When Someone’s on a Mission, How do you Survive?

I have several cases now, and tons historically, where one of the parties is “on a mission”.  The missions vary, sometimes these missions are worthy, such as when there is a history of breaches of fiduciary duty, but just as often they are incredible wastes of time, money and energy. Generally, at least one side has unrealistic expectations, or else has not been adequately advised of expected outcomes.  Recently, I was sitting as the daily family law mediator in Pasadena, and a case came before me where one of the attorneys admitted upfront that he was just there to do his client’s bidding.  On the one hand, I was grateful that the attorney was honest and I could assess the situation quickly and effectively as a result.  On the other hand, I ended up being the person that explained the “facts of life” to his client, when it clearly should have been the attorney doing that.  She thanked me; someone had finally told her the truth. A good family law attorney can help you make smart decisions about your case, keeping money in your pocket.  After all, for most people, your divorce should be an ongoing cost-benefit analysis.  A bad attorney can at best keep you financially and “litigationally” (I just invented a word) alive, and at worst can cost you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, bleeding your future dry.  Make sure to retain an attorney that shares your goals.  Just make sure those goals are worth attaining.  If in doubt, drop me a line.