Suing on Principle (Only the Lawyers Win)

Before you proceed with or defending a lawsuit based upon principle, you must ask yourself: is this a good idea?  Most of the time, the answer will be no.

Throughout my career, clients have instructed me to proceeded with litigation based on principle, and not upon monetary damages. 

For example, I had a client once sue a party over a $500.00 invoice because of they were upset with the defendant, then only to be enraged that (shocker!) their legal fees were in excess of that AND they ultimately ended up settling for less than what we claimed.

Parties who experience the time, uncertainty of ligation and most importantly the expense of suing, usually find out quick that it is less compelling to do sue someone because they’re upset over the situation.

Is it really that important to go through litigation for a Judge to potentially say you’re right?

A person who sues or defends a law suit on principle (see client above) are usually acting emotionally.  People who are emotional do not always think reasonably and make decisions they may not necessarily make normally.  This can be a big problem for them.

There is no place in litigation for emotions and your emotions can end up costing you a lot more than hurt feelings.  It can really hurt your pocketbook with no return.

Murray Brown, Licensed Paralegal