Have you ever seen the movie Labyrinth, the one where the girl’s brother is stolen by the Goblin King and she must go through a maze, full of hazards to get him back. Then just when she thinks she has found him, at the bottom of a staircase, the staircase shifts, and she must then begin to navigate the maze of shuffling staircases. Well, the legal system can feel a lot like that to plaintiffs, victims and witnesses. At times it can feel like you have been dropped into the middle of another country, where everybody sounds like they are speaking English, but the words make no sense to you.
The legal system is not kind to victims. Your lawyers may be kind and compassionate but the legal system itself is hard and unyielding and often feels like its stacked against you. Whether you are a plaintiff in a civil case or a victim/witness in a criminal case, it’s often open season on your life. Every skeleton you had will be pulled out of its closet and paraded around for the legal world to see and judge. Frequently you are faced with either relying on 12 strangers to decide you are “credible” enough or take a settlement that is less than what the injury you suffered deserves. Words such as “interrogatories” and “discovery” you will quickly find mean that it’s time to disclose intimate information. Depositions, I’m sure you know, mean that it’s time to testify before you testify. Sort of like a practice run, except that unlike practice, these count.
If you are a victim in a criminal case, you should have been provided with a victim advocate. Sometimes these advocates are fantastic, other times they fall far short of that. But if you are a plaintiff in a civil case, there are no victim advocates, no one to guide you through this maze of unfamiliarity other than your lawyer. Even if you have a victim advocate and they are fantastic, there is a limit as to how much support they can provide. For you, whether victim or plaintiff, chances are that your case revolves around one of the worst times in your life. There is no limit to the amount of support you need. Of course, there are therapists, and seeing one may be crucial to your mental health and wellbeing, but I’ve found that, at least in my experience, therapists often don’t speak the language or understand the ins and outs of the legal system. Lawyers do, and some lawyers even understand the emotional toll that a case can take on a victim or plaintiff, but lawyers often don’t have the time or expertise to offer the depth of emotional support you need. Working with a therapist and a lawyer during the duration of your case can help bridge this gap somewhat, and I definitely recommend it, but there is still a gap. What would bridge that gap is someone familiar with the law and mental health. Someone who speaks legalese and understands the process intimately, but that also understands completely the mental and physical toll this must be taking on you.
I am that person. I have been where you are. I have also worked in the legal industry and in the mental health industry. I speak legalese and I know all too well the toll that being a victim or plaintiff can take on a person. I won’t take the place of your lawyer or your therapist or your victim advocate. Instead, I work alongside them to bridge that gap and provide you will all the support you need. Being a victim or plaintiff in a lawsuit is hard, far harder than most people could ever imagine. Maybe you just need to talk to someone who gets it. Or maybe you want to connect with others who are going through similar things. Either way I can help.