as violations in a commercial vehicle. If you hold a CDL, speak with an attorney before paying any citation.
Full details: Alabama Traffic Attorney
Personal Injury
Alabama applies a pure contributory negligence standard, one of the strictest in the country. If you are found to bear any portion of fault for an accident, even one percent, you are generally barred from recovering any compensation at all. That standard makes thorough documentation and early legal involvement critically important from the moment an accident happens.
We handle personal injury matters for Opelika residents involving car and truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian and bicycle accidents, premises liability and slip and fall claims, and wrongful death. US-280, I-85, and the Gateway Drive corridor carry significant traffic volume through Opelika and have been the site of serious accidents involving commuters and commercial vehicles. If you were hurt in a crash anywhere in the Opelika area, do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster before speaking with us.
Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Full details: Alabama Personal Injury Attorney
Frequently Asked Questions
- My citation was issued by an Opelika police officer. Where is my court date?
Citations issued by Opelika Police Department officers within city limits are heard at Opelika Municipal Court, located at 300 Martin Luther King Blvd, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Citations issued by Lee County Sheriff’s deputies or Alabama State Troopers are heard at Lee County District Court at the T.K. Davis Justice Center, 2311 Gateway Drive. Your citation will identify which court applies.
- I was arrested for DUI in Opelika. What do I need to do first?
Call us immediately. The 10-day window to request an administrative hearing to contest your license suspension begins the day of your arrest. That deadline cannot be extended, and missing it means your suspension takes effect automatically before your criminal case is resolved. Contact us the same day so we can file the request on your behalf right away.
- Where is the Lee County Probate Court?
The Lee County Probate Court is located at 215 South 9th Street in Opelika, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. For Smiths Station residents, a satellite office is available closer to home. If the estate qualifies for Summary Distribution, the current net property threshold is $37,075 for the 2025-2026 period.
- How far is your Columbus office from Opelika?
Our Columbus, GA office at 3100 Gentian Blvd, Ste 8B is approximately 38 to 42 miles from Opelika, typically 40 to 45 minutes via US-280 or I-85. Consultations are also available by phone and video if traveling is not convenient.
- I was hurt in an accident on US-280 near Opelika. What should I do?
Seek medical attention first, even if you feel fine at the scene. Some injuries take time to present. Document the scene, collect the other driver’s information, and contact us before speaking to any insurance adjuster. Alabama’s contributory negligence rule means that anything you say early on can be used to assign you a share of fault and eliminate your right to recover entirely.
- I am forming a business in Opelika. What do I need to do first?
The first steps are selecting the right business structure, filing formation documents with the Alabama Secretary of State, designating a registered agent with a physical Alabama address, and filing your Initial Business Privilege Tax Return within two and a half months of formation. We assist Opelika business owners with every step of the formation process and with ongoing legal needs after the business is up and running.
Ready to Talk
If you are facing a legal matter in Opelika or anywhere in Lee County, we are ready to help. Tell us what happened and we will give you a clear, honest picture of your options and what comes next. No pressure, no obligation, and no cost for that first conversation.
Don’t Go Wrong, Choose Wright.
Call 844-766-4534 or email [email protected]. Visit us at 3100 Gentian Blvd, Ste 8B, Columbus, GA 31907.
Serving Opelika and Lee County from our Columbus, GA office.
The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this page. Contact our office directly to discuss your specific situation.