Being an attorney is an interesting profession. After nearly 9 years of higher education, I now spend most of my work days discussing my clients' intensely personal, painful and private problems. Often, those discussions require me to give more than just legal advice and lead me to counsel my clients on how to obtain not only the best outcome in their case, but also in their life. Over the past 18 years that I have been in practice, I don't think a day has gone by that someone hasn't asked me something similar to, "How do you even start to help someone who is facing..." The answer, like most truths, is simple. Really simple.
A retired Judge once told me that I had wasted all my time in law school. He quipped, "All of law school can be boiled down to two words...BE REASONABLE." As it turns out, this is the cure for most of the legal and personal problems we face. When reasonable, most couples facing divorce can agree that the other person is not the demonic villain their friends and social media supporters have built him or her up to be. When reasonable, most parents can agree that children are usually best served by having a loving relationship with both parents. When reasonable, most business people can agree that if they made an agreement, they should be required to adhere to the terms. And on and on.
Now, after 18 years of practice, I know that not everyone is reasonable or can be reasonable. People's perception of what is reasonable often differs and, unfortunately, I have encountered some truly bad people.
In those instances, as an advocate, I must remain ready to fight for my client's rights and future. However, in my experience, it is almost invariably the client who seeks a reasonable outcome, regardless of the other parties position, that will prevail.
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