Company Description

I received my Juris Dotorate degree from the University of Santa Clara, California and became a member of the California Bar in 1996. I moved to Colorado from California and became licensed to practice law here in 2002. I also hold an MBA and as well as an MA in Psychology from San Jose State University. I am a former trial attorney with the 22nd Judicial District, Colorado, having prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases.

I am also qualified as a judge in the Court of Indian Affairs for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Towaoc, Colorado.

I concentrate my practice on criminal defense, divorce, child custody, and estate planning. My areas of particular specialty include DUI defense, RADAR defense, and family law – see the questions you should ask to determine if a lawyer is truly specialized in one of these specific areas of law.

Unlike most attorneys, I am easily reached seven days a week. My law office is located at 208 W. North Street, Cortez, CO 81321. I do not post office hours because I can be reached via my cell phone (call or text) or email
I will return your communication within 24 hours if you leave your contact information. My cell phone number is (970) 570-9163, which you can call and leave a voice message or text me if I do not answer (sometimes I forget to take it off of silence if I have been in court). My email address is rich@richardsimslaw.com. Also, I have a land line in my office (no message capability) which is primarily used for faxes, but which you can call in case I am there and have either left my cell phone on silent or out in my vehicle: (970) 560-9910. I strongly believe communicating with my clients about their case and their legal needs are of the utmost importance.

I am always well prepared and I will fight for you. I am honest and ethical. I am not here to separate you from your wallet, and I will work with you to save as much money on your legal case as possible without sacrificing quality legal service – there are many things that you can do on your own to help you save money because I won’t have to do them.

I will not purposely run up your bill by fighting with the other attorney. Many attorneys attack the attorney on the other side of the case. Beware of attorneys who do that sort of thing because the result is you will pay a lot of money – the more you fight, the more you pay. I will encourage you (as will the judge) to settle your case in a manner that you approve, but in the end, you decide if you want to go to trial. I will work with you to determine what your legal goals are, then work with you to achieve them –the more you actively participate in your case, the better the end result will be.

In fact, because I actively encourage my clients to communicate with me, I do not charge for quick telephone calls under ten minutes or emails that it takes me under ten minutes to read and to respond (I type over 100 words a minute).

I do all of my own motions and work, so I am the only one handling your case from start to finish.

None of my family members work in my office, so you won’t have to worry about family members snooping in your private file.

I am an experienced trial attorney. I am comfortable with the Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure and the Rules of Evidence, all of which are very important to know, especially during a court or jury trial.

I also practice in the areas of Wills & Trusts, Deeds, Misdemeanor and Felony Defense, Protection / Restraining Orders, Evictions, Contracts, and other areas of law.

Beware of Dinosaur Lawyers

What is a Dinosaur Lawyer?

A Dinosaur Lawyer is an attorney who is over 50 years old and who does not know how to use a computer. A Dinosaur Lawyer can barely type
a Dinosaur Lawyer does not know how to use email
a Dinosaur Lawyer does not know how to use a word processing program
a Dinosaur Lawyer does not know how to perform online research
a Dinosaur Lawyer does not know how to use an electronic calendar
a Dinosaur Lawyer may not even have a cell phone
a Dinosaur Lawyer does not know how to test
a Dinosaur Lawyer uses his or her staff to perform those kind of things. A Dinosaur Lawyer has a lot of experience, and is usually knowledgeable regarding the law
a Dinosaur Lawyer usually charges a much higher hourly rate than other local lawyers and justifies it because he or she has been practicing law so long. Dinosaur Lawyers rarely return calls, and when they eventually do, a lot of time has passed.

Why should I beware of Dinosaur Lawyers?

Because you will be charged a hefty hourly fee, and the Dinosaur Lawyer will charge you his or her hourly fee to dictate letters, pleadings, communications, emails, and other various documents to his or her staff, then to review the document, then to make the inevitable corrections to the document, then to have the staff person make the corrections, then for the Dinosaur Lawyer to review it at least one more time. A Dinosaur Lawyer will quickly chew through your retainer and before you know it, will be asking you for more money, often times even before your first court date!


Beware Scorched Earth Lawyers