DO SOMETHING!

By M. J. Goodwin

I often hear clients say “Something has to be done!”  This is usually a knee jerk reaction to some stimulus that the client finds offensive.  What the client typically seeks at that point is some sort of court sanctioned retribution against the other party.  But that may not be the best long term solution.  And sometimes that is hard to explain to an emotionally distraught client who is living in the heat of the moment.

It’s important to remove the emotion from the situation and think clearly.  What is the client’s long term goal?  Does an immediate disclosure of the bad behavior harm the client’s long term goal?  This analysis requires a careful consideration of whether or not disclosure will allow the other party explain the bad behavior and thereby potentially compromise the client’s long term goal.

Sometimes, the best course of action is to let the situation cool off before deciding what course to take.  Of course if life or limb is at risk, immediate action must be taken on behalf of the client.