Enforcer said:
Ok, how about this: Everyone on the boards who has had to hire a lawyer for whatever reason, tell me if you were satisfied with them and if you'd hire that lawyer again.
The sense I get is that "they" are the ones who are evil, but individual lawyers that people actually know are mostly good people. We'll see if I'm right.
Former mayor of the town I grew up in was a lawyer, and a good one. Spent several years at the Maxwell Country Club (aka the Maxwell Minimum Security Facility at Maxwell AFB) for bilking the city out of a considerable sum of money via the workings of various legal contracts with city subcontractors. So good they never could figure out how much he got. Spent a few years away from town. Funny thing is, he's such a smooth cat he nearly won the last election.
My mother had to get a lawyer when she was working at a place where she was injured by faulty equipment and they refused to pay her workmans comp, even though she had nerve damage. She didnt want a handout, or a big check, just her workmans comp. Took 2 years to get it finally (after nearly losing the house twice) and the lawyer took over 40%. 2 years later, the same lawyer and several others were indicted on various fraud charges, namely taking kickbacks from this particular company to smother workmans comp claims. Real nice guy.
My brother in law recently divorced, and his ex-wife's attorney was a real piece of work. Hired private investigators to follow the guy, and follow *us* when he was with us, purely for intimidation because the guy is such a uber-geek he couldnt have cheated if he'd wanted to; he spent $9000 of the ex-wife's money so that he could get pics of us having a beer at a local bar, and video of me giving my kids a bath. He, and the brother-in-laws lawyer, had me served so I missed 2 days of work sitting with a bunch of other miserable souls waiting on court, then proceeded to argue, whine, and blather over my testimony (including calling me a liar twice) until I went off on a tirade back at him (which, oddly enough, the judge waved off the lawyers objections to and made him stand quietly through till I got done). The same guy, even after the divorce, had us all served with papers saying he would have us arrested if we stepped on the property to help the brother in law move, which couldnt have made me happier. Had the ex-wife nail *chicken wire* over every window and door of the house with papers stuck in it threatening all kinds of idiotic legal stupidity, which we were are pretty amused at, even though there was very little there the brother-in-law wanted that he had not already moved to his parents house. Amazing command of manipulation, drama, indignation, and soul-sucking greedy rat-b*st*rdness; he took the ex-wife for almost $70k, the brother in law spent about $25k on his end, and the ex-wife got less in the divorce than she would have got with the first 2 offers the brother-in-law made, much less after he got his cut.
I've (luckily) never had to hire one personally, however I did do a lot of computer work for some with a company I worked with once. That company folded, and I contracted with some of the firms afterwards to help them transition. Of the 4 that I worked with, the 1st always paid ahead of time, never argued with my rate, and thanked me for coming every time. The 2nd treated me like a pool boy they were doing a favor and drug their feet about paying, but finally paid (after 5 months and 7 invoices). The 3rd just flat out didnt pay me at all after the first visit. The 4th didnt pay me, and kept calling me back to do more work, whining and begging. Stupid me, I went back once. Didnt pay me then, and kept calling back for more work. I told him he had to pay me before I would come back, and he said "hey, were the second largest law firm in the state, whaddaya gonna do, sue me? hahahaha".
Sad, but true, each one.
But for every horrible lawyer story I could tell you, I can tell you a few really good ones.
I have not decided on a particular sub-PrC, though I have a few I have definitely ruled out.
