Scorched Earth

Divorce ravages everything. All the joy and beauty that existed between two people when they decided to embark on forever is smashed to bits and pieces in divorce proceedings. Remember that beautiful furniture you picked with such zest with your significant other? If you both loved it so much then there is a great chance that you will be fighting tooth and nail to get it if you are going through the divorce. And for what? Memories perhaps, revenge partially?

Today a client sat before me with deep misery in his eyes. He has to file for bankruptcy after maxing out all his credit cards and losing all assets due to his recent divorce. There are also the monthly maintenance fees that must be made under the divorce decree. Don't stop making those payments because the courts will get you GOOD. There is nothing left in his paycheck after it has been purged by court mandated garnishments. Many people get divorced and for some it is truly necessary. I have rarely seen a divorced person who does not get out with battle scars. People fight over the pettiest things but then there are real issues as to who gets the house, the car, the kids, THE DOGS! Yes, DOGS! Dogs are property and can be awarded to one person over the other. Clearly, there are details involved in who gets what and what is a marital asset versus personal but I would be devastated if my dogs were taken from me and on the other hand, separating them would be horrible for their mental health. Yes, dogs get depressed and have anxiety problems too.

This is not legal advice but if you are going through a divorce you should really consider getting an attorney ESPECIALLY if the other side has one. I have seen too many people sign documents that they did not fully understand only to be committed to that piece of paper for many years to come.

Dogs Are Honest

After a long day of work, it is a relief to go home to two happy dogs. They don't lie to me and they are always ready to be there for me. All day I speak with clients and lawyers who readily and quite easily lie to my face (or to my ear if I am on the phone). I don't particularly like the full on lying tactics that involve crying or desperate pleas. Clients do it because they are trying to get a discount, need to get out of a hopeless situation, cannot accept their fate or simply because they want to trick the system. Lawyers do it so that they can make an extra buck off the client, the system, the random dude down the street or the woman with the really nice car who can clearly afford to pay more for legal services. Dishonesty is all around. I think we all just learn to be dishonest with ourselves and with others because it's not easy to face reality. Then there are those who chose to be passive aggressive. This is the absolute WORSE thing a person can do! As if lying is not enough, wrap the lie up in pretty paper and disguise it as gold when it is actually garbage. If you have a problem you should just say it out loud and stop smiling and demeaning the other person. Liars suck but being passive aggressive is just downright nasty.