Most people are grateful to get a quick 'what the problem might be' from an attorney. But no matter how much I say that I do not know everything and that the law is complex, most people hear what they want to hear. If I say there is a problem, they argue with me. If I say what the judge might do, and the judge does something else, they get angry with me. No one hears the words 'maybe' 'might' 'probably'.
My father used to say, "Free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it."
This is true, even about my advice. Why?
Because, unless I am paid, and provided with all of the documents, until I talk with the other side, I do not know everything I need to know. Sometimes a trip to the law library is necessary. Even then, the law is a very complex thing. It depends on the individuals involved, the documents, the statutes, the appellate cases, the view of law reviews, the political climate, the judge, the way things are usually done, and how sympathetic the client is. Often, cases with attorneys are done very differently than cases without attorneys.
Even with my paying clients I NEVER predict what is going to happen in a case.
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