And here I am, in the news. One of the most rewarding parts about being a successful attorney is to be able to help tough cases, it's not all about the money as so many people expect. The justice system in this country is the most robust and fair system I have ever seen, and I would know; I have traveled most parts of the world and nothing comes close. In a police state, the police literally has the say, you do not receive a trial or a jury. But this country was founded on freedom, and you cannot have that freedom without a fair court system.
Texas mother is beaten by son, incurs legal fees. Chores still not done.
Theresa Fuller has a troubled son. He must be. Either that or he must really not like her, because he’s been arrested over twenty times for parental abuse. Theresa’s son, whose name has not been disclosed due to his being underage, has a long history of beating his poor mother, which is incredible considering he’s 15 years old. I don’t think I’d kissed a girl yet at 15, let alone beat someone hard enough to get arrested. And this was all because he refused to do his chores. Punk.
Theresa, naturally, felt the need to call the police after having the wind knocked out of her, and then having her head banged on the leg of a table while on the floor. What she didn’t expect, was that because she is her son’s only possible legal guardian (father, aunts, uncles, grandparents all seem to be absent), she’s found herself trapped in an unfortunate legal loophole where she has to pay for all her son’s legal and court fees.
Even. Though. He. Beat. Her.
While she is able to apply for compensation through the District Attorney’s office that would cover counseling for her son and her own medical expenses, the whole legal shebang is on her. Theresa is currently in talks with State Representatives to help create or modify laws that would help her situation…unfortunately there aren’t many situations like hers.
I understand that not every circumstance can be accounted for by the law in advance, but in the case of a woman being beaten to the point of acute amnesia, it’s beyond ridiculous that the state would actually force her to pay for her own battering.
You are a Family Attorney, Not a Marriage Counselor
Despite (good) Attorneys being able to persuade someone to see things from their point of view (or the point of view of their client), it is a different story when they are trying to get two separate people to come to an agreement. Particularly when the Attorney is not directly involved in that agreement.
Such is the case of the dreaded Mediation of divorcing marriages.
The purpose of mediation is to get the failing couple into the same room and negotiate who is going to get what when they separate. Hopefully, this is done without the use of any weapons, real or verbal. The problem is, Family Attorneys are trained in the intricate art of pillaging a wrecked life promise, not in the art of rebuilding rapport between two people who, quite possibly, have grown to genuinely hate one another.
A few reasons why immature couples can create mediation nightmares:
The couple is so pissed at each other that they will not even speak, and if they are in the same room, the walls set on fire due to angry outbursts.
One party is in so much denial over the divorce that they will absolutely refuse to cooperate, attempting to doom their mate to a true 'until death do we part' marriage of 'Oh my god, get over yourself you needy, pathetic prick/bitch.'
One, and in more electric situations, both parties are having an affair, and that adds a third or fourth level of cat-fight or wrestling match inducing verbal manipulation.
One party is being so stubborn that they are not open to shared custody rights to the poor children they are putting through this, with complete disregard to what would be best for them. This is usually because that party is simply pissed, or it’s 'inconvenient.' Yes, having your child was 'inconvenient.'
There is something called a collaborative divorce, and it is this mythical process where two fully-grown adults act maturely and recognize their marriage is ending, yet work in a civil manner to see that each party is looked after in the best way possible so they can move on with their lives with the least amount of stress and pain.
Yeah, those are pretty tough to come by. So, if you are a Family Attorney, and you cannot seem to find this holy grail of divorce situations, stick to what you are good at, and leave the mediation to someone who can actually mediate.
Just kidding. Yes, I am a lawyer, no, I'm not going to ruin the internet. Not even lawyers can do that (unless you're working with the feds and media megacorps to destroy net neutrality, then, yes, you actually could ruin the internet. But I'm not that kind of lawyer).
What kind of lawyer am I? One that thinks he doesn't get enough time to speak his opinions in court and therefore must also submit the internet to his ramblings?
Sure. But I'm so much more than that. I'm a lawyer that cares.
Too fantastical? Too cliche? Too much like a car salesman or a lawyer that says he cares just to get your business and your money?
While I do enjoy getting paid, that's not the reason I got into this biz. I did it because I'm passionate about the law and because I'm passionate about making sure the law serves the public in the manner they deserve. We live in one of the greatest countries in the world, but even so, the system, as I'm sure you'll agree, is dangerously flawed. I'm someone who seeks to avoid those flaws so you can avoid unnecessary upset in what matters most...your life.
Here I'll be posting about contemporary legal issues in a not so legal manner. Legal mumbo jumbo doesn't exactly cause site traffic to spike, but entertaining insight on current events in the legal community may. So, check out my "About Me" page to find out how many Circuits for the US Court of Appeals I'm licensed to practice law before (FYI, it's a lot), and stick around.
Oh, and I'm also into Real Estate. In case you need a new place.
