that I have been asked over this past week is why be a divorce lawyer? Not that I am only a divorce lawyer but it is what I do the most of and enjoy the most right now. I know it sounds like a real random bit of law to be practicing right out of school, and definitely a bit grimey so I guess I will explain.
1st. It's fun. I mean, no part of the practice of law is all fun, but with divorce law you get to hear all sorts of random drama and get involved with the most ridiculous fights. Yeah sometimes its annoying to be fighting over who the old collection of shot glasses belongs to, but mostly its hilarious. Rationality is all out of the window cause people are just pissed off.
2nd. It gives me an excuse to trick off money on clothes. I mean I believe that image is important, and particularly in the practice of law if you are getting your own cases, or trying to, but none more than in divorce law. The last thing anyone who can afford to pay wants is a broke looking divorce lawyer so I use that to justify my wardrobe. Basically in divorce law perception is everything because you NEED to get good clients, because no one wants to pay for a divorce. Paying for a divorce is like paying someone to kick you in the balls. Even if the other guy gets it worse you didn't really win, but it costs you a lot of money.
3rd. However, Divorces do tend to pay fairly quickly. Your money does not count on wins or losses. They do not cost a great deal of money to prosecute if you are ever forced to cover your clients, and most of the judges are fairly helpful with letting you garnish clients wages who are on that bull.
4th. It feeds my cynicism, and I am all about that. Honestly, it sort of does the reverse for me. Sometimes is may seem sort of depressing when you look at the number of marriages that lead to divorce but when you take a close up look at the dumb ass reasons that a lot of people get married, it sort of makes you settle down a bit, because you figure if I avoid most of the basic traps I will be alright. I.E. the number of people who marry someone with a habit that they hated while dating, that ended up being the cause of the divorce is astounding. I mean to me, if the fact that the man won't work is a problem for you, and he never was working, why did you marry him? Same thing, if you know the woman doesn't pay bills, why did you let her run the house hold finances? Small logical questions that many people settle on the wrong answer. The other common thing I have seen is the woman who files for divorce or separation to make her man act right, though she doesn't want a divorce, but once the man gets served he is all about being single again. The woman is kind of going through the proceeding like a deer in the headlights because she never really expected it to go this far.
5th. You get to go to court alot. Too much of the law is procedure, and writing, and blah blah blah, divorce law has its moments, but particularly now with the presiding judge stating that most cases must be settled within 18 months withough good cause, you get 3 or four good hearings in a short amount of time doing divorces.
Now I will admit its not always great. I hate getting into long and involved disputes with the kids, particularly when neither parent should get the child. It's also a bit annoying when a party spends all their time trying to cut back on the amount of money they have to give the child to then want to fight hard to claim the child on their taxes. Nonetheless all in all it stays pretty entertaining and at the very least should be good sitcom fodder in the future. Let Reese and Loc fill out the jokes, and I'm seeing a hit baby...
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