Overheard a lawyer at a coffee shop say "just lie to the mediator"

I was waiting for my latte at that place on Jasper Ave and this guy in a suit was dead serious telling his friend to lie to get a better divorce settlement. Tbh it made me realize how often people treat legal advice like it's just a game of strategy instead of something with real consequences. Has anyone else caught random legal "tips" in public that sounded totally sketchy?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler17620h ago

Honestly, are we sure this is that big of a deal? Like yeah lying to a mediator is technically wrong and could get you in trouble, but people stretch the truth in negotiations all the time. It's not like he was telling someone to commit perjury or forge documents or something. Mediators are just there to help people agree, they're not handing down court orders. Tbh if you're getting divorced and you lie about how much you spend on groceries, the mediator probably doesn't even care. I think people get way too dramatic about this stuff when really it's just normal people trying to not get screwed over in a system that's already stacked against them. Ngl I'd take that lawyer's advice with a grain of salt but I'm not gonna act shocked about it either.

paul_thompson6720h ago

Wait wait wait... hold up. Did you just say the mediator "probably doesn't even care" if you lie to them? That's wild, man. I mean, that whole system runs on people being honest about what they've got and what they need.