Ethics: Do no Harm! Always get this right!
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith:
Where there is dispair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, Joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console,
To be understodd, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardooned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life>
In 'Meditation" written by my Master: EKNATH EASWARAN
PUBLISHED BY NIGIRI PRESS.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WORD IN HIS VERSION OF THE PRAYER IS:"SELF"
in my opinion, because it means that it is in your control; or lack of control; that you can do anything for your neighbor.
ETHICS: what drives most clients to us, in the first place. DO NO HARM!
ETHICS: what drives most clients to us, in the first place. DO NO HARM!
ETHICS: what drives most clients to us, in the first place. DO NO HARM!
No dead line should ever be overlooked; and a termination of the rights of a client by procrastination is not acceptable, and will always be below the standard of care per se. There it is Cardinal Rule number one, of Ethics. Rule number two is, of course,
to always follow rule number one, and don't blow a statute of limitations for any of your clients, ever!
FEES: what often goes wrong...
CARDINAL RULE NUMBER ONE: Get the fee first! Why? Because that is the one issue that you can't afford to argue about. Get it out of the way at the beginning, or the relationship will never work well.
CARDINAL RULE NUMBER TWO: ALWAYS FOLLOW RUNLE NUMBER ONE
Cardinal Rule (also of the film world):
“Never Invest Your Own Money.”
Don't GAMBLE ON THE CASE.
Another way of putting this, don't fall in love with the case.
Cardinal Rule: consider the loss due to a re-negotiation of an agreed fee; a reasonable cost of doing business; but,
make sure the fee agreement is in writing;
and with at least a person above the pay scale of the idiot you have to deal with on behalf of your client, who must be bad, after all, if nobody will deal with him or her, unless they get paid to do so; and, having come to terms with your own feelings about the unfairness of getting stiffed, make up the difference on the back end of a better deal some time down the road in life, with a person who knows what a deal really is, is of suffienctly good character to uphold their side of the bargain.
Cardinal Rule: If you are going to lose your fee, lose graciously. Be generous; and, don't try to salvage anything from a lost cause. It will only add to your pain, and will make you look petty and greedy; or, worse, arrogant!
Let it go, if you will. As a check point for myself, I always add up all the money I have ever made in my life, and compare it to what I am in the process of forfeiting, to some pirate; it never seems like much by comparison. As final insurance, think of this, the person who refused to pay you is shameless, but I guarantee you will never hear from them again. For that satisfaction, it may be a small price to pay.
Cardinal Rule: "Harsh rule that it is: no payment where payment is appropriate, no nothing, no exceptions."What this means take whatever case you choose, and if you choose to do it for now fees, that is as it should be; and is properly called pro bono publico: don't waste good time on someone who just wants you to work for nothing, for no cause other than their own benefit. That is truely demoralizing for you to do. How can you ten handle the bad time you are already having with the specific legal problem at hand. Steel youself, and walk away. When you feel enough distance, break into a sprint! You are free of a TAR BABY!
Cardinal Rule: when a client receives sound advice the first time; or, for the second time; and then again; and again; and serially ignores it; so, the chips fall; and, hurt enough for them to weep: then, they have to pay you more (hence the tears), because disasters pile up. They may come back; to be “saved again”, when matters are even tougher than before. Please hold your tongue, and don't ever say I told you so. Neither should you feel sorrow for you did not cause the pain. You are a professional, and like doctors, when we lawyers do cut (even with words), the wounded body bleeds.
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Cardinal Rule: Just in case you think you are in the ministry, know that when lazy, or greedy people are handed a gift, even if
it is your time and advice, they will want more . . and will
bicker about the gift they are giving to them. What this means is
don't cheapen your worth, by de-valuing your value to zero; your experience, stature, and the trust that most people put in you is a commodity. Don't exhaust yourself with insufferable people who rob you and your family and friends of you personal life.
Trials: How to behave in Court
Cardinal rule: the most difficult lawyer to litigate with is a buffoon; sympathy will always be on his side! Smarter and experienced journeymen lawyers are a pleasure to work with, and know how well they will meet you on the way up and on the way down in the life of preofessionals.
Cardial Rule: the hardest opponent to beat in court is a nice person; whether lawyer, adverse client; adverse witness; adverse expert; because you have to soften the blows or the judge and jury willhold it against you. Don't try to pick on them, it will backfire.
the extended family
Home Page
On my personal website I introduce myself
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from the series of pictures and comments.
these are some random images from a collection of different places in the world;
most of them have some direct relevance to a life in motion
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