Recent Attacks on Family Law Attorneys Are Grim Reminders of Practice's Dangers

[MikePapa1]

Law.com - Recent Attacks on Family Law Attorneys Are Grim Reminders of Practice's Dangers

This is exactly why I started carrying a gun 25 years ago and continue to do so today.

[Will Carry]

Lawyers are kind of like plummers, you don't need one until the gets deep. Then after it's cleaned up, they complain about the bill.

Family law is, in my opinion, the toughest law to practice. I don't blame you for carrying.

[Guest 270win]

When your work makes you get into people's personal life/confidential aspects, things can get very interesting.

[Seaslug]

I've only dealt with 2 family law attorneys in my lifetime--hers and mine. Hers bullied her into committing perjury to use as leverage and then said she'd try to withhold visitation with my daughter unless I took on all the wife's debt and gave up my right to claim any of the equity in the home I had bought and paid for, and mine did nothing but let the meter run for 6 months (to the tune of about $10k) before finally encouraging me to just give into their demands--which, of course, I could have done without an attorney from the very beginning. A year later, I represented myself and got 50/50 custody and eliminated my child support obligation--and got an apology from the ex.

So yeah, I can understand why family law attorneys might wanna carry...

[Guest midnitelamp]

a family counselor, a psychologist, and a lawyer both friends of mine,were the only people i know who carried three extra mags.

[monkeylizard]

Based on the stories from the link, you should never represent the wife.

A friend of mine practices elder law. One of his partners (family law guy, I think) has a bullet hole in the wall where someone took a shot at him.

[MikePapa1]

I only carry one extra magazine, but I practice shot placement regularly and carry a Sig 220.

[mikegideon]

Seems to me, a nasty divorce is the easiest way for a lawyer to be perceived as the bad guy. Shot placement is always a good thing, especially if you have to make it happen with one of those Sigs

[Guest WyattEarp]

maybe law firms should hire private armed security?

[MikePapa1]

I had an incident early on in practicing dealing with a former police officer, fired, as I understand it for excessive force, whose wife I represented in their divorce. Suddenly, it wasn't her filing for divorce in his eyes it was me. According to him, in court, I was taking his home and his sons away from him. He came to my office with a loaded shotgun. Luckily, my secretary at the time saw him pull up, locked the door and called the police. He was arrested, because he'd made threats to his wife and to me, and ended up doing a year or so in jail. After that, I cut a deal with the Sheriff's Department and bought one of their carry weapons, my beloved Sig 226 and regularly trained with them. I also cut a deal with the Judges that as long as I met the same criteria as the police officers on pistol qualifications, I could carry in the Courthouse and even during court. I have done so regularly ever since, except I can't carry here in the Courtroom, it's a felony, after all.

I used to love shooting with the Sheriff's Department. There's nothing like having a road officer outscored by a defense attorney, that raises your street cred with them and, gets them ribbing from their peers. I miss those days.

[Guest Aces&8s]

This is one big reason I no longer practice. Life is too short to put up with the kind of crap I had to deal with on a daily basis as an attorney.

[JReedEsq]

I've only dealt with 2 family law attorneys in my lifetime--hers and mine. Hers bullied her into committing perjury to use as leverage and then said she'd try to withhold visitation with my daughter unless I took on all the wife's debt and gave up my right to claim any of the equity in the home I had bought and paid for, and mine did nothing but let the meter run for 6 months (to the tune of about $10k) before finally encouraging me to just give into their demands--which, of course, I could have done without an attorney from the very beginning. A year later, I represented myself and got 50/50 custody and eliminated my child support obligation--and got an apology from the ex.

So yeah, I can understand why family law attorneys might wanna carry...

Would you mind PMing me the name of the Attorney you used? I always want to know who doesn't want to try cases.

On the original topic, I was never a gun guy until I got involved with a profession where I deal with drug addicts, emotional outrage, and violent people on a day to day basis. And for the record, the divorces definitely tend to be nastier than the criminal matters. I don't carry any extra magazines but one nice thing about using Glocks for carry is that I can keep extra magazines in the car and around the office and they will work for whichever size Glock I happen to have on me.

Edited June 28, 2011 by JReedEsq

[tnhawk]

This is one big reason I no longer practice. Life is too short to put up with the kind of crap I had to deal with on a daily basis as an attorney.

Should I ever need the services of an attorney or a doctor, I don't want one who is practicing.

You get what you pay for.

[midtennchip]

I don't practice family law for two reasons, this being one of them. Too much emotion with those cases. However, there are three divorce attorneys sharing office space with me, so I keep the PM9 close at hand.

[Warbird]

Divorces do seem to be the most divisive and oftentimes it can easily be said there are no winners. Everyone feels like they got shafted even if they got most of what they asked for as a solution. When my wife was in the private practice of law she refused divorces and would not handle them. She did on occasion handle child custody issues. She was mainly a civil trial attorney. Custody issues can be pretty nasty as well. She is a good attorney who knows her business. And... she can shoot accurately to a thousand yards, so I am pretty much hosed. I can't get out of line, she can out lawyer me every day or shoot me before I can get out of range if I run.

She never had a client pull a gun on her or an adversary do so either, but she did have threats. She was nearly always prepared, unless she was just coming out of court, which is where a number of lawyers have been shot. If it had been especially contentious one of the LEO's would usually walk her to her car, where they knew she would be armed from there.

Many people have crazy ideas of every lawyer being crooked and making a ton of money. Some are and some do, but most work very hard to make a living. It costs a lot of money to be an attorney in private practice and clients can drive you nuts. The most demanding ones also seem to be the ones who don't pay. Naturally the ones you hear about most are the worst ones and they can certainly give all of them a bad name. But we also have a lot that are standing up for our rights and our freedoms.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Warbird

[Guest ArmaDeFuego]

Many people have crazy ideas of every lawyer being crooked and making a ton of money. Some are and some do, but most work very hard to make a living.

Yea 90% of lawyers give the other 10% a bad name.

J/k

[PirateQui]

Somewhat on topic... My wife is a social worker and she isn't allowed to carry... No gun, No stun gun, no pepper spray.. no knife... It's really ridiculous given the places she goes and things she does (Children Services)...

On a less related note... it's pretty funny the stories she tells about her co-workers.. she is probably the only conservative social worker they have... and has to constantly fight with her bosses so that people just giving their children a good spanking don't get in trouble..

[Guest midnitelamp]

UOTE=MikePapa1;750896]I only carry one extra magazine, but I practice shot placement regularly and carry a Sig 220.

well,those two guys were older and both wore thick glasses

[Guest Aces&8s]

Should I ever need the services of an attorney or a doctor, I don't want one who is practicing.

You get what you pay for.

Yeah... never heard that one before.

[JReedEsq]

Divorces do seem to be the most divisive and oftentimes it can easily be said there are no winners. Everyone feels like they got shafted even if they got most of what they asked for as a solution.

Very true indeed!

[JReedEsq]

Many people have crazy ideas of every lawyer being crooked and making a ton of money. Some are and some do, but most work very hard to make a living. It costs a lot of money to be an attorney in private practice and clients can drive you nuts. The most demanding ones also seem to be the ones who don't pay. Naturally the ones you hear about most are the worst ones and they can certainly give all of them a bad name. But we also have a lot that are standing up for our rights and our freedoms.

Absolute truth.

[Guest 270win]

Clients who nag and complain the most (I am not talking about valid concerns) seem to be the smallest revenue makers.

I can only imagine how hard it is for those guys who get into family law because they are dealing with emotions and complaining all the time! They earn every bit of their billing.

[Guest 270win]

Clients who nag and complain the most (I am not talking about valid concerns) seem to be the smallest revenue makers.<BR><BR>I can only imagine how hard it is for those guys who get into family law because they are dealing with emotions and complaining all the time!  They earn every bit of their billing.