Jacobson, Illinois is a no fault state, and without a prenup, you’re not going to hold onto that money and your assets.”
“What about a postnuptial?”
“You could,” I nodded, “but she would read through it and notice that you’re stripping her of all her assets.”
“What if she wasn’t fully aware of what she was reading?”
I shook my head. “Any good lawyer, and she will hire a good lawyer, is going to argue that she wasn’t fully aware of what she was reading. The judge will throw out that agreement and he’ll most likely come down harder on you for it.”
He sighed, running his hand across his jaw. “I have pictures…evidence that would ruin her reputation.”
I had to tread carefully here. The last thing I needed was to get either of us in trouble. “As a lawyer, I would advise you against using any form of blackmail. It sounds good in theory, but you have to weigh how much she values her reputation against how much she wants your money. And if you’re willing to screw her over, she may decide that she’ll take the ruined reputation along with your money. And that doesn’t even cover the legal ramifications you would face. It’s a felony. We’re talking several years in prison and a hefty fine if you’re convicted.”
“This is what you’re saying as a lawyer. What about man to man?”
“I would tell you that I follow the law, and no matter what your wife has done to you, I would not take you on as a client if I knew these were your intentions. Mr. Jacobson, I would be happy to work with you under law-abiding circumstances, but if your intention is to cheat the system, you’ll have to find another lawyer.”
I stood to let him know I was finished with this conversation.
“I would suggest that you approach your wife and try to work things out with her. If not, you can always negotiate the terms of your divorce with her. Perhaps there’s something she wants more than just your assets and your millions.”
He stood and nodded. “I’ll take that under advisement. I’ll be in touch.”
He walked out of my office and a moment later, my boss walked in with a grin on his face. “Jacobson. Who would have known he and his wife were headed for divorce. So? Did you snag him?”
“No, in fact, I told him that he needed to seek other counsel.”
“What?” my boss spluttered. “Robert, do you have any idea what kind of money that would bring into the firm?”
“I do, but I don’t break the law, which is exactly what he was proposing. I told him that if he wanted this handled differently, I would help, but if he was looking to do anything illegal, he needed to find a different attorney.”
My boss’s face turned red. “You call him tomorrow and tell him you’ll take the case on. His case could make us millions.”
“And his tactics could ruin us. I will not put my morals in the backseat to make a few bucks. Find someone else to do that,” I said, grabbing my briefcase and walking out. I glanced at my watch again and strode out of the office. I had a dinner date to get to.
Picking up the Chinese food had delayed me. I hadn’t planned on staying past six, so I thought I had plenty of time. Now I was a half hour late and she probably thought this was typical for me. And to be honest, I was constantly held up at work. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into by stepping back into her life. I couldn’t offer her anything normal. I lived an hour away from her. I had a career that kept me at the office late on most nights. Even my weekends weren’t always my own. My brothers were constantly griping that I was always on my phone with clients. It was ridiculous to even be making plans with her on a weeknight.
I was driving through town on the way to her house when I saw her outside the office. She was standing next to her car with him. What were the odds that Carter Roy would walk into her life at the same moment I did? I knew that back in high school he had a thing for her. But he’d been in the same fucking town with her for the last ten plus years. Why did he have to jump into the ring now?