Advice needed Please.

[veritas]

Maybe it's

because we are afraid there will be payback for all the fun jokes they afford us.

In Portland we know it's really cold when the lawyers have their hands in their own pockets.

[DTS]

Bart

Amen, Bart!!!

After several attempts to contact clients, for whatever reason, all of the ones that are like this client of discussion are nothing more than irresponsible deadbeats that cover their eyes and ears and expect everyone else to do their work for them and be happy to do so. If I get no response from them after a few attempts, I refuse to call them any further and I put their file away in the bottom drawer. It can sit there for years and I couldn't care less!

I will say that if this client had handled this with me the way she did Dany, she and the "attorney" would have gotten a very nasty earful.

Wouldn't it be nice to see this idiot in court explaining this sob story to a judge?

Dennis

[jainen]

a nice day

>>Wouldn't it be nice to see this idiot in court explaining this sob story to a judge?<<

I think I understand your point, Dennis, and even somewhat agree, but no, that would not be my idea of a nice day.

[DTS]

Court

I guess I'm just starved for entertainment

[geekgirldany]

No it wouldn't be a nice day to do that. But if it every goes there they won't have a case. I found signed engagement letters today that will help alot. He took some good jabs over the phone. I told him not to threaten me. Later on he told me to "not get upset" and "I dont' know if it will go further". Learning experience for me. Like I said first time happening to me but I know I will deal with it in the future as it is a part of business.

[George Boutwell]

What is it about the mention of the word LAWYER (I know maybe one who's competent and diligent)

And I bet his name isn't Alberto.

Then there's the one about the guy who couldn't get into the University of Texas law school, so he got a Harvard MBA instead.

[veritas]

For me

the name that comes to mind is Sandy Burglar.

[Black Bart]

Lawyers, sheep, courts, and me.

Amen, Bart!!!

...irresponsible deadbeats that...expect everyone else to do their work for them...no response...I refuse to call them any further...put their file away...It can sit there for years and I couldn't care less!

Thanks for the support Dennis. Although Sam is probably technically/legally right (sorry, Sam; I know you're just quoting a possible legal outcome), but I just get so sick and tired of loafers, slackers, and ethical low-lifes wanting to shift responsibility from themselves to us who, generally, do everything we can to help the dopes; often at no charge and with much unrewarded extra work. Most of us want to help them resolve old problems, get into compliance, and "straighten up" their tax affairs if we can. This sort of despicable payback is a direct slap in the face for our efforts, especially when compounded by a shyster trying to turn justice on its head and pronouncing us to be the bad guys (it's "not her problem"). Maybe that attorney badly needs a fee (I have a few times), but I have to think that if presented with an equivalent tax case, I'd turn it down flat.

Wouldn't it be nice to see this idiot in court explaining this sob story to a judge?

I thought so, and I actually was there once for a similar case. Years ago I was the head bookkeeper for a large farm implement dealership and a professional deadbeat had us to repair his combine for $1,500 (a large amount in those days). The mananger knew he'd tried to beat us and told everybody to, under no circumstances, let the guy come get it without paying cash. There were no computers then and he had me pull the guy's account card from the tray and literally nail it to the wall so it couldn't be overlooked by anybody in the office. Anyhow, the guy sneaked in the back a week later, persuaded the wash rack kid to give him the key, and drove it off. Anticipating our turning him over to the credit bureau, he actually sued us for negligence, faulty work, misrepresentation of services, etc. (everything except loitering).

I'd never been to court and was one of those trembling sheep (scared to death). Our lawyer gave me zero help (later said "I guess I should have prepped you more" -- a gross understatement). Anyway his lawyer just about tarred and feathered me for that "nail on the wall" business ("Is that your usual bookkeeping method?") and other nitpicking things (like Dany, I don't have a photographic memory). Nixon's Watergate hearings were going on at the time, so I managed to throw in a few "I don't recall"s to foil the offense -- that actually works; the judge told their lawyer I had answered the question with that response and to move on. Anyway the crook did tell his sob story, but the judge saw right through it and we won a judgment plus interest (unfortunately never collected), so justice did sort of prevail.

But anyway, I re-read my previous "sheep" post, and wanted to apologize to board members who may have been offended by it. I understand that being "in the right" doesn't guarantee a legal outcome nowadays and there's a real possibility of money damages, bad publicity for your practice, and a great deal of embarrassment. Although I'm much older now and don't think I would be as nervous, it was a very unpleasant experience that I would not like to repeat (I also trembled on occasion back then).

Getting old I suppose -- guess I need to change with the times and trudge on. What else can we do?

[George Boutwell]

especially when compounded by a shyster trying to turn justice on its head and pronouncing us to be the bad guys (it's "not her problem"). Maybe that attorney badly needs a fee (I have a few times), but I have to think that if presented with an equivalent tax case, I'd turn it down flat.

Of course, it probably never occurred to you that he might be one of those "who, generally, do everything we can to help the dopes; often at no charge and with much unrewarded extra work."

Meanwhile, Frank Rich notes

The first Justice Department official to plead the Fifth in this year’s bottomless United States attorneys scandal — Monica Goodling, a former top Alberto Gonzales aide — is a product of Pat Robertson’s Regent University School of Law, formerly known as CBN University School of Law, after the Christian Broadcasting Network. As The Boston Globe discovered, Regent’s Web site boasts that some 150 of its grads were hired by the Bush administration, and not, it seems, because of merit. In Ms. Goodling’s graduating class, 60 percent failed the bar exam on their first try. U.S. News & World Report ranks the school in the fourth — a k a bottom — tier.

[Black Bart]

Actually, no

Of course, it probably never occurred to you that he might be one of those "who, generally, do everything we can to help the dopes; often at no charge and with much unrewarded extra work."

it didn't, and still doesn't, occur to me. I haven't run across any philanthropic attorneys -- maybe your experience (of course) is different. I had a client in last week who had one charge him $300 to transfer a letter he'd typed up to their letterhead for effect.

The first Justice Department official to plead the Fifth in this year’s bottomless United States attorneys scandal — Monica Goodling.

She wisely took the fifth because she knows there's no lengths that the inevitable special prosecutors won't go to bring down the president.

[geekgirldany]

it didn't, and still doesn't, occur to me. I haven't run across any philanthropic attorneys -- maybe your experience (of course) is different. I had a client in last week who had one charge him $300 to transfer a letter he'd typed up to their letterhead for effect.

I do believe that the lawyer is a friend of hers. It doesn't cost them anything to make a call. But I am sure even as a "friend" he would want some money for representation.

I talked to a lawyer today. He said to not worry about it. Worse thing is it has to go to small claims. He said to make sure I take my emotions out it.... it is business. So I will see what happens.

[George Boutwell]

I talked to a lawyer today. He said to not worry about it.

And, so, tell us . . . how much did he charge you? (Double time for Sunday?)

I know a lot of tax practitioners, and I know a lot of lawyers. The lawyers do a heckuva lot more pro bono work than the tax practitioners.

[jainen]

no lengths

>>she knows there's no lengths that the inevitable special prosecutors won't go to bring down the president<<

Black Bart, there are no special prosecutors and haven't been for years and years. If there were, they would be appointed by the President like other prosecutors, but that won't happen because there isn't even a special prosecutor law and Congress is never going to grant that power again.

Nobody is accusing the President of anything in this scandal. Ms. G. took the fifth because she knows her own signature is on documents that order federal employees to be hired and fired according to their political opinions instead of their job skills, which as an attorney herself she recognizes to be a felony.

[geekgirldany]

And, so, tell us . . . how much did he charge you? (Double time for Sunday?)

I know a lot of tax practitioners, and I know a lot of lawyers. The lawyers do a heckuva lot more pro bono work than the tax practitioners.

I didn't say that lawyers did or didn't do pro bono work. I just said that her lawyer must be a friend. I also haven't said anything bad about lawyers in general. I have only posted on this one lawyer.

[George Boutwell]

I have only posted on this one lawyer.

No, you have posted about two lawyers -- the one who is a friend of hers, and the one who is a friend of yours. My guess is that you are both getting free legal advice from professoinals who are trying to see things from your points of view. This, of course, justifies observers taking pot shots from the side lines at the entire legal profession.