Grassroots lawyers also have their day

Chapter 76 To be a lawyer, you need to have a big enough heart!

"Director, can Wei Ping come with me?" Pan Jinlian asked.

"Alright, be careful on the road, safety first! Wang Chuan shouldn't go, stay at the law firm." Niu Gongming hesitated for a moment before saying. He sent Wei Ping mainly because having two people would be more flexible.

After Niu Gongming walked into the office, Wang Chuan made a face, realizing he couldn't go this time.

The next day, Niu Gongming went to another province, and it goes without saying what he was going to do.

A week later, Director Niu brought Fatty Wan back. When Wang Chuan and the others saw Fatty Wan again, they noticed that he had lost a significant amount of weight, looked unwell, and his clothes were full of wrinkles. He seemed to have aged considerably.

Director Niu gave Fatty Wan a week off so he could get some rest.

Wang Chuan later learned that Niu Gongming had gone to the court with the leaders of the Municipal Lawyers Association. At first, the other party refused to admit their mistake (how could they admit their mistake? It would be like slapping themselves in the face). Later, Mu Huaijin contacted a senior classmate who was a leader in the local political and legal committee through his master's thesis advisor at the China University of Political Science and Law.

After extensive communication, Wan Pangzi was released, and the court replaced the presiding judge, which can be considered a way of giving an explanation.

A week later, when Fatty Wan came to work, the court called to tell him that the Gao family's criminal case had been decided and that he should go pick up the judgment.

In the afternoon, Fatty Wan strolled back to the law firm.

"Little Wang, guess the verdict for Gao Yunxiu!" Fatty Wan laughed.

"Could it be that the judgment was based on our suggestions?" Wang Chuan asked hurriedly, seeing that Fatty Wan was in a good mood.

"Yeah, the court was really messed up by the Gao family. When I went to pick up the judgment, the judge told me that after we submitted our written sentencing recommendations, the Gao family caused trouble a few more times."

"Considering the circumstances of the case and the fact that the defendant's assault was indeed justified, the judge communicated with the prosecutor and ultimately adopted our opinion, sentencing Gao Yunxiu to three months of detention. The days she was previously detained will be credited off one day at a time. It's already early August, so she should be released around early September," said Fatty Wan.

"Does the Gao family know?" Wang Chuan asked.

"I know. They went to court with me today, but the court clerk didn't let them go upstairs. I went to get the judgment by myself. The Gao family is quite satisfied!" Fatty Wan said with a smile.

As the two were talking, Zheng the troll walked over and said, "Attorney Wan, our contract dispute case hasn't finished its procedures yet. The judge just called and is preparing to reschedule the hearing for next Monday."

"Next Monday? Let me check, it should be fine..." Fatty Wan glanced at the schedule: "Okay!"

"Attorney Wan, you don't have any psychological issues, do you?" Wang Chuan asked.

"Psychological barriers? Why would I need psychological barriers? The court has changed the presiding judge; the meaning couldn't be clearer. What am I afraid of? I'm going! I absolutely have to go! To be a lawyer, you have to have a big heart!" Fatty Wan said nonchalantly.

Just then, Wang Chuan's phone rang. It was an unknown number, a landline.

"Hello, are you Zheng Yi, Deng Tong's agent?" a woman's voice came through the phone.

"I'm not Zheng Yi, I'm his assistant, my name is Wang Chuan." As Wang Chuan spoke, he thought about who Deng Tong was. Suddenly, he remembered Panda Eyes, the male client whose wife was particularly competitive and whom he wanted to divorce.

"Wang Chuan? Let me see, you're also Deng Tong's agent, right? I think I've seen your name on the power of attorney before... I see it."

"I'm from the Shijingshan Court. I'm informing you that Deng Tong's divorce case will be heard at 10:30 AM on Monday, August 15th. Is that alright with you?" The woman's voice came through the phone again.

"Please wait a moment, let me ask Attorney Zheng." After Wang Chuan finished speaking, he turned to look at Zheng Yi.

Just then, Zheng Yi was about to take Fatty Wan downstairs to smoke when Wang Chuan stopped him.

"Monday morning, August 15th? I think I have a court hearing. Wait a minute, let me check the calendar." Zheng Yi hurriedly picked up the calendar from his workstation. "It really won't work. I have a contract dispute case on the morning of August 15th, also at the Shijingshan Court. The judge notified me last week. Ask the judge if it can be rescheduled to Tuesday, a day later."

"Hello, I just asked Attorney Zheng, and he has a court hearing on the morning of August 15th at your Shijingshan Court. I don't know when it will be over yet, as he can't make the time."

"How about we postpone it by one day and reschedule the trial for August 16th?" Wang Chuan asked.

After a moment of silence, the woman's voice came again: "Okay, then let's reschedule the court hearing for 9:30 a.m. on August 16th. When you arrive, just wait in the lobby. I'll come down and take you up to the court."

"Okay, thank you very much!" Wang Chuan said politely a few words and hung up the phone, then gave Zheng Yi an OK sign. Upon seeing this, the latter pulled Fatty Wan downstairs.

In fact, this situation is very common for litigation lawyers, especially in October and November when there are more court hearings. It is very likely that the hearings notified by the two courts will be held on the same day and at the same time.

Even if the hearings are not at the same time, such as one in the Mentougou District People's Court in the morning and another in the Tongzhou District People's Court in the afternoon, it is highly likely that they will still miss each other.

Previously, Wang Chuan and Director Niu represented a trademark infringement case. The two went to the First Intermediate People's Court for a hearing. The hearing was scheduled for 4:30 pm, but they entered the court at 3:30 pm to avoid being late. However, it was past 6 pm that the previous case was still being heard.

After finally waiting for someone to come out, Wang Chuan found out that they were there to collect evidence. He almost cried when he saw the two large suitcases of evidence placed at the courthouse entrance. How long would this trial take?!

The two brothers lingered outside the courthouse until 7:20 p.m. before being called in by a weary-looking judge. So, even in the same court, it's possible to miss a hearing, because even the judge doesn't know when the previous hearing will finish.

Lawyers have given this situation a very vivid name: "court collision".

In such cases, as long as the lawyer communicates with the presiding judge beforehand and explains the situation clearly, the judge will generally understand and will not deliberately make things difficult for the lawyer, since this is a legitimate reason for the lawyer's inability to appear in court (of course, there are occasional exceptions. However, with judicial reforms in recent years, courts have become more humane, and if there are cases of conflicting court sessions, judges will generally adjust the hearing time to facilitate the lawyer's attendance).

Wang Chuan was looking through the book about labor disputes that Zheng Yi had given him when he looked up and saw his QQ flashing – a message from Zheng Yi.

Zheng Yi: A client will be coming in soon to consult about divorce; they might need me to draft a divorce agreement.

Wang Chuan: Okay. Is there anything I need to prepare?

Zheng Yi: No need, just keep good records.

(End of this chapter)