Baseball helped me be a better lawyer
One of my favorite quotes about baseball (and the law) is attributed to Yogi Berra: “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice there is.” The same applies when it comes to divorce law. Many people call my office expecting that their case will follow a specific set of rules that they’ve read online or heard from friends or family members. But what they don’t realize is that every case is different and requires its own unique approach—and that requires preparation, adapting and finding alternative solutions. No matter how much research you do before hiring an attorney, you never know exactly what will happen until it happens—and being flexible enough to adjust expectations accordingly can make all the difference in reaching a favorable outcome or a lot of frustration and heartache.
Yes, I do want the Cardinals to win the last game of the year. Nothing short of that is acceptable…..However, as a lawyer, I have learned many lessons from baseball. Here are a few:
- Be prepared.
In baseball, being prepared means knowing the scouting report on the other team. You need to know their strengths and weaknesses, You also need to know the situation. If you’re down by a few runs with 9 outs to go, you need to know what you need to do to get back in the game.
In law, being prepared means knowing the facts of your case. You need to know what happened, who was involved, and what the evidence is. You also need to know the law. You need to know the legal principles that apply to your case, and you need to know how to apply them to the case and very specifically, the Judge handling your case.
- Don’t give up.
In baseball, there are times when you will feel like giving up, like in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. They had a 2.8% chance as of September 7 to make the playoffs. Guess what? They made the playoffs. You might be down by a few runs, or you might be facing a tough pitcher. But if you give up, you will never win.
The same is true in divorce. There will be times when you feel like giving up. You might be facing a issue where the other side refuses to budge, or you might be dealing with difficult emotions. But if you give up then you will never find your way to the 9th inning – which, in my world, is a satisficing settlement bearing the Judge’s signature granting the divorce.
- Believe in yourself.
In baseball, you need to believe in yourself. In baseball, believing in yourself means having confidence in your abilities. You made it to the show, and that means that you are in the top 1% abilities of all the humans currently playing baseball. You need to believe that you can hit that home run, drive the runner over, or you can strike out the batter. How else would Adam Wainwright take the mound evey 5th day when he is not on the IL? He does not throw hard anymore and he knows his stuff can be hit. But he believes he can go 9 innings every time and keep them in the game.
The same is true in law. You need to believe in yourself. You need to believe that you can find a solution that is good for your client. Further, a good lawyer needs to believe that they are uniquely qualified to help that particular client. If I did not believe that, then I would not be able to effectively represent my clients.
Divorce law can be complex and difficult no matter which side you are on; but by approaching each case with these lessons lets me be the best lawyer I know how to be. These life lessons I have learned through watching baseball since childhood–can help ensure a smoother process overall for you.
If you want to hire a baseball crazy attorney, reach out through my website or call me. Unless it is March 30, where I will be at Busch Stadium. But I will get back to you and see if I can help you through your uncontested divorce.