The choice always belongs to the client

I have a handful of cases that are extremely high conflict. The two parties cannot speak to each other without blowing up. The attorneys do not get along. Dirty tricks are common.

These type of cases share several predictable qualities:

They take a long time
They cost a lot of money
They have the potential to damage children
They drain marital assets

I don't like high conflict cases. But I understand that clients need to depend on their attorney - especially during a high conflict case.

When there is no other choice I get very aggressive during these cases. I feel guilty when the charges to the client get really high. But the one thing I try to remember, what keeps everything in perspective is this: my client always has a choice to stop - and settle.