RULES FOR LAWYERS

(St. Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori - Lawyer)

1. Never accept unjust cases as they are detrimental to one's conscience and to the truth.

2. Do not defend any case by unlawful means.

3. Never impose undue expenses on the client, under penalty of reimbursement.

4. A client's case must be dealt with as diligently as if dealing with one's own case.

5. Proceeding must be diligently studied so as to discern valid arguments for the defence cases entrusted to us.

6. Delays and negligence on the part of lawyers are prejudicial to the client's interests; losses thus caused must be compensated, otherwise it is a sin against justice.

7. A lawyer must implore God for help in the case he has been entrusted to defend; because God is the first defender of justice.

8. A lawyer who accepts a case outside his talent, his powers and the time available to him, with the risk of being unable to provide an honest defence, is not worthy of praise.

9. A lawyer must always be fair and honest, two qualities that he must protect like the apple of his eye.

10. A lawyer who loses the case due to his own negligence is indebted to the client, to whom he must refund the losses caused.

RULES FOR THE LAWYER'S CLIENT

1.You must always tell your lawyer the truth, not a version of events of your choosing that, however, omits essential facts. Omitting something important that is, in any case, sooner or later revealed by the conterparty and by the documents, places your lawyer in difficulty but, above all, undermines the client's position in the trial;

2. If you want a service as specified by you, you will pay what I ask; if you pay as specified by you, you will get the service as specified by me;

3. Judgments do not exist on the internet. Or rather, searching for judgments on the internet that you deem perfect for your case and then giving your solution to the lawyer is prohibited. It is on a par with your lawyer going to the doctor for a diagnosis after searching online: it is offensive, unnecessary and often harmful;

4. When you go to a lawyer you should be aware that the lawyer is to be paid just like any other service and without humiliating negotiations. "Thank you" is appreciated, but does not suffice;

5. The lawyer is not your psychologist or your pastor; if he is not in his office this does not mean that he is avoiding you;

6. If the next hearing is in six months, it is pointless calling every day to see if there is any news;

7. Remember that, even if your case is important - like all the others - you are not the lawfirm's only client;

8. Having your lawyer's mobile phone number does not in any way mean you are authorised to call him at 8am on Sunday morning... to see if there is any news;

9. If your lawyer suggests a settlement, you must not think that he has come to an agreement, with the counterparty colleague, that is not in your interests. A settlement (or even better, mediation) is much better than a lengthy and expensive court case;

10. Fundamental: anything and everything can happen in an Italian court (and therefore in a judgment) due to a series of "combinations", and the customer may therefore lose when he is right and win when he is wrong ... sic!