Thursday, September 22, 2005
People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide.
Last week I worked a few hours manning the desk at the legal services table down at "refugee central" -- otherwise known as the Dallas Convention Center. It was an excellent opportunity to find out what lawyers really mean to people. Here are some of the things I learned:
- If you're going to blow off a simple ticket from some town you're just visiting, make sure you never have to live there.
- If you own a small business, don't let your son redo your standard contracts just because he had a semester of business law down at the community college. You just may need that force majeure clause one day.
- If you are have problems getting benefits sorted out with the woman you've lived with for 10 years, common law marriage is mighty damn convenient. Besides, who hasn't wanted to say, "This is my common-law wife, Shaundra."
- Having your insurance company offer to pay off your mortgage is a dubious benefit if your house is now a wet pile of lumber.
- If you are going to take off to another state with your children, it's probably a good idea to let your ex- know -- especially if you have joint custody. It's also important to inform the court.
Centinel 8:53 AM #