No rest for the wicked – and they really don’t get much more wicked than me!

I’m very aware that I’m not always the most popular person in the world, to the point where if I meet someone new at a networking event, I often won’t admit what I do for a living.

I have made a little old lady bankrupt.

I have evicted families from their homes.

I’ve liquidated companies.

I can also be quite abrupt with people who cold call.  I’m known for being quite sharp with those who contact me on LinkedIn trying to sell me their products or services, without knowing if I even need their help, and without giving me any reason to think they’d be better at doing the job than my existing network.

I’ve also (on occasion) upset my clients, by, for example, telling them that I don’t think there is any merit in their position, or that they shouldn’t proceed.  I’ve had emotional conversations with clients who desperately want me to find something they can claim for, and those in police cells, not to mention those going through horrible divorces.

Whilst I never take any pleasure in any of this, I always take comfort in the fact that I’m doing the right thing – I’m doing my job.  As I often tell my children, soliciting, like parenting, is not a popularity contest.  I’m not here to be liked!  In fact, if I was popular with everyone, that would probably mean I was doing something wrong.

Of course I’m not the only person who is disliked in the legal profession.  My clients and my team are often very hostile towards the courts, who can be slow and bureaucratic.  I think one of the things I personally resent is the fact that they often don’t open until 10, and are often shut by 4, but they still expect me to do everything on time and to their exacting standards, even if they don’t do the same.  As the world becomes increasingly 24/7, how can they expect to even keep up to date if they don’t put in the hours.

So it was with a degree of surprise and pleasure that I read that some employment tribunals are going to start sitting in the evenings. This should both help employers who find it hard to attend court during the day whilst still running their businesses, and help with the huge backlog of cases.  Whilst this is only a trial run, hopefully it will prove popular (or at least more popular than I am) and might help to restore the public’s faith in the judiciary.

If you’ve got an employment problem that you think might take months or even years to resolve, there may be hope in sight.

If you need a solicitor who’s not afraid to be unpopular, then drop me a line.

If you fancy having a drink with me, so I feel a bit more loved, do let me know.  It looks like I’m not going to Cannes next week, so I will at least have more time in London to meet up with you and drown my sorrows.

Kleyman & Co Solicitors.  The full service law firm.  Not afraid to be disliked.