My tax professor told me: You can be a bear, or a bull, but don't be a pig.
This week, a client who was paying more than twice chart child support had his support lowered to slightly more than current chart child support. He also waived six or seven months' or more of over-payments.
By nightfall, his ex-wife had told their children that their father had refused to pay any more child support, that they would not get Christmas presents, cable would be canceled, cell phones would be cut off, and they would be eating Ramen noodles every night.
But get this: The ex-wife admits to making about $7,000/month; has another few thousand/month in rental property revenues at a minimum; and will still be getting $2500/month in child support!
Of course, the kids are upset, my client is furious, and the ex-wife's lawyer doesn't respond to my pleas to ask her client not to upset the kids with her misrepresentation of reality.
Folks, please, for the thousandth time: Don't be greedy, and DON'T involve your children in these disputes. It is very, very damaging to children.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
"For the Good"
In case you aren't up on your Latin, "pro bono" means "for the good".
I've had a rash of recent calls asking me if I am a "pro bono" lawyer. I'm not sure how these callers got my name, but I am tempted to tell them, "Yep, and I work at low cost, too." You see, I do work "for the good" of my clients, but I don't work "for free".
The phrase, "pro bono publico" means "for the good of the public", and is used to indicate work that a lawyer does without charge for public service. It does NOT mean that the lawyer represents folks who need private representation without charging them.
There are entities that provide means-based public representation in the Jackson County area. There is Legal Aid of Western Missouri. There are clinics at both area law schools. There are public defenders for criminal cases. Child Support Enforcement provides attorneys for people seeking to make their child's other parent financial accountable. Such places receive grants, both public and private, to pay their overhead. I do not, nor do other private attorneys.
As for myself, I work for a living. None of my clients would continue working if an employer said, "Oh, and by the way, I can't pay you", and I truly don't think it's fair to expect ME to do so, either.
Now, the Bar DOES ask Missouri attorneys to do "pro bono publico" work. And I do. I represent parents of children involved in the Juvenile Court system and I do so several cases each year without charge. Occasionally, one of the local abuse victims' shelters refers cases to me, and I take them without charge or at starkly reduced cost. A few times each year, very poor people need some assistance and a friend or colleague will ask me to help, and I do so without asking for fees.
But practicing law is how I make my living. And it's to your advantage to have a professional represent you. Whether you hire me or some other attorney -- you want someone representing you who is competent, capable and caring. I'm all those things.
I understand that legal fees are expensive. Don't think that it is all profit for lawyers, though. We pay for our offices, our staffs, our continuing education requirements and our professional liability insurance. All of those things come to bear on the quality of representation we give you. Most lawyers want an honest wage for competent work. Given what we spend getting trained, re-trained, and experienced, that is a relatively high hourly rate for those who charge by the hour, and a relatively high flat rate for those who charge flat rates. But this is technical, complicated, professional work we are doing -- just like the work that doctors do for you in the medical arena.
As most lawyers do, I do wish that I could "do this for free". But I can't. I work out payment plans, I set my fees at a reasonable level. But I deserve a good fee for good professional work. You deserve good professional work for your good money.
Thus, I do work "pro bono" in one sense -- for the good.
I've had a rash of recent calls asking me if I am a "pro bono" lawyer. I'm not sure how these callers got my name, but I am tempted to tell them, "Yep, and I work at low cost, too." You see, I do work "for the good" of my clients, but I don't work "for free".
The phrase, "pro bono publico" means "for the good of the public", and is used to indicate work that a lawyer does without charge for public service. It does NOT mean that the lawyer represents folks who need private representation without charging them.
There are entities that provide means-based public representation in the Jackson County area. There is Legal Aid of Western Missouri. There are clinics at both area law schools. There are public defenders for criminal cases. Child Support Enforcement provides attorneys for people seeking to make their child's other parent financial accountable. Such places receive grants, both public and private, to pay their overhead. I do not, nor do other private attorneys.
As for myself, I work for a living. None of my clients would continue working if an employer said, "Oh, and by the way, I can't pay you", and I truly don't think it's fair to expect ME to do so, either.
Now, the Bar DOES ask Missouri attorneys to do "pro bono publico" work. And I do. I represent parents of children involved in the Juvenile Court system and I do so several cases each year without charge. Occasionally, one of the local abuse victims' shelters refers cases to me, and I take them without charge or at starkly reduced cost. A few times each year, very poor people need some assistance and a friend or colleague will ask me to help, and I do so without asking for fees.
But practicing law is how I make my living. And it's to your advantage to have a professional represent you. Whether you hire me or some other attorney -- you want someone representing you who is competent, capable and caring. I'm all those things.
I understand that legal fees are expensive. Don't think that it is all profit for lawyers, though. We pay for our offices, our staffs, our continuing education requirements and our professional liability insurance. All of those things come to bear on the quality of representation we give you. Most lawyers want an honest wage for competent work. Given what we spend getting trained, re-trained, and experienced, that is a relatively high hourly rate for those who charge by the hour, and a relatively high flat rate for those who charge flat rates. But this is technical, complicated, professional work we are doing -- just like the work that doctors do for you in the medical arena.
As most lawyers do, I do wish that I could "do this for free". But I can't. I work out payment plans, I set my fees at a reasonable level. But I deserve a good fee for good professional work. You deserve good professional work for your good money.
Thus, I do work "pro bono" in one sense -- for the good.
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