Private Practice...

 PRIVATE PRACTICE FEELS

“Atty, ang mahal naman ng singil niyong mga abogado, pumirma lang naman kayo”

“Atty. May bayad pala, kala ko libre lang”

“Atty. yung appearance fee niyo nakalimutan ko, saka ko na lang isend”

When you go to a lawyer’s office for legal documents and notarization, all you see is the notarized document and the signature. But you do not see the years of mental, psychological and emotional struggles behind that authority to stamp and sign that document. Also, not all lawyers can notarize. We spend a lot to get commissioned every 2 years plus we are required to submit reports with the court.

All you see is ”just a signature”

But that signature can only be worth that much after we have spent millions in pre law, sacrificed another 4 years not to earn much but spent more in law school until we pass the bar. 

When you go to a lawyer for legal advice, all you hear are the legal remedies already enumerated to suit your needs or to protect your rights in that particular case. But those legal remedies he/she enumerated did not just come from one page in a law book. They came from various laws, in hundreds of pages just summarized and simplified for you by your lawyer because application of the law is a case to case basis. Hindi one time big time ganito lahat ang remedy niyo. 

When you get a lawyer’s services to represent you in a case. All you see is the lawyer appearing in court and murmuring things only he/she, the judge, the prosecutor can understand. But you do not see the hours he/she spent to draft the necessary pleadings and researching the law and jurisprudence that best suit your case. Yes, we have to research every case. Hindi yan automatic na lumalabas sa braincells namin. We also absorb the stress and anxiety of our clients. Kaya kung stress ka sa legal problem mo, how much more yung lawyer mo na mag iisip kung anong solusyon dyan. And you’re not the only client with a problem. 

So do not shortchange the effort and time of your lawyer. Because you are not just paying for the time she spent to talk to you or draft your pleadings. You are not just paying for her signature, you are not just paying for her appearance in court. You are paying for the years of collected knowledge. That signature is worth not just millions but years of tears, heartbreaks, sleepless nights and anxiety in law school. 

Anyone can read the law, but only lawyers know how to weaponize that to protect you. Only lawyers know which law would best fit your case kasi nga hindi yan one size fits all. And syempre, only lawyers are authorized to practice law. 

Try mo pumunta sa big law firms, they charge by the minute. Because a lawyer’s time is gold.

P.S 😂

This is not a rant. This post is just a realization na ganito ang mentality natin sa mga professionals lalo na kaibigan o kakilala and hopefully to make people understand na pinaghirapan ng mga professionals yung authority nila to be able to sign certain docs. This is just the reality of how professionals in private practice(not just lawyers but also doctors, CPAs, Enginers, etc.) are being undervalued/unappreciated. Kahit nga sa small time businesses,pag kaibigan kung pwede lang hingin na. but then we go to big malls and spend money without asking for a discount.

I have been in practice for 3 years now. Ganun din kahaba ang public service ko(without pay or salary). Since I came from a small community na 3 lang ang lawyers sa municipality, kahit nasa Baguio ako halos araw2 ang online consultation na free lang and that is my way of giving back sa pinanggalingan ko. But while the legal profession is mostly public service, those in private practice also need to earn because we have families to feed. Ibang usapan naman kapag hindi talaga afford ng client magbayad. That is where public service applies. Sana wag niyong sabihin sa mga anak or kakilala niyo kapag nag open sila sa inyo sa hirap nila sa law school, med school, business school or while opening a business or starting sa practice na “ginusto mo yan” or “hindi ka dapat magreklamo” because you are in a better place. Its okay if you don’t share the same sentiments but don’t be insensitive to other people’s plight.

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