Bud #5: Good Deeds Are Not Always Good Deals

When I stopped in to Bud’s, Harold, Bud and a guy in a suit were sitting at the bar. They were engrossed in a pile of legal papers.

Bud looked up and said, “Hi Dave.” He pointed to the man in the suit and said, “This is my friend Paul Winston.” Paul was an attorney and a friend of Bud’s.  He had just retired.  He gave Bud a set of leather-bound law books from his practice. Bud loved to just stand at the bar and randomly read sections from those books.

Paul had closed up shop but he hadn’t yet given up his law license.

Several of those law books were lying open on the bar and Paul was studying a pile of old yellowed documents that Harold had brought.

Paul was reading the documents carefully.

Harold said that his sister Louise and her husband Robert had taken these papers to one of those seminars that judge holds.

That judge said that everything was ok.

Paul paused and looked at Harold. He said that he thought the deed might be ok, but it would be best if Louise had an attorney look at her will and the deed. Paul said “The will says that Robert’s son from his first marriage is to be given money upon Robert’s death. “Isn’t Robert’s son deceased and isn’t Robert in pretty poor health?”  

“Yes,” said Harold.

“But Louise said everything was ok.”

“Maybe it is,” said Paul, “but this is kind of complicated.  It’s not something that I would just say was ok from listening to a 45-minute seminar. I think I would talk to a lawyer who specializes in wills and trusts.”

Harold said, “Won’t that cost a lot of money?”

“Harold,” replied Paul. “Good legal advice is never free. You’ll be paying for knowledge, expertise and research. That free seminar might be worth just what Louise paid for it.”

Harold looked worried. “I guess Louise had better get a lawyer. We’ve got to get this straightened out now. Her husband wouldn’t want her to lose her home because the will had wrong stuff in it and wasn’t up-to-date.”

Paul said, “You know there’s a rule that says a judge shouldn’t practice law. It says they shouldn’t give legal advice. I’m not sure, but this might be why they made that rule.”

Paul continued, “Older folks tend to trust authority figures like a judge and sometimes they can misinterpret what that authority figure says.”

“Harold,” Bud said, “Just because everybody buys you a free beer that doesn’t mean that other stuff is free even if a judge says so on those big blue signs.”

Harold said “Bud, this is no joke.”

Bud nodded.

“What should I do?”

Paul said that he had an attorney friend that specialized in wills and trusts. He said he’d have his friend call Harold.

“Won’t that cost a lot of money.”

Paul replied that if Louise and Robert didn’t get things straightened out it could cost a lot more. Bud said, “Harold you can stop paying attention to those big blue signs, because nothing in life is free, free, free.” 

Next Time: Harold Holds Kangaroo Court

The opinions expressed are solely those of Dave Partington and of course Bud, Randy, Harold, Larry and the rest of the guys sitting at the bar at Bud’s. Bud’s Geauga Corners is a work of fiction. Bud’s Geauga Corners is paid for solely by Dave Partington.