Navigating turbulent waters: It’s not all black and white for judges

In litigation, the reality of many business disputes is that neither party is 100% in the right, or 100% in the wrong, and, more importantly, even for the cases we believe passionately in, Judges tend to view them in more tempered terms than clients and their paid advocates.

Typically when Finney Law Firm attorneys meet with a client for the first time about their business or personal dispute, they are passionate about their position in the litigation.  They believe they have been wronged and want compensation for their losses, or that they have been unfairly sued, and want a vigorous defense of a disputed if not entirely frivolous claim against them.

However, as we get into the file more deeply, frequently we find the case is not at all just plain black and white, but rather shades of grey.

This has two consequences, at least: (i) it will take skill and attention to develop and present the case to convince the court that our client’s position is correct (read: more costly), and (ii) the odds of winning the case come down, if even slightly, as a result of the ambiguities present.

Clients and attorneys easily can fall into the trap of failing to see the weaknesses in their own case, and to assess them appropriately.

What we experience is that Judges and juries tend to see things less one-sided than we and our clients do initially   As a result, from the commencement of litigation to the day we are heading into trial, we attempt to paint for the client a realistic picture of their prospects for success.


Please contact us to learn how we can help you with your litigation challenges, either defending against a business or personal claim, or prosecuting a meritorious claim you hold.


Read below four related topics:

Navigating turbulent waters: Very early settlement discussions

Navigating turbulent waters: The litigation end game

Navigating turbulent waters: Economics of litigating low-dollar claims

Navigating turbulent waters: Turning the tables on the opposing party

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