Attorney wouldn't take my case; AH is "crazy"
 

Long story short ... this attorney's rates for divorce have gone from a $2,500 retainer less than a year ago to $5,500 (so he claims). I've been to him 3 times already before I decided to do something decisive. I think he just dumped me - after a 45 second meeting - because he figured I wouldn't go through with the divorce. Who knows? Anyway, I get in line for free legal aid and wait and wait or I try another attorney. She will contact me tomorrow (got her name from atty. who dumped me) and her aid says she can sue for legal fees if need be.

Meantime, atty. I saw told me to go into my house and if AH threatened me, get a protective order. Like, duh. For this the guy went to law school?

AH was "napping" by the pool and came in when the phone rang and I answered it. He had a 2-hour phone counseling session today and has a f-2-f with another counselor tomorrow. I noticed his glass of wine. So I just asked if I could speak to him briefly. All I got from him is has been advised to take it "an inch at a time" which means he could get his itty-bitty feet out to our pool to sun himself. What crap! And his boss is in on this latest counseling-employee assistance junk. I told him I would leave him to his own healing since I had not heard from him. I told him I would respect his privacy at this time.

"Well, you left and didn't tell me WHERE you were going." He said this AFTER I told him my counselor had said I had a loose cannon on my deck and should get out for everyone's safety. Nah ... didn't even hear that. Like I'm surprised by that, right? So he starts the same old sh**. "I didn't know where you were. You just walked out." I replied, "You have my cell phone number." "Well, you didn't CALL ME!!!"

I just shook my head, and told him, "I'm sorry but I no longer have any time to waste on the 'blame game' or anger. Call me if you feel like it. 'Bye."

What a farce! This idiot still has a job and I suppose this is his version of a "nervous breakdown." Anyway, he went back and forth about my being able to stay on "my side" of the house and then telling me to leave until he sees counselor number 2.

Okay, okay ... I know I should feel pity for him, but my gut tells me this is just one more massive pity party to manipulate his boss and keep his job. It certainly doesn't have jack to do with me. Drunk and nuts to boot. I took my own advice and stopped any attempt of further conversation.

At the rate of "one inch at a time" it will take until Doomsday for this headcase to make any progress towards anything even remotely resembling mental health. So now he's having a "breakdown" because he's left to face himself. Can't stand me, but can't stand being with himself. Oh well, what goes around comes around I suppose!

Prodigal,
I hope that you will find the help you need at legal aid and that things will go well for you.
Too bad the other atty didn't work out but I guess business is good and he can afford to turn away clients. I met with an atty once who was like that- it turns out I didn't want or need him anyway.
Maybe it's for the best that you are going to get free help. I would put more trust in someone who cares enough to volunteer their time or take a lower salary in order to do what they believe in. You don't always get what you pay for.

So he's drinking wine while getting phone therapy for his wife leaving him over drinking. Ya gotta love em. They do have nerve, do they not? ;)

You are on the right track babe. Keep it up :)

prod.....hope you get the help you deserve. how nice to be able to have a boss-blessed breakdown at the pool with a glass of wine and a counselor on the phone. damn, they're goooooooooood.

hang in there.....maybe he'll get so drunk at the pool, and get such a bad sunburn that he will have blisters on top of blisters. oh, that's not nice. i'm sorry. i don't know what made me say that. i'll never say it again.

Seriously.

Good plan.

Not to sound trite, but you know what anger means....use that feeling to get through this.

Yes, they NEVER cease to amaze us, do they?
 

His boss is or was in on this "therapy" session. LOL!!!! Hey, at least I know it has nothing to do with me. But I gotta tell ya ... I'd bet any amount of money that most of us here would have been given a pink slip after this amount of insanity.

And after that TWO hour marathon "counseling" session, he tells me he got out of it, "One inch at a time." Oh puuuulllleeeeezzzzeeeeeee! (It should be one fifth at a time - lol!!!)

i don't know how they do it....my xh has been in so much legal trouble and left such a wake of damage behind him, and he just keeps getting free tickets outta jail. it will eventually catch up with him.....maybe.

if it were me, i'd be long locked up with the key thrown away.

well, prod, i hope you are in a safe, comfortable place. at least you do not have to tolerate the "atmosphere" with him.

remember now, just take it an inch at a time.

(geeeezzzz.....they probably said something like one day at a time and what he heard was inch at a time.....who knows, huh?)

his boss probably thinks he can save him. my xh had about 20 different bosses that he would con into making them think they could save him. they all learned in time. and ended up standing there scratching their heads saying, holy crap!

Actually, embraced, I think it has more to do with a half-wit is better than nothing at all. NOBODY wanted the stupid job - it was vacant for two years with folks from the Phoenix office working here on weekdays and returning home for the weekend.

What astounds me is it doesn't appear his current boss has contacted his former boss to see if this was a problem before. It's been a problem with his last two bosses (an Army colonel and a civilian boss) and still nobody seems to be connecting the dots.

To be honest with you, when I left, I STILL had no idea what the idiot's problem is supposed to be. Gee, I could use a two-hour "chat" with my shrink. Sorry .... can't quite reach my cell phone - it's more than an "inch" from my reach and I don't want to overextend my psyche! LOL!!!!

Thinking of you...be strong...keep moving forward....you have a great life ahead of you without this energy/soul-sucking mess.


neg

Just wanted you to know that the first attorney that I called and left a message with did not even return my calls........

You are in my thoughts, Much love to you.

I'm sure it's quite frustrating for you, but try to remember that things do often times happen for a reason or turn out differently than we hoped with blessings in the end. I'm thinking that the lawyer just wasn't the right one to work for you. You used him before for advice and whatnot, but I guess he was just meant to be a stepping stone for you.

As for your ah - well, you knew that he was "crazy" already. I guess maybe now you're just seeing it a little more clearly. I applaud you for not trying to have a full scale conversation with him. I'm sure you know how that would have turned out and it's really just not worth effort.

While it seems really crappy right now, I have a feeling that you're just going to come out of this mess a whole lot stronger than you went in. Always seemed to me that things always get worse before they get better, unfortunately.

Hang in there! We're all rooting for you and you are not alone!