IT’S NOT FAIR

Most parents are used to their children’s temper tantrums.  When my eldest son was very young, he had a momentous strop in the middle of Tescos in Brentford.  I ended up carrying him out under one arm (still screaming) whilst pushing the trolley with the other and trying to pretend everything was perfectly normal.  What made this event stick out in my mind so much, was the fact that it was really his one and only riot in all his life.
 
That, of course, was until recently.  Now 16 and taller than me (not that that’s difficult) he appears to be making up for lost time, and starts many conversations (if you can call a list of complaints a conversation) about how hard done by he feels because his 10 year old brother is so much better off than he is.  His brother has a better phone than he did at that age.  This is very true, but at 10, my eldest son had no need to or interest in walking to and from school.  My youngest is much more interested in being independent and I want him to be safe whilst doing it.   His brother earns more pocket money than he did at that age.  Again, this is true, but when my eldest was that age, I had more free time and needed less help around the house, and what’s more, knowing what my eldest was like then (and still is now!) no amount of money would have motivated him to be more useful.
 
The bottom line is that I do treat them differently, but for a very good reason.  They are different.  They have different personalities and temperaments.  Different goals and ambitions, and they reach each millstone when I am at a different stage in my business and my life, and so my timetable is different too.   Different circumstances automatically lead to different rules and boundaries.
 
The same can be true of clients.  For example, if you phoned me up and asked me if I had a precedent for a share purchase agreement, I’d tell you I didn’t, because every purchase of a business I’ve ever done has been different.  Some clients rush in without any due diligence or much in the way of paperwork, and so want the most simple and basic of agreements.  In those circumstances, my warning letter about the risks they are potentially taking is longer than the agreement itself!  Others want the all singing all dancing version, with three add ons that only apply to their unique set of circumstances.
 
Other differences come with how adverse clients are to risk.  It’s not just about how good or bad your case is, and whether or not you can afford the fees, but how will you cope with the pressure.  Litigation is not straight forward and can be very unpredictable.  When deciding whether or not to fight, it’s important to consider not just the legal but also the commercial and practical issues before you make the final decision.
 
Clients also come with different budgets, different aims and different circumstances.  No two transactions are ever the same, even when they are between the same or similar parties.   Also, things change.  A wife who starts a divorce being adamant she is going to be very civilised with her ex, can often change her mind when she finds out her ex is already living with the au pair!
 
So if you need advice on a legal matter, and want to be treated as an individual and not just a routine case, drop me a line at stephanie@kleymansolicitors.com.  We can meet for any coffee of your choice, at any location that suits you, just so long as it’s not the Tescos at Brentford – I’m still banned from there.
 
Kleyman & Co Solicitors.  The full service law firm.  We are one of a kind.