Dealing With The Difficult Client, Difficult Opposing Counsel, Or Difficult Pro Se Party

Dealing With The Difficult Client, Difficult Opposing Counsel, Or Difficult Pro Se Party – Part I of II

By Margaret Dee McGarity, Bankruptcy Judge, Eastern District of Wisconsin

First Things, First. The first step in dealing with difficult people is to understand how you react to different kinds of challenging personalities. Here are some typical reactions and more positive ways to respond:

Outrage. If your blood pressure rises every time you interact with difficult people, think of them as a hassle, not a horror. Be assertive, not aggressive. Stand up for yourself by sticking to the facts without getting personal. Remember, if you respond with anger, you will become the difficult . . .

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From the Editor – Claims

October 20, 2019

By The Honorable William Houston Brown (Retired) Debtor’s objection to tax claim for being “too low” was rejected. Noting that the debtor could not benefit prior to distribution to creditors, in event trustee found assets for distribution, debtor’s objection to claim filed by tax creditor on basis that claim was “too low” was rejected. “The debtor comes last, not first,...

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Postpetition Borrowing by a Consumer Debtor in Chapter 13 – Part 1 of 2

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By Judge Michael A. Fagone & Career Law Clerk Ciera S. Dye Although our Nation’s bankruptcy laws are uniform, chapter 13 practice in our Nation’s bankruptcy courts varies to a significant extent in the different judicial districts. One example of this variation is the treatment of postpetition borrowing by a consumer debtor in chapter 13.i Neither the Bankruptcy Code nor...

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