This was a good one-liner I heard from a senior advocate, a few minutes ago at his office. His junior had been given a file of a criminal case where the client, a victim, had approached them for a full-fledged legal assistance, beginning with a PCR. The junior advocate started advising the client about human values, the need to forgive and forget and MOVE ON,...etc. This went on for close to twenty minutes. The senior advocate called him into his cabin and asked him what he was doing so long when he had all the facts and circumstances needed for a pleading to be drafted. The junior advocate replied " Sir, I was advising him about the futility of litigation in a matter which can as well be forgiven and forgotten ". The senior advocate gave a beautiful reply " Mister Advocate, my client has NOT come here for PHILOSOPHY. He has come here to know and understand his LEGAL OPTIONS, the methods of exercising those options and understand the risks involved and ways to tackle those risks " If he wanted philosophy, he would have gone to some ashram or his family elsewhere. It is his LEGALLY ENTITLED OPTIONS that he wants to exercise and hence he has come here to this law firm, where we FACILITATE the enablement of his legal options. You wanted to go home early today, is it not ? Leave. Send the client to me. I will take care. " As I sat there, I said to himself " Yes, that is a beautiful statement and so meaningful. If I want philosophy, why would I come to a law firm ? I need to know my legal options and exercise them. That is EXACTLY the reason for investing my time, money and energy in approaching an advocate. So, this should be the mind-set when you visit an advocate's law firm. " I WANT TO KNOW WHAT MY LEGAL OPTIONS ARE along with the RISKS involved and ways to TACKLE those risks ".
