Success at trial, another asshole attorney

I spent a lot of time preparing for the trial that was scheduled this morning. I was fully prepared for the opposing attorney to be an asshole. He was an asshole at the last hearing, and he didn't disappoint me today.

When I first arrived at court, he handed me a document that was entitled "Declaration re: Meet and Confer."

I already knew what was going to be stated in it. He was going to try to make it sound like he had tried to hook up with me to discuss the case, as ordered by the judge the last time we were in court, and then he would say that I didn't "meet and confer" as ordered.

He had his office call me about 2 weeks before the hearing to schedule the "meet and confer." We scheduled the "meet and confer" for a week ago Friday to talk about the case. I was doing something, I forget what, but there were several emergencies that week, and I probably couldn't get on the phone at that time. But I called him back. He wasn't available.

Then his office called again and I again wasn't available. But I did call his office back, and he, again, wasn't available. The person I spoke with on Monday last week said he would be out of town all week.

When we were in court, and he handed me his document entitled "Declaration re: Meet and Confer," I knew it would be full of shit, such as, as he stated in open court when our case was called, "I telephoned Ms. Healy's office and scheduled an appointment, and she wasn't available. I called again another time, and again, she wasn't available." He never mentioned that I called his office back, both times. He did say he was out of the office, but he said he was out of the office at the end of the week, when it was actually ALL week.

There were other misrepresentations, but I'm not going to bore you. (Maybe I already have.)

When he first handed me that declaration, before he made his statements to the judge, I looked at it and knew what it would say, so I handed it back to him and said, "I don't have time to read this right now. Mail it to my office." He shouted at me, as I walked away, "You've been served!"

Phhht. I kept walking.

Then the judge called our case and that's when he stated, in court, what was probably contained in that declaration. When he was done making his bullshit statements, the judge said, "Go out in the hall and see if you can reach an agreement."

I said to the judge, "He's already stated half-truths and even downright lies. I don't know why I should go out there and try to talk to him, but if that's what the court wants, I'll do it." The judge, basically, sighed.

I was so pissed.

When the other attorney and I went down to the attorney room to see if we could work it out, he handed me a set of documents with his clients Income and Expense Declaration on top. Hiding underneath was the "Declaration re: Meet and Confer." I handed it back to him. He again yelled at me, "You've been served!"

I said again, "I don't have time for your bullshit!" Or something like that. I also called Tom, my husband/office manager and said, loudly enough for the asshole to hear me, "I need you to stay on the phone with me so that if this attorney wants to make up bullshit again, at least I have a witness."

The asshole didn't speak to me again after that except to hand me documents showing what his client would be paying for spousal support. It was actually a reasonable amount! However, I think it was a reasonable amount because his client is hiding more income than he is declaring.

All the preparation I had done the day before, which took me 12 hours, was for naught. We got what we wanted. The client was happy. No trial.

At one point changes had to be made and the asshole said he would make them and submit them, but then he asked me, "If you trust me to do that?"

I said, "No, I don't trust you." So he made the changes where I could see them.

I hate this type of attorney, where half-truths are made and I have to keep track of everything and refute the lies.

I wish I could find a picture of an attorney who looks like an asshole. If we all knew what an "asshole attorney" looked like, we would know what to avoid.