LexieCat

I started my career as a lawyer at the Attorney General's Office, representing state agencies when they were sued. One of the things I most loathed about that job was discovery practice. Interrogatories, depositions, requests for admissions, document production. Ick. One of the great things about criminal practice is its relative simplicity. You turn over virtually everything to the defense side, let them figure it out. If you don't have it, you generally don't have to hunt it down, unless it's something you want/need for your case. Virtually never do you have depositions (in most jurisdictions, anyway). No interrogatories.

Well, as most of you know, I've got a lawsuit cooking concerning my home's foundation problems. I just got served with a bunch of demands for discovery, and since there are three defendants, there will be more of this happy horsesh*t to come. It wouldn't be so bad but for the fact that this has already dragged out for six years, and I have a huge folder of STUFF. My lawyer already has probably at least 90 percent of what they are asking for, but just the thought of slogging through all that crap makes me nauseous.

I have renewed sympathy for any of you out there dealing with this in the context of your divorces--that covers a lot more territory (and in many cases, a lot more years) than my paltry disaster (I remember ladyscribbler's agonizing account of having to produce journal pages).

You know, I've known a lot of people over the years who sue other people at the drop of a hat. I've been practicing law for over 30 years, and I always said I would have to feel SO WRONGED before I would ever go to the trouble of filing a lawsuit, because I KNOW what a PITA the process is. Unfortunately, given how bad this situation with the house is, I couldn't ignore it, and I have to try to recoup at least some of what I've already shelled out in legal fees.

Totally sucks having to deal with it. Ugh, ugh.