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.

JK130

Your logistical nightmare sounds so stressful! How are you doing?

LexieCat

Oh, I'm in great shape, for the shape I'm in.

It's just one of those horribly unpleasant experiences, kind of like a root canal and and IRS audit in one. It's just something that has to be slogged through, to get to the other side.

Recovering from active alcoholism (my own and other people's) is great training. Get through that, you can get through anything.

jjj111

Ugh, sorry to hear it Lexie! It helps me when facing such daunting tasks to try to break them into more manageable tasks and plug away. Speaking of which, I still have to send my accountant what he needs to file my 2014 taxes! The only task I got through with that one was "ask accountant to file an extension." Sigh. I hope you will get a judgement in your favor!! Or maybe they will settle when they see your awesome ability to marshal evidence?

dandylion

Lexie....I totally understand. We are allowed to HATE what we hate. Period.

I have to take my national board exams every 6yrs. (physicians Assistant).
I am studying now (again)!! Talk about a PITA for me....lol.
I would rather have a root canal...welll....guess what? I am going to be having some major dental work done right after the e xam.......
I ;am ashamed of how long I have waited to do the dental work .
(I am terrified of anesthesia).....

I feel for ya.....

dandylion

LexieCat

LOL,

Funny you should mention the '14 taxes. I filed an extension this year and still haven't gotten the crap to my accountant. I'll be away on vacation from September 19 to Oct. 4, so I HAVE to get that done in the next week or so, too.

I just got a late-evening email from the paralegal though, telling me not to worry about it for right now. Apparently the Answer to the complaint was late, and she says she'll go through what they have and let me know what "holes" need to be filled in.

And dandy, I'm in the same boat with my dental work. My dentist is warning me if I want to hold avoid denture-land, this is my last chance. I need a couple of crowns and implants--I have had horrible periodontal problems since I was in my early 20s, and every several years I go through dental HELL and by then I'm so sick of it that I let it go until it's another emergency.

And I need to get some medical work done, too.

At least I'm not a drunk anymore.

53500

Okay, since this is an OT thread - to those who have not got their tax info to their accountants - I am going to tell you a couple of secrets from the other side.

1. We are going nuts with our Sep. 15th deadline and don't care, at the moment, about Oct. 15th.

2. Clients who get their stuff in close to Oct. 15th get the fastest service! We have no choice. It may not be the *best* service - there is no time for tax planning or strategy - but it's certainly fast and that keeps your bill down.

3. Unfortunately, when we are pressed down to the deadline to get tax returns done there is the highest probability of mistakes being made and not caught.

Many happy returns, people! (sorry I couldn't help myself)

FeelingGreat

Maybe we should start a dental work thread, because those of us in their 50s upward probably have a lot to contribute. When I look at the perfect teeth of young people I'm so jealous. At least I don't have acidic wine rotting away the enamel any more.

Lexie, good luck with the lawsuit and congratulations on doing it sober.

redatlanta

I totally relate. My first career LOL was in law and I totally thought that was my path for life. I got out of it after a couple of years for this very reason (well, and a god awful partner that took over my area from litigation to B& F and it was a nightmare).

I avoid lawsuits at all cost ,my mantra is there are no winners. Except the attorneys of course. I still chuckle when people say "I will sue them"! As if its as easy as buying a winning scratch off lotto ticket. They are soul sucking. Necessary at times - good luck in yours. 6 years is a long time I hope it concludes soon.

LexieCat

Drawing a blank...?

Wisconsin

Lexie, it's so funny that you posted this today; I've had my very own "thank GAWD I left private practice" stretch over the past few days. I was never a litigator, but I worked with financial services firms (investment advisers, insurance companies, brokerage firms). The market instability over the past several days would have sent us all into a total frenzy. It would have been incredibly high stress, with never-ending demanding phone calls from very rich financial industry people wanting to protect themselves from clients who lost money in the market "correction."

I do not miss it AT ALL.

Eauchiche

Not only is it great training, stresses like this really prove our mettle. Our MOO in the past was to just use to escape it. It is a good feeling to all of a sudden realize "Oh yeah, I would have dealt with all this in a different way a few years ago."

I am still cleaning up debt from a practice that failed. One of the items is 3 years IRS returns that were never filed. My former CPA is holding the ball on that one, but if I hadn't been escaping, I would have caught all that before it got so bad.

All this will work out, Lexie. Keep coming back!

hopeful4

Ugh. I am sorry Lexie. I am trying to keep all of my stuff as organized as possible should I end up in court w/my X regarding child custody. It's pretty organized but it just wears me down having to document every single thing all the time. Ugh.