Dear Client:
You are paying your attorney good money to provide you with competent advice and wise counsel about your case. You hired her to provide guidance and direction on what you should or should not do in order to obtain the relief you seek from the legal system.
Since you hired her to represent your interests, it makes sense for you to listen to what she has to say. It doesn’t make sense to pay your attorney money to give you advice and then completely ignore it.
What makes even less sense is to pay your attorney money to give you advice, ignore what she has to say and listen instead to people with absolutely no legal training.
Your neighbor may also have gone through a similar situation as you are going through but that does not make them an expert on your case. Legal matters, particularly family matters are very fact specific. Like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike.
The path your neighbor took may have made sense in his situation but it may not be a smart choice for you. That’s why when you explain the strategy your attorney has outlined for your case to them, he may question whether or not it is a good idea.
There is a reason it is illegal to practice law without a license. People who give legal advice without knowing what they are talking about can do a great deal of harm to the people who listen to what they have to say.
It is reasonable that others may not agree with your attorney’s approach to the case. What is not reasonable is for you to side with them against your attorney. It is not reasonable to allow their skepticism to undermine your confidence in your attorney.
If you have questions about the soundness of your attorney’s approach to your case then that is a conversation you should have with your attorney. And if after having that conversation she doesn’t answer your questions to your satisfaction or your faith in her ability to represent you wanes, then you should consider seeking other counsel.
I am not suggesting that your attorney should be above reproach. I am not suggesting you should never question your attorney about how they are handling your case. Just be careful that the people you are listening to know what they are talking about.
The fact that the people who insist on offering you unsolicited advice are well-intentioned does not alter the fact that they still may not know what they are talking about.
Want an effective way to drastically reduce the volume of unsolicited legal advice you receive from people who are not qualified to practice law? Don’t talk about the facts of your case with anyone but your lawyer.
This is an excerpt from Letters to a New Divorce Client. Download a copy below:
Letters to a New Divorce Client
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