People are creatures of habit and those habits can ensnare us more readily than we believe. That’s because we assume each day will be the same as the day before. We’re wired that way as forming habits makes us more efficient. But chances are one day a legal crisis will come upon you in a flash and it’s likely you won’t be expecting it.
If you’ve been married for 20 years you may be figuring tomorrow will be the same as yesterday. But many an unsuspecting victim has been taken by complete surprise when their spouse suddenly pulls back a curtain of lies and reveals a darker side. How many spouses have endured the pain of the sudden revelation of unfaithfulness from a person they trusted with all their heart?
Or, it could be a business partner that betrays your trust. Maybe he’s been embezzling behind your back for years and you had no clue.
Then there’s the nightmare of waking up to find your child has been arrested for selling drugs. What if you did not know a drug dealer had ensnared your child, and you didn’t find out until the police knocked on your door at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning?
When events like this take family members by surprise, the emotional shock and pain make it very difficult to view the situation rationally. Yet that is exactly what you need to do in a crisis situation. That’s why you need to have an attorney you trust as your personal confident and advisor.
When it’s a family crisis, emotions can run high — even to dangerous levels where people resort to desperate solutions to relieve the pain and stress of betrayal. When large amounts of money are on the table, people can do some pretty evil things – even people you trusted completely.
So there are two take-home lessons here. First, retain a personal attorney who can help you check those strong emotions in the aftermath of a personal disaster. Secondly, heed his or her advice in the immediate aftermath of a crisis. Doing so can spare your family much misery down the road.