Unpleasant Stories

I try to keep in touch with the legal world in different ways, one of which is an e-mail list. Two comments appeared on this e-mail list under the title of "Oh the joy of Clients" today:

Story number 1:

A first for me today. A client waiting to see me fell asleep in reception. He awoke and decided to leave without seeing me after all. When he left we realised that whilst asleep he had peed all over the chair upon which he had been sitting ! That's presumably why he left in a hurry. The pet shop across from the office just sold me a can of foam to deal with pet accidents - can I claim it as a disbursement on his file do you think? Why do we do this job !!

Story number 2:

If one casts ones mind back to the mid 1980's Laura Ashley style was in full swing. Professional women at the time seemed to look like Alexis Colby (Joan Collins) from Dynasty all shoulder pads and built up hair; or Like Alice from Alice in Wonderland, all Lace dresses Alice Bands etc. As a mere articled clerk at the time I was working with a provincial firm. I remember, (I stress a very capable and professional) member of the latter of the two style camps, who was my direct superior. One day I Looked up from my desk to see a somewhat disheveled client leaving the office. Several seconds later the above mentioned solicitor backed slowly into my office, with a look of stunned Horror on her face and said very quietly "That man's just sh*t himself in my office!" Once it was ascertained that the gentleman had indeed suffered one of life's little accidents, as an articled clerk it fell to me to deal with the situation. I do not recall that clause in my Articles but there you go. But I suppose one way or another I have been cleaning up other peoples sh*t all my professional life!