Member-only story
Lessons from When I Sued a Lawyer
He was refusing to pay what he owed; I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
I’ve dealt with a lot of lawyers over the years.
Many have been my clients (they know the value of a good ghostwriter). Many more have been my sources for magazine articles and books. Some are friends. And occasionally I’ve been a client.
And then there was the lawyer I sued in Small Claims Court.
My husband, Jerry Clement, and I love telling this story at dinner parties, and it occurred to me that the lessons we learned from the situation would be good for any service provider to know.
Here’s what happened:
A personal injury attorney contacted me because he was looking for a ghostwriter to create a series of small books that he could use to market his services. After several phone calls and emails, we began working on the first book, which focused on what to do if you’re involved in a crash with a tractor-trailer rig.
In my proposal, I clearly outlined the scope of the project, work process, and fees — including when additional charges would be incurred.