ErinGoBragh
Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY
I'm sorry, because this involves 3rd parties, but me as well, and I'm not technically sure if this is the right forum.
I subcontract occasionally in my job capacity for the law firm of distant family member who does legal work as an attorney. Over the course of the years, I, my mother, and my siblings have gotten legal work from this office; nothing serious, mostly stuff involving traffic infractions and the like, but there WAS a messy custody case handled by the attorney for my middle sibling, and the office also handled my parents divorce back years ago.
An employee of the firm (not an attorney, someone in an administrative capacity) was doing a number of things involving mismanagement of office resources that led to their termination. In in my capacity working for the office, I was one of the people to bring some of these things to the attorney's attention. On the former employee's termination, the former employee took a new job at another place. My middle sibling took over the former employee's job duties at the office, as my middle sibling has also done some work for the office in the past and was asked to do such when the office found themselves now without a job filled. Ironically, the former employee then took a job working for a friend of my middle sibling, none of which was known to us at the time.
My middle sibling got a call from a friend, HIGHLY irate, because the former employee had come into their new job, using full names, discussing how insane the attorney and their (my) family was. The former employee went in very detailed history into the matters that my family and I have utilized the office for, in front of not only this friend of my sibling, but every other employee present at the former employee's new place of business at the time. That friend then called my sibling to inform them of what had occurred.
Needless to say, we are all taken aback. These matters, while mostly minor, also included some very private details about things that happened to my siblings and I during the course of our parents divorce, which was also handled by this office, not to mention my middle sibling's custody case. These are things I never have breathed to any other living persons, aside from a past hearing I had to participate in during the divorce in addition to counseling sessions. The same is true of the majority of what was said of my siblings that has us all so completely taken aback.
Obviously, the firm is not to blame for this. This is not technically libel, as it is generally true information, but it was also only known by the former employee because of the nature of attorney-client privilege in the office. I'm not so sure I'm interested in pursuing a suit against the employee- I'm still on the fence- but my siblings damn sure are. Is it an option for them, and maybe all of us, to jointly or separately go after JUST this employee?
I am sorry for the complexity of terminology as I am trying to be vague and protect the attorney in question, but I could REALLY use some advice. I don't wish to speak with the attorney directly about this at this point, because this is not their expertise, but they are aware of and mortified by the situation.
I'm sorry, because this involves 3rd parties, but me as well, and I'm not technically sure if this is the right forum.
I subcontract occasionally in my job capacity for the law firm of distant family member who does legal work as an attorney. Over the course of the years, I, my mother, and my siblings have gotten legal work from this office; nothing serious, mostly stuff involving traffic infractions and the like, but there WAS a messy custody case handled by the attorney for my middle sibling, and the office also handled my parents divorce back years ago.
An employee of the firm (not an attorney, someone in an administrative capacity) was doing a number of things involving mismanagement of office resources that led to their termination. In in my capacity working for the office, I was one of the people to bring some of these things to the attorney's attention. On the former employee's termination, the former employee took a new job at another place. My middle sibling took over the former employee's job duties at the office, as my middle sibling has also done some work for the office in the past and was asked to do such when the office found themselves now without a job filled. Ironically, the former employee then took a job working for a friend of my middle sibling, none of which was known to us at the time.
My middle sibling got a call from a friend, HIGHLY irate, because the former employee had come into their new job, using full names, discussing how insane the attorney and their (my) family was. The former employee went in very detailed history into the matters that my family and I have utilized the office for, in front of not only this friend of my sibling, but every other employee present at the former employee's new place of business at the time. That friend then called my sibling to inform them of what had occurred.
Needless to say, we are all taken aback. These matters, while mostly minor, also included some very private details about things that happened to my siblings and I during the course of our parents divorce, which was also handled by this office, not to mention my middle sibling's custody case. These are things I never have breathed to any other living persons, aside from a past hearing I had to participate in during the divorce in addition to counseling sessions. The same is true of the majority of what was said of my siblings that has us all so completely taken aback.
Obviously, the firm is not to blame for this. This is not technically libel, as it is generally true information, but it was also only known by the former employee because of the nature of attorney-client privilege in the office. I'm not so sure I'm interested in pursuing a suit against the employee- I'm still on the fence- but my siblings damn sure are. Is it an option for them, and maybe all of us, to jointly or separately go after JUST this employee?
I am sorry for the complexity of terminology as I am trying to be vague and protect the attorney in question, but I could REALLY use some advice. I don't wish to speak with the attorney directly about this at this point, because this is not their expertise, but they are aware of and mortified by the situation.
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