Legally Addicted - By Lena Dowling Page 0,11

catch a few Z’s after a long wet business lunch.

What the hell was Brad playing at? Of course Ruby had a case. Any first year law student could have worked that out.

‘The law on this is very clear. The Walsh’s have been married well over the requisite time required for the statutory asset sharing provisions to come into play.’

Brad sat back up straight in his chair and, matching her professional tone, said, ‘Ruby has no case in view of the prenuptial agreement she signed before she married Douglas.’

As if in answer to Georgia’s question, which was suspended part way between opening her mouth and invoking her vocal chords, Brad opened a leather document holder and drew out a document. Based on the coversheet, it did indeed appear to be the couple’s prenup.

‘Ruby?’ Georgia turned to her client, trying again, but not quite succeeding this time, to keep the irritation out of her voice. There had been no disclosure of a prenup in any of their preliminary discussions. One of Georgia’s pet professional hates was being ambushed with a pertinent fact her client should have disclosed in their earlier interviews.

Ruby made a movement with her arm that was an almost perfect imitation of a royal wave.

‘Oh that old thing, I thought everyone would have forgotten about it by now.’

Georgia leaned forward to pick up the document.

‘Can I see that?’

Something about the front-sheet of the document looked odd, and on closer inspection Georgia saw immediately that she was right. She flicked through the entire agreement just to be sure.

‘I’m not confident that this document would stand up in court.’

Brad bristled, his usually dark eyes transforming to a blistering black, the intensity of his gaze causing her to look away.

He could stare her down all he liked, but she wasn’t about to capitulate on a legal principle. She knew she was right.

‘I think you’ll find the document was drafted to meet all of the relevant legislative requirements existing at the date it was signed — a little before your time of course, Ms Murray, but nevertheless correct.’

Georgia prickled at the flagrant attempt to undercut her experience, and sensing, perhaps, that she was about to contradict him Brad continued, ‘And may I remind you, Georgia, that now we have merged, Douglas is this firm’s client, not Ruby. Any further examination of the merits or otherwise of Ruby’s case is unnecessary and inappropriate.’

Technically Brad was correct, but even if that solicitor-client relationship needed to end forthwith, if Ruby did have a case, Brad had, however inadvertently, overstepped the mark in advising her that she didn’t. If his advice was incorrect, she had at the very least an ethical obligation to advise her of that fact before her client-for-now left the meeting.

‘I’m sure that substantively the prenup does conform to the legal requirements, but I don’t see any evidence that the necessary procedural requirements for a prenup were met, either on the coversheet, or anywhere else in the agreement, for that matter.’

Brad turned to his client.

‘Douglas? Tell me you did actually follow my advice.’

‘I know what you said, but I had every faith in you, Brad. I didn’t think there was any need to go through all that extra palaver.’

Douglas Walsh appeared bewildered, not yet comprehending the enormity of what Georgia had uncovered.

‘That’s not the point of it Douglas. The special requirements I told you about needed to be met to ensure that Ruby understood the magnitude of what she was signing.’

‘But we have a written agreement.’

‘That may be how it works in business, Douglas, but not in matrimonial matters. There are particular legal requirements for prenuptial agreements, which I explained to you at the time. A failure to comply with those potentially impacts on its enforceability.’

Georgia couldn’t help but admire the way Brad was handling himself, and his client. Legally speaking his case was in total meltdown, yet he remained calm, his responses controlled.

‘Well, you obviously didn’t explain it well enough, Brad. This is outrageous!’ Douglas Walsh was on his feet now, pointing in Brad’s direction, his voice rising to a shout. ‘I’ll be damned if I’ll give her anything, and you can be sure that I’ll be seeking alternative representation; for this, and all my other business.’

‘I think that would be for the best,’ Brad said, quietly.

‘Damn right.’

Douglas was halfway out the door when Ruby turned and beamed at Georgia.

‘So does this mean I can keep you, both of you, as my lawyers?’

‘Yes, I guess it does,’ Georgia said, unable to mirror Ruby’s enthusiasm.