Gilbert Kinkaid Walker (veryperceptive) wrote in dc_nextgen,
@ 2011-02-19 17:33:00

Entry tags:

Legal Advice.
He'd seen the place, while he was hitting someone with sticks. It seemed as good as any. Shop local, Mom and Uncle Jed always said. So one day, Michelle Torres's law offices would receive a cashier's check for $600. When he's sure she'll have received it by then, GK, will star-sixty-seven his phone and call the offices in question at what seems like it might be a convenient time of the afternoon.

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dc_parent
2011-02-19 10:29 pm UTC (link)

Michelle was taking a break after a very difficult and cantankerous client, an elderly man who visited her office every month with a complaint against someone who did nothing more than cross his path at the wrong moment. Kids on bicycles making too much noise, the stock boy at the local market not moving a box out of the way quickly enough, the red car that nearly hit in him the crosswalk. Long ago she figured out that he only wanted someone to listen to him, there was no real legal work involved. So she would give him an hour of her time, industriously make notes on everything he said, and smiled him on his way. No money changed hands, no contracts were signed. She chalked it up to community service.

The phone rang at her elbow. She opened her eyes and reached for it. "Michelle Torres."

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	veryperceptive 2011-02-19 10:39 pm UTC (link)
	"Hello, Ms. Torres?" GK asks in the countertenor voice which has been the constant bane of people on the other side of the phone -- they usually gave up on 'Sir' or 'Miss' and settled for 'put your mother on the line, please.' "I hope this isn't a bad time. I think you may have got my check, and I have some questions about legal stuff." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dc_parent
2011-02-20 12:47 am UTC (link)

Michelle sat up and opened her desk drawer to pull out a file. The cashier's check arrived several days before without a return address or an individual's name to document who had sent it. She'd put it aside in a folder without cashing it. She did not cash checks from unknown parties. That smacked of illegal activities she did not want to participate in.

"You are the person who sent me a cashier's check? Would verify the amount and the bank information that appear on it? I also need your name, address and telephone number."

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	veryperceptive 2011-02-20 12:50 am UTC (link)
	GK rattled off the bank information and the amount. "...Can I maybe just my questions and then you can decide if you need the rest of the stuff to answer them? I'm trying to be discreet and stuff." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dc_parent
2011-02-20 01:52 am UTC (link)

The person on the other end sounded so young. Younger than Zoe. Even though she knew how dangerous kids could be, she couldn't help but have a soft spot.

"All right," she said in a kind voice. "Ask your questions and we'll see if there is something I can do. You realize that a single question won't be sufficient to give you an accurate answer. If I need more information, we can make an appointment for you to come in to the office."

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veryperceptive
2011-02-20 02:11 am UTC (link)

"Thanks. Well, mostly I need to know if a parent can be held liable for the actions of one of their kids who's under 21 but no longer under her supervision. For instance, say... Red Robin was less than 21, and somebody found out who he was, and sued him for wrongful injury or something. Could his mother get in trouble for it, even if she's in, like, Florida or somewhere?"

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dc_parent
2011-02-20 02:20 am UTC (link)

"It would depend on the age of the child and the child's understanding of right and wrong. Red Robin, if you would like to use him as an example, is clearly not twelve years old. For instance, a sixteen or seventeen year old child, not living with a parent and who clearly knows what he or she is doing, will be culpable for his or her own actions. A parent would reasonably be expected to stop a child living under the same roof but children run away from home or leave for other reasons. They also can be emancipated from their parents. In any case, a seventeen year old can be tried as an adult in a court of law and held responsible for their own actions."

She paused. "Before a situation happens that causes the issue to come under consideration, I would recommend that the child talk to someone. If you would like to pass on a message, I can recommend a very good family counselor."

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veryperceptive
2011-02-20 02:44 am UTC (link)

Well, it didn't sound, based on what she was saying, that anyone could mess with Mom over his 'volunteer work.' That was the important thing. It was all on his own head if he screwed up.

But a counselor? No way. His relationship with Mom and Grandma and Uncle Jed was great -- he just wasn't going to mention that he was using his heirloom swordstick and all those self-defense classes extracurricularly, that's all.

Still... Ms. Torres sounded so maternal it was hard to turn her down and leave her worrying. "Thank you, Ma'am. It's good to know that. And I'll go ahead and pass that information on just in case it's applicable."

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	dc_parent 2011-02-20 02:54 am UTC (link)
	Michelle recited the name and phone number she passed out at every opportunity. "This telephone call is hardly a consultation. If you give me your name and address, I'll be happy to return your check." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	veryperceptive 2011-02-20 03:03 am UTC (link)
	GK wrote it all down out of a sense of inherent good-boy-ness. "Six hundred for the first hour's normal for lawyers some places. You shouldn't let some random rich kid get you to work for free, Ma'am; pro bono's for people who actually need it." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

dc_parent
2011-02-20 03:17 am UTC (link)

Her caller was very polite. Michelle still couldn't quite grasp if the caller was male or female. Not that it mattered to her. It was still a young, polite voice.

"I don't mind pro bono work when necessary, but I also don't charge fees as if I had an office in Star City's financial district. I'll tell you what, we'll call this a retainer. If you need help, please call my number."

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	veryperceptive 2011-02-20 03:32 am UTC (link)
	"Sounds like a deal. Thank you, Ms. Torres." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	dc_parent 2011-02-20 03:50 am UTC (link)
	"I do need a name for the file. Attorney-client confidentiality does apply when my services have been retained. Your privacy will be protected." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	veryperceptive 2011-02-20 04:32 am UTC (link)
	"...Let's go with Sliver, to keep things reasonably sense-making, ma'am. Thanks again. Bye." (Reply to this)(Parent)

	hunters_moon 2011-03-13 03:14 pm UTC (link)
	-(end)- (Reply to this)

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