Born on the hottest day in 1958 in a hospital about a mile from my practice, son of a lawyer who was a lot like Atticus Finch, I have been appearing in court since I was a teenager. The people of my hometown are just plain folks who really dont understand how the outside world has made their lives complex. Thats where I have found work for I am schooled in the secret knowledge of lawyers. Enough about me, I now am told I should use this space to disclaim that anything I have said here or on any blog should be taken by the individual reader to constitute legal advice. Instead, if you think you have more than a passing interest in any topic I touch on, you should consult an attorney.
The Christmas season has brought back the ghost of Christmas Visitation Disputes Past. Burned in the memory is the Dad who demanded both Christmas eve and Christmas Day, typically treated as two holidays legally in the family law business. His claim: “Do you know what happens on Christmas morning?” No I have never been there. “She” … More Same as It Ever Was; Postscript
For generations at our family law firm a Christmas tradition has been scheduling hearings for divorced parents to fight over who had custody of the children for the holiday. Kind of leaves you with a warm, Yuletide cheer doesn’t it? And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack And you may find yourself … More Same as It Ever Was
My stepdaughter has recently received her Ph.d from the University of Nottingham and has been hired there as a lecturer. Her boyfriend, a Mr. Higgins, yes that is his real name, has posed to me the seemingly trite question many educated Britons ask, “Why can’t the English speak English?” as if we are in the … More Why Can’t the English Speak English?
Because I have $300 I can leave in savings, I am not charged a $12 fee by the Bank of America for a checkless checking account. I am reviewing the bank records of a woman who doesn’t have the $300 to leave in a savings account, so she is taxed $12 a month. This disproportionate … More Because I have $300 in Savings
What we leave behind on earth is seldom organized. Typically there are unaddressed problems lying in wait for the family when we pass. Take houses for example. Rarely do we find anyone as optimistic as my parents, still living, who at 70 put a 40 year roof on their house. Most of the time the … More The Debris Field of a Life
A bus passes me on the commute with a marquee advertisement on the side referencing this years edition of Disney on Ice: “Lets Celebrate”. I asked myself what if Disney really is on ice? It turns out persistent rumors circulate that he had himself frozen immediately after death, perhaps for a second chance at life. … More Disney on Ice?
It’s winter, and the wrecks are piling up at the Swamp Creek Interchange. The term “interchange” is the short version of the confluence of Interstate 5, Interstate 405 and Highway 525. Like great rivers meeting the tide of commuters, the crossing is dangerous. More and more it seems I find cars and trucks discarded on … More The Swamp Creek Triangle
Recently a client referred to my remarkably competent and experienced paralegal as “your girl”. I suspect Kathy is older than I am, not really a girl to me. She often has helpful suggestions on how a case ought to be presented. She is keen to find facts I may overlook, and otherwise seems to have … More Your Girl
What is interesting abut this story is the profession of the victim is identified, rather than it just being a reference to another mugging.
It must be hell down there. Abandon all hope, all ye who enter the on ramp. Souls trapped in cars, bladders screaming for relief, precious fuel burning while the motor wears as it idles. Trapped in the end game of the myth of the open road. Some bought the fast car, when the truth is … More The Airborne Traffic Report
Lawyers Road Review 