Dealing with Office Landlord

Are you happy as a lawyer? Was it worth becoming one?

Same guy as above. The solution is to deal with it, move on and stay on top of things from now on. I know it's bullshit, but that's how life is. Whenever you can, find a way to work with different and more reliable people.

>>18011282
Take the money and try to avoid doing business with him in future.

In future, be sure you establish in advance and in writing what your professional terms and rates are, with the notice that by continuing with you from that moment on they are accepting your rates. That, essentially, is what the client did to you, and by continuing to work after she announced her intention to pay $75 you accepted those terms. And in the future don't "assume" anything about times, places, what to supply, etc. Track down the solid information.

This is all VERY elementary first-week-of-law-school stuff, and you had better learn it quick.

>>18011451
Dude, fuck off - the $75.00/hour terms were mentioned AFTER the work was done when I was asking about payment.

In fact, I had done another trip to a CLOSER county and come back to $600 in cash on my desk for it. So the payment is all over the fucking map.

When I asked what to do for payment, the response was "invoice me" - so I invoiced what I felt was appropriate considering time is time, no matter if it's for travel or actual legal work.

My hourly rate is usually $250.00, I billed half of that.

I've been practicing for over two years, this is the first time I've been treated this way.

What does an office landlord do? Are they literally the landlord of your office? How did you end up as their client?

>>18011480
A law firm has the whole floor of an office building, rents out spaces on the floor as offices to solos and other firms. As a relatively new solo (2 years) I sometimes have free mornings to take on their court settings to earn extra money if I have nothing better to do.

Never been screwed out of money by these people before but their money must be tight (the partner who paid me was recently diagnosed with stage four breast cancer that has spread to her bones).

>>18011495
so how did you discuss the terms of payment, it was discussed BEFORE you did the work I'm guessing. Do you have any record of it? I'm not a lawyer or anything but that is an important detail to all of this. I'm guessing the low payment is the main thing that left a sour taste in your mouth.

>>18011506
Well, I didn't - mostly because of the course of dealing in the past. I had always been treated fairly and had no reason to suspect that anything would be different this time. Every invoice had been paid according to what I billed.

My question isn't really so much about what I could have done, but what I should do going forward.

Confront them and basically say "this is fucking bullshit, pay me what I invoiced"

or

Take the money, remember not to trust them and start looking for other office space?

or

a possible third solution?

Payor's husband is a lawyer and he's a really well regarded authority in the area I practice but she is a fucking demon cunt from hell with stage 4 cancer
so I am grateful to learn from him but tired of her shit.

why not demand proper payment explaining the bullshit you've endured for his case, and threaten with a civil suit? its clear they have no intentions of working with you nor improve your reputation.
but if thats really not something you want to risk, you should just write a angry response letter talking about your displeasure of dealing withe her bullshit.

also if you plan on leaving the office, send her a farewell gift saying something about her cancer.

>>18011520
i see, I suppose from now on you will have to clearly lay out payment matters. If you had no signed contract you don't really have a leg to stand on I'd imagine should push come to shove. However the way this lady is treating you is bullshit and by the sounds of it she is trying to penny pinch and do it by using you. Do you think the court was really mad at you for arriving late?

Maybe you should talk with her husband about this, it seems you and him might have a better understanding and he can "straighten her out". I really doubt he would side with you over her though. It might be better not to get him involved actually. Just throwing out ideas.

I'd say you'd have to write an email back at least mentioning your business history with them, mention how you were always paid what you invoiced, mention that you did ask for details about the job but weren't given any and talk about the details regarding that. Then see their response and go from there. Assuming you don't want to talk to her husband, lol.