TGIF!!!

Yes...Thank "God" (Goodness) it is FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well...

I was just about to leave for a lunch which only set at around 12pm. I thought nothing will disturb my precious lunch time but just before I left my office room, my partner came in and asked if I am willing to stand-in a court matter for a lawyer which happen to be away. She did asked for someone else to stand-in for her, but that someone only told her that she's not able to stand in for her. The court will be in session in 1 1/2 hours time and I was sure she was desperatedly needed someone and ... I was also sure that, no one else will want to stand-in for her. So, I ended up have to cancel my lunch appointment (sorry, CL) and I rushed home to get myself changed into the court attire, ate something and to the court. For about 1 hour I was there (waiting and thank God I manage to get other matters' date sorted too), I was reading her case and spoke to the other side of the lawyer and only about 3pm, the interpreter of the Judge came in and told us that our matter is postponed to tomorrow morning at 9am. Interestingly... for a minimal cost, I get to charged the lawyer twice which I consider, a blessing! hahaha...

Yes.. tomorrow morning, I need to attend court AGAIN... 3 days in a role.. isn't that nice? And yes, for those who prayed for me yesterday, I got one of my hearing date changed to 24th June instead of 25the June. Praise the Lord! and thanks for praying...

- Well ... -

A lawyer's struggles...

Not many understand what a lawyer do. What people do know is that, lawyer goes to Court and that's all. This wrong mindset of course caused by the Hong Kong series and/or other law related series that didn't show much in details about what a lawyer need to do in their job. Wrong preceptions hence was wrongly placed in the mindset of almost everyone arounds me... including my brother and sometimes, my mother too. Well, I am not saying all as I do know some people did took efforts to understand.

More misunderstanding arose to people like me, a partner in a law firm, where almost everyone thought, I am the boss and therefore, I am A BOSS. None or shall I say, only a few would be able to understand what does a Partner means, especially in my shoe. To many, being a partner (one of the boss) in a law firm, will be like a boss in any business industries. (I am amazed of how people's mind can be that narrow). People expect a partner to be able to take leaves any time they want, can earn more income than anyone else, can have flexible time... etc. etc. (just like a boss in any business industries). But never did a person think properly of what a partner should do or rather what a partner/lawyer do.

Often, people misunderstood me and seriously, it has become a 'pain' lately. People think lawyer/partner is earning a lot and therefore, they do not need to be support for in terms of financial and I ended up, have to struggles through every single moment. I still remember there was once when I just started to work and my grandmother was in critical condition where my asked if both my brother and I can come back home to pay my grandmother a last visit. Without thinking, I agreed I should as I have been away from home for quite some time then. My brother came back upon being urged and of course at the end, he too felt, it's necessary. After the funeral, 2 out of 3 of us who took the efforts to come back received financial support and the lawyer, i.e. me, gets nothing as everyone thought that the lawyer should be able to take care of herself. Not only this particular of incident, there are lots more.

No one seems to understand what I am going through most of the time and it seems like even my parents demand that I take care of them (well, it is my responsibility no doubt) alone and not my brother (although my brother has been good as a son too). But the feeling of being left alone to take care and struggles all by myself alone... is kind of 'heart-aching' if you get what I mean. No one seems to understand how tough my life is for the past few years. It is easier for anyone else to take leaves instead of me as what you need to do is just to apply for it and you will get it. Works? Accountability to your clients? Billing? Collecting fees? Expenses? You just don't need to bother when you are in your sweet holiday. As for me, as a lawyer/partner, I have to plan ahead. I need to get as many things done as possible as others won't understand what deal I have with my clients. I can't ask my clerk to draft cause papers or do research. I bet you don't want that kind fo service too if you need a help from a lawyer. Yes?

A lawyer, besides meeting clients, getting businesses, we too need to sign documents, we need to do research. we need to draft cause papers, we need to do filing, we need to attend court and our time, all relied on the court diary instead of our own schedules and we too, need to prepare ourselves before the hearing and/or trial. Trust me, a Trial is more than a presentation or a research thesis that you did for your degree and/or your master degree. May be one trial around one of your PhD thesis/research, which it usually took you a year or 3 to finish. As for lawyer like us who goes to court, we need to finish a research less than a year and even before filing some of our cause papers.

So, don't think that I only need to presence in court for my hearing and/or trial. It's more than that. If I tell you I have court tomorrow, it does mean, I probably struggles through it since a week ago already.

Oh well... what can I say? I have been bearing all these misunderstanding all these while and I am seriously tired now.

- a lawyer's struggles ...-