When Your Lawyer Does Nothing (On Purpose)

One of the most infuriating (and informed) things I sometimes do to my clients is this:

Absolutely nothing.

Once upon a time, I thought that every crisis required me to insert myself and save the day with some clever plan, fighting fights where needed.

The older I get, the more I realize that in the realm of custody litigation, sometimes the best thing you can do is force the parents to "do the work" and fight through co-parenting together.

I explain it like this: my job is not just to get you through your custody dispute. My job is to give you the tools you need to co-parent and keep your child healthy for the remainder of his/her childhood. In many instances, this means leaving the parties in the pressure cooker and letting things resolve through time and effort.

Doing nothing can actually be exhausting for me. See, I usually have the solution. I WANT to step in. I like solving problems. I can't tell you how often I catch myself with the phone half-way to my ear.

But all that would teach the client to do is look to me for answers. I have to endure the discomfort so they can have the mileage.

I owe it to my clients.

I owe it to their kids.

I owe it to myself.