About the Law – July 2010

By Barry Gordon,
Attorney at Law
bgordon@gmo-law.com

Give Up the Pit Bull and the ‘Three Rs’ of the Legal Process

“Walking out of [your] office it appeared the planet had decreased in mass, or perhaps I shed a few pounds, as my tread was lighter than it has been in weeks:  Thank You.” – Quote from a recent client

What I have found in my practice as a lawyer for more than 40 years is how much energy people spend looking backwards.  I have often heard clients say something like:  “I want a lawyer who is a pit bull.”

Sometimes you do –  but most of the time you don’t.  The reasons why you do not are many, not the least of which include:  you do not know why you want a pit bull, you cannot afford a pit bull, and in all likelihood you will not get the results you want from a pit bull.

We all know the traditional “Three Rs:  Readin’, ‘Ritin’ and ‘Rithmatic.”  Learning them often entails a struggle; BUT they are far easier to deal with than the other “three Rs:  Resentment, Revenge and Regret.” These Three Rs drain us, cause a tremendous amount of stress and severely hinder us and often prevent us from achieving success in our personal and business lives.

So, shedding as much Resentment, Revenge and Regret as possible constitutes the first step on the road to success.  It is a complicated process, and you cannot accomplish it alone.  Working with specific professionals will speed this process along.

Depending upon the issues, these professionals may be lawyers, counselors including psychologists, financial advisors, accountants, social workers and other facilitators.

Each professional will give you the specific support you need and will ask questions, challenge you, and allow you to express your thoughts.  They will help you to disgorge all the anguish, anger and frustration that you could not discuss with anyone else.

Without forgetting the past, you can forgive and move forward.

Okay, so all of this does not sound like it came from a lawyer.  Yet here I am saying it, because I have seen (and heard from) clients who let go of their “pit bull” demands, and achieve peace and success in even the most contentious of legal proceedings.  And sometimes all it takes from me is good, focused listening.

Of course, there are times when you need a pit bull — and we are fully capable to provide those services as well.

Call Barry Gordon at Gordon, Mond & Ott, P.C. for an in-depth consultation from an attorney who listens.

Barry Gordon is an attorney in Quincy, MA who is President of Gordon, Mond & Ott, P.C.  A graduate of Northeastern University and Boston University School of Law, he represents families, businesses and financial institutions. His concentrations include real estate and business.  Barry is a member of the Massachusetts Bar, the Florida Bar, SSWBN,  the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and the Art and Business Council of Boston.

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