People laugh at me every day. They tell me I need to charge for my time as a lawyer, and that people are simply taking advantage of me because I help them for free.
For those clients who already have lawyers but still come to me for help, I routinely work harder than their paid lawyers do. Longer hours, greater attention to detail, and more care in getting the work done correctly.
I listen and I spend the time needed to understand what people are going through emotionally as well as legally and financially.
Is it sustainable? Not forever.
Does it take an emotional toll on me? Yes it does, particularly the family violence cases - bearing in mind I worked for over 20 years almost exclusively on billion-dollar merger review cases.
Going from a professional life focused on microeconomic analysis to dealing with clients' relationship conflicts is a big step.
So why do I do it?
The above letter from the mother of one of my clients might give you some idea ...
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