Unfiltered Story #207092

(We have a client who has been antsy about her case. She keeps calling us about it to ask what the judge has said, and finally asks us to withdraw her case, because we’re not moving fast enough for her. We keep trying to point out that it’s the judge we’re waiting on, we have to wait for the ruling to come out. Otherwise, we don’t know a thing. All the same, she demands we send withdrawal papers to her to sign. Our legal assistant sends them out the same day, but it still takes two to three days before they’ll reach her via mail. We sent these out on Tuesday.)

Client: *On the phone on Wednesday* “I need to talk to [Legal Assistant]. I still haven’t gotten those papers.”

Me: “We sent them out yesterday, ma’am. You won’t get them for another day or two. Once you get them, sign and send them back in.”

Client: “There’s no way that [Legal Assistant] can do them up for me again and I come up there to pick them up? I’m only ten minutes away. I’m driving there now.”

Me: “Even if she could, she’s not here today.”

Client: “Well, when is she coming back?”

Me: “Tomorrow. She took a personal day today. They should reach you tomorrow, anyway. Just look for them, sign them, and send them back in.”

Client: “Well, can you do them for me?”

Me: “No, I’m not able to. It has to be [Legal Assistant], because she’s the only one up here able to do them.”

Client: “Is [Lawyer] in?”

Me: “He’s in court today and won’t be in office, ma’am.”

(She hangs up only to call Thursday for the same reason.)

Client: “I need to talk to [Legal Assistant] about those papers. I’m on my way up there right now to see her.”

Me: “She isn’t in yet, she won’t be in until after one. She had to see her doctor this morning. Has your mail already run? It may be there this afternoon, you know.”

Client: “No. I still haven’t gotten them. I need [Legal Assistant] to get them done up for me. I’ll come up there to sign them.”

Me: “Okay. I’ll get her a message, but she won’t be able to see to them until tomorrow. She has three cases to work on for the lawyer when she gets in.”

Client: “Is [Lawyer] in?”

Me: “He is, but he has a full day. He has an appointment at every hour, and he leaves paperwork like this for [Legal Assistant] to do.”

(Again, she hangs up, rude about it, and I hear nothing about it for the rest of the day. Friday, however, she storms in.)

Client: “I need to see [Lawyer] NOW!”

Me: “He’s with a client, Ms. [Client]. He’s not going to be able to see you for a while, and [Legal Assistant] is dealing with a long distance appointment that is likely to take up to three hours. It’s why we asked you to please be patient and wait for the withdrawal forms to come by mail for you. You should get them today.”

Client: “I need to sign them NOW! Tell [Legal Assistant] I need to see her and I need those papers.”

Me: “I can’t interrupt her call, ma’am. You have to understand, she has appointments just like [Lawyer] does. I’m not able to interrupt them. I can give her another message. She will give me the papers and I’ll call you when they’re ready to be signed.”

Client: “I don’t have time. I can’t wait that long.”

Me: “There’s nothing I can do about that. My hands are tied in this.”

(She sits down and glares at me. Then she stands back up and storms down the hallway to the lawyer’s office. He is none too pleased about having his current client’s appointment interrupted, either.)

Client: “Your receptionist was rude to me. She told me that I can’t get my papers, and I’m going to have to wait three hours to sign them. You’re my lawyer, you need to make her get to work or fire her for being incompetent. I need those papers done now!”

Lawyer: “Yes, yes. Please go sit back down in the lobby. I’ll get [Legal Assistant] to draw the papers up.”

(He excuses himself from his office to go to the legal assistant’s office and talk to her. She comes up there ten minutes later. The whole while, the client has been giving me smug grins, because she got her way after all.)

Legal Assistant: “Sign here, here, date here, and sign here. *She waits for client to sign and date* Good. Now, you’re no longer welcome up here, as you’re no longer our client. Here are your papers to withdraw from the case. You can send them in to the judge yourself once you’ve signed them. The envelope is already pre-addressed. Thank you for interrupting my day and my call. I hope the inability to wait an extra day to withdraw your case gives you a feeling of happiness. Please don’t come again.”

(The client gaped at the legal assistant, then stormed out with a “Bet your a** still gets fired.” The only thing the lawyer said to me as he was leaving that evening was, “Some people are just too self involved and feel too entitled. I hope she doesn’t come back.”)