# 73. They ignore you

My lawyer ignores me

Dear John

I recently asked my lawyer to sue someone and almost immediately regretted it.  He always seems so busy.  I hate bothering him.  Even money does not seem to make him any happier. 

How is it best to get his attention?  Should I sue him!

David C.

Sydney

Dear David C.,

All lawyers are busy until they learn the principles of good practice management. 

I give priority to clients who have some sort of run in with say another motorist  or their bank and are content to be told that they have a great case but cannot afford to sue.  This is a comparatively cheap and quick service.  For many it brings closure, so my clients can get on with their lives.

In the more involved case, it is necessary to spend many hours collating documents and preparing a stinging and authoritative letter to the offending party.   This can be tiring but very rewarding for the client.  Often, I decide not to send the letter out.  I do not tell the client that I have not sent it out, so that the client has the satisfaction of savaging their enemy without the upset of a shot being fired in return.  If I do receive an unpleasant letter from the other side I often do not pass it on to the client.  Over the years, I have found that this keeps everybody happy.

If my client happens to find out that the letter has not been received by their enemy then they blame and even consider suing the Post Office.  However, they usually accept my advice that although they have an excellent case, it is not wise to open up a second front and they cannot afford it anyway.    

I imagine the lawyer on the other side may be doing the same. 

Of course, if my practice does slow down, I dig up a few of these old letters and send them off.  This helps to moderate the case flow in my office.  So, unlike your lawyer, I have time to take instructions from my clients and be ready to deal with new matters as they arise.

J.F

Extract from John Fytit’s International Legal Problem Page. (c) Paul Brennan 2009. written on this blog (see other posts).

John Fytit is the name of the central cartoon charter in Law & Disorder cartoons which started in Hong Kong in 1992. He is from the fictitious Hong Kong firm Fytit & Loos (pronounced “Fight it and Lose”). A very unsuccessful name as people read “Fytit” as “Fit it”. The International Problem Page started in 2005 and was merged into Paul Brennan’s blog. But, not before John Fytit started to receive real legal questions from various parts of the world.

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# 52. They are always too busy

Being busy-the 8th habit

Is your lawyer busy? As a junior lawyer, I may have struggled to draw up the correct documents, or write a letter which did not need substantial amendment but, I got the hang of being busy, straight away.

There are many advantages to being busy. You can arrive late at meetings, not return telephone calls, cut short conversations or simply be MIA (Missing in Action) at Court for days on end, leaving things to your secretary. You no longer need a “to do list”. Things do not slip by, as other people are constantly calling you up and asking you where it is. You are of course too busy to take their calls but it is an option not usually available to diligent people.

But now everyone seems to be at it.

Plumbers used to arrive on time and were “under the gun” of the lady of the house until the job was done. Now, by using the “busy” business model they not only get paid more, they can arrive late but still find house owners forgiving and circumspect. Mobile phones allow plumbers to escape to other emergencies.

Doctors applying the ”busy” model have time for a chat, despite the full waiting room.

Being busy has been recognized as a spiritual tool and an essential part of the “Law of Attraction”. Apparently, you will find the universe amending the work practices of others so that they do some of your work to try to get you to the stage, you should have been at, if you had not been so busy.

In fact, developing the habit of convincing people that you are busy has been hailed as the new alternative to customer service and a lot less taxing.

(c) Paul Brennan 2009.

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