I hear it from clients who meet with me for the first time, who have already had a chance to talk to me on the phone, and have already taken the time to start pulling together some important information and documents I need to assess their situation. And usually, I see a look in their eye. Something that reminds me that even though I am a fairly nice guy, some people find it painful to have to sit across the table from me.
Sometimes, I say nothing…I’ll sense that they need to vent. And sometimes they vent a lot. Some are angry – angry at their boss, their spouse, their bank, their mortgage broker, their government and almost all are angry at themselves. I’ve hear spouses say things to each other that I am pretty sure they never said to each other in private. Sometimes there are tears. And sometimes, even though I’ve been doing this a long time – and met many people – I find myself with my own lump in my throat. It’s that client who reminds me what I sometimes forget: that I have not heard it all.
While every client has different needs and goals, and while every client finds themselves in the office of a bankruptcy lawyer for different reasons, many all say the same thing.
“I just never thought I’d be sitting here talking to an attorney about filing bankruptcy. I never thought I’d be in this position.”
And most of the time I can only offer one simple response before we get to work:
“No one ever does.”
Related posts:
- Talking to your Kids
- When the Nest is not Empty: Some Food for Thought for Parents Struggling with Debt
- A Thought or Two on ‘Deadbeats’
- Talking to the Kids: Dealing with Failure
- Proactive v. Reactive: Start Talking
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