If you read the history of boxing, you might learn that, during his 1974 fight with George Foreman, the legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, introduced a new technique. This technique emphasized the incredible importance of knowing when to make specific, deliberate moves in order to truly maximize their effectiveness. During the Rumble in the Jungle, Ali systematically dismantled the unbeaten, heavy-hitting Foreman using what The Greatest dubbed the rope-a-dope style. With this approach, rather than
attacking or counterattacking every time Foreman went on the offensive, Ali absorbed repeated, but largely insignificant blows while waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The result was that the more aggressive, less discriminating pugilist exhausted himself and, when the time was right, The People’s Champ unloaded on his opponent.
When facing a life-changing situation such as a divorce or custody battle, it is understandable that parties may want to be as assertive as possible. Nobody wants to be in the position of looking back and thinking that more could have been done. In fact, it’s not all that uncommon to hear people say that they need an aggressive, tenacious lawyer….. a real bulldog of an attorney. The relentless, growling, rough and tumble canine is oftentimes used to describe attorneys who are willing to go the distance for their clients.
However, it’s worth asking yourself, “Do I need an aggressive attorney for my divorce?”
Let’s face it, bulldogs don’t always make the best, most logical decisions. Bulldogs will growl at the television, attack the vacuum cleaner, bark indiscriminately and tear the heads off of your kids’ stuffed animals for no obvious reason. Bulldogs will do things because they can be done without stopping to consider whether they should be done.
That mindset is not always the best in cases where the parties have deep emotional investments. When the stakes and the hourly rate you are paying are that high, do you really want someone who is, metaphorically speaking, going to be so busy trying to protect you from your Roomba that they miss a burglar making off with your television set?
While aggressive and tenacious, “Bulldog” attorneys can easily create problems. If you let them, a “Bulldog” attorney will spend thousands of dollars of your money fighting over hundreds of dollars of assets. If you let them, a “Bulldog” attorney will file motions that don’t help your cause and only create more cost for you. If you let them, a “Bulldog” attorney will be so preoccupied with winning an insignificant issue that they’re not prepared for the real, important battle. If you let them, a “Bulldog” attorney will never be a level-headed voice of reason who wants to help you move on to your new and better life.
When parties fight every possible issue regardless of how minor, they can easily end up expending considerable funds and emotional energy in an endless tit-for-tat battle where everyone involved ends up exhausted, vulnerable, and struggling to rebuild their lives. Rather than searching for the aggressive combatant wildly attacking anything that moves consider instead the benefits that you may gain from an attorney who is thoughtful, deliberate, and focused on your specific needs and goals. Such an approach is more likely to allow you to brush off the less important blows so that you can concentrate on waiting for the right moment to take control of your destiny.
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