#top divorce lawyers near me

[brydonlaw]

Custody Lawyers: Expert Legal Assistance

When facing family legal matters involving child custody, having experienced custody lawyers by your side is crucial. Brydon Law Firm offers dedicated legal representation, ensuring your rights and interests are fully protected. Our custody lawyers understand the complexities of custody cases and are committed to delivering optimal results, view.

[amlawfrimseo]

In light of evolving societal norms and the imperative to safeguard the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals and inter-faith/inter-caste couples, the Supreme Court has given guidelines for the handling of habeas corpus petitions and petitions for police protection.

Background:

Recent instances in the Kerala High Court, where counselling was ordered for LGBTQ+ individuals, raised concerns regarding potential infringements on personal autonomy and sexual orientation.

To Read More: https://www.amlawfirm.in/post/guidelines-for-upholding-rights-of-lgbtq-and-inter-faith-inter-caste-couples-in-legal-proceedings

[ranjith11]

July 2023 under Texas Standard Possession Order | Law Office of Chris Schmiedeke, PC

The Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO) is a legal framework that governs visitation rights in Texas. It provides a structured schedule for parents to follow, outlining when each parent has the right to spend time with their child.

[monicascot]

July 2023 under Texas Standard Possession Order | Law Office of Chris Schmiedeke, PC

The Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO) is a legal framework that governs visitation rights in Texas. It provides a structured schedule for parents to follow, outlining when each parent has the right to spend time with their child.

[legalassistance]

The Impact of Divorce on Children's Education

Introduction

Divorce is a life-altering event that affects not only the individuals involved but also their families, especially children. When parents decide to part ways, it can have a significant impact on their children's emotional well-being, social development, and even their academic performance. In this article, we delve into the crucial topic of how divorce can influence children's education, while also providing valuable insights for those seeking a reliable divorce lawyer in San Jose, CA.

Understanding the Emotional Toll

Divorce can be an emotionally turbulent time for everyone involved, but children are particularly vulnerable to its effects. The breakdown of their parents' marriage can lead to feelings of confusion, sadness, and anger, which can manifest in their academic lives. A child's emotional well-being is closely tied to their academic success, as it directly affects their motivation, focus, and ability to cope with stress.

Also Read :- What Are the Five Stages of Divorce?

The Disruption of Stability

One of the primary factors influencing the impact of divorce on children's education is the disruption of stability in their lives. Stable family environments often provide a nurturing space for academic growth, but divorce can upend this sense of security. Frequent changes in living arrangements, schools, and peer groups can result in decreased academic performance and a decline in their overall educational experience.

Academic Decline and Underachievement

Research has shown that children of divorced parents are more likely to experience academic difficulties and underachievement compared to their peers from intact families. The stress and emotional turmoil they face can hinder their ability to concentrate on their studies and participate actively in the learning process. As a result, their grades may suffer, and they may fall behind in class.

Coping Mechanisms and Behavioural Issues

Children often resort to various coping mechanisms to deal with the stress of their parents' divorce. Some may withdraw socially, while others may act out in school or display aggressive behavior. Such behavioral issues can lead to disciplinary problems and even academic probation, affecting their long-term educational prospects.

Nurturing Resilience in Children

Amidst the challenges that divorce poses for children's education, it is essential to focus on nurturing resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, and it plays a crucial role in how well children navigate through difficult times. Providing a supportive and understanding environment, both at home and in school, can significantly enhance a child's ability to cope and excel academically despite the challenges they face.

The Role of Teachers and Schools

Teachers and schools play a vital role in supporting children of divorce. Creating a compassionate and empathetic atmosphere in the classroom can make a world of difference for these children. Recognizing the signs of distress and offering additional academic support when needed can help them stay on track and achieve their potential.

Seeking Professional Help: The Role of Divorce Lawyers

If you find yourself in the midst of a divorce in San Jose, CA, it is crucial to seek the assistance of a reliable and compassionate divorce lawyer. Divorce proceedings can be complex and emotionally draining, and having a skilled professional on your side can alleviate some of the burdens. When searching for a "divorce lawyer in San Jose ca," AffordableandExpressLegal.com stands out as a reputable and trustworthy choice.

Why Choose AffordableandExpressLegal.com?

At AffordableandExpressLegal.com, we understand the sensitive nature of divorce cases, especially when children are involved. Our team of experienced divorce lawyers in San Jose, CA, is committed to providing comprehensive legal support while prioritizing the well-being of all parties, including the children.

1. Experience and Expertise

Our divorce lawyers have years of experience in handling a wide range of divorce cases, and we possess the expertise necessary to navigate the intricacies of family law. We strive to achieve fair and amicable resolutions, minimizing the emotional toll on all parties involved.

2. Compassion and Understanding

We approach every case with compassion and understanding, recognizing the emotional challenges our clients face during this difficult time. Our lawyers are dedicated to providing a supportive environment where clients can feel heard and supported throughout the legal process.

3. Child-Centric Approach

When children are involved, their well-being is our top priority. Our child-centric approach ensures that their best interests are taken into account in all decisions regarding custody, visitation, and support.

4. Efficient and Affordable Services

We understand that divorce proceedings can be financially taxing, and our goal is to provide affordable and efficient legal services without compromising on quality.

Also Read :- Secrets Revealed: How to Win Your Santa Clara Family Law Case

Conclusion

divorce can impact children's education, but with support, they can thrive academically. If you need a reliable and compassionate divorce attorney in San Jose, CA, visit AffordableandExpressLegal.com. Secure your rights and your children's well-being. Schedule a consultation today for a brighter future. You don't have to face this alone - we're here to help.

Reference URL :- The Impact of Divorce on Children's Education

[sreehari28]

The Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO) is a legal framework that governs visitation rights in Texas. It provides a structured schedule for parents to follow, outlining when each parent has the right to spend time with their child. The standard possession order typically grants the noncustodial parent specific periods of possession and access to the child during the summer months, including July. According to the SPO, the noncustodial parent is usually entitled to have possession of the child for 30 consecutive days during the summer unless the custodial parent selects a weekend inside those thirty days. This period is often referred to as the extended summer possession. It generally starts on July 1st and continues until July 31st unless notice is given of custom dates. During this time, the noncustodial parent has the right to spend uninterrupted and extended time with the child subject only to a weekend selected by the custodial parent. They are responsible for taking care of the child's daily needs and ensuring their well-being during their thirty days. Parents can also make alternative agreements or modifications to the standard schedule through mutual consent or court approval. Otherwise, the parties will follow the standard possession order if that is what is set out. If there are any conflicts or disputes regarding the custody arrangement, it is advisable for the parents to consult with their attorneys or seek legal guidance to ensure compliance with the court's orders and protect the best interests of the child.

[lawgical-alliance-ind]

Here are some benefits you might receive from your knowledgeable divorce lawyer before you begin your search for the best divorce lawyer in Delhi .     

[vintagelitigation]

Top Divorce Lawyer in Delhi - Vintage Litigation

Vintage Litigation  best law firm in Delhi having a team of experienced and professional top divorce lawyers in delhi, who provides services in various field of civil as well as corporate laws, inter-alia, Suits, Writs, Petitions, Appeals, Revisions, Complaints relating to debt recovery, dishonor of cheques, rent control act, property disputes, matrimonial disputes, consumer complaints, complaints pertaining to Food Adulteration Act and service matter .        

[seungkwansphd]

room for interpretation - 1

pairing: lawyer!jeonghan x lawyer!YN word count: 8.5K synopsis: as top of class, you and jeonghan had been many things to each other. enthusiastic rivals, begrudging allies, and…parties to a jokingly written (but legally binding) marriage contingency contract? this piece of paper would’ve been long forgotten had an unexpected merger not thrown you back into each others’ lives. themes: fluff, rivals to coworkers to tentative friends to lovers, “if we’re both single by X age” marriage contract, IDIOTS2lovers, fake dating, miscommunication. this is just a romcom.

a/n: i have been working on this for SO LONG. it truly got out of hand. thanks to @wavelikewhat and @the-boy-meets-evil for the encouragement along the way & beta-ing! ALSO RIP, i know y'all wanted it to be posted a oneshot, but this has more paragraphs than tumblr allows so 🤷

“My ducklings!” Peter half wailed as he slumped forward with his near empty beer glass. “Oh my ducklings,” he moaned pitifully. “I must warn you now that if you continue down this path, you will be single forever. Law is a lonely profession, full of long hours and no time for work-life balance.”

You did your best to hold in a laugh. Peter was an alumnus of your law school and currently going through a divorce. You’d met him through a student-alumni networking event and he’d become an unofficial mentor to a few of you that were part of the university’s law review. Despite what one might guess from his current display of hysterics, he was quite a competent lawyer and was on track to be partner. Unfortunately, this was also the major leading factor in the current dissolution of his marriage.

“Jeonghan! YN!” Peter grabbed your hands suddenly, “Look at you beautiful people. Are you truly resigned to a life of loneliness? You both have strong potential to make partner before thirty five, but are you willing to give up your happiness to do so?”

“I-,” Jeonghan laughed, surprised at the sudden proximity.

Jeonghan thought for a moment. While it was certainly back of mind right now, he did envision himself with a family in the future. But he could think about that after he made partner.

“I don’t plan to compromise on anything,” you laughed, glancing at Jeonghan as Peter went to go refill his beer.

“Oh no?” He raised an eyebrow in interest.

“Certainly not,” you shook your head vehemently. “I’m a catch. I’ll be married before I’m thirty and make partner before thirty-five. I will have it all.”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. You had been like this for as long as he’d known you. Confident, smart, and stubborn. You were a huge pain in the ass, but that was also why he respected you. There simply wasn’t anyone else in your class that could give him a run for his money in the way that you did. As a result, you were his frequent sparring partner, even if you wouldn’t consider yourselves friends.

“Good luck with that,” he scoffed, bringing his glass to his lips. “Peter has a point. The hours and demands of an associate trying to make partner are crazy. It would be stupid to try and date through all that.”

“It’s not my fault that no one’s interested in you,” you scoffed.

This wasn’t true at all. While quite the thorn in your side, Jeonghan was also incredibly smart, infuriatingly tenacious, and not difficult to look at by any means. He probably could successfully date while making partner if he wanted to.

Jeonghan’s eyes flicked over you, giving you a withering look.

“We both know that's not true.”

“Not sure why you're so concerned about bagging someone before thirty then,” you goaded him, taking a sassy sip from your glass.

“I prefer to be realistic.”

“It is realistic…for me.”

Jeonghan was standing over you now, eyes narrowed slightly at you in something akin to annoyance. This always happened when you two took up arms.

“Let's make it interesting,” Jeonghan suggested.

You furrowed your brows. This was not a good sign.

“If neither of us is married by the time we're thirty, we'll be each others’ contingency plans.”

“What?” you coughed.

“I mean, it shouldn't be a concern for you, since you’re more than sure you’ll be married by then. And you seem awfully worried about whether I'll be married by thirty, so this should put your mind at ease.”

Your eyes swiveled around in your head, trying to understand exactly how he had managed to twist the conversation into this?

“I’ve returned with more alcohol,” Peter announced as he set three more beers on the table.

You shifted away from Jeonghan and faced the beverages with a grimace. You weren't even halfway done with your first beer.

…

“What's happening?” you looked up at Jeonghan with confusion.

You’d been studying tax law in the library when a hand had slapped a sheet of paper over your text. Jeonghan had a triumphant look on his face, almost as if he’d bested you in an argument.

“Contract.”

As if that explained anything.

“For?” you asked, rifling through your brain to see if there was some contract related assignment that you had forgotten about.

“Our marriage contingency contract.”

“Oh, god, you weren’t serious?” you made a face at him. 

“Legally binding. Feel free to review.”

“I-,” your curiosity took over as you grabbed the document, scanning it over.

Jeonghan wasn’t top of class for no reason. He had really written this in language that was clear. There was little to no room for interpretation. If you signed this, you would be marrying Yoon Jeonghan if you were still single at thirty.

“Good work,” you gave the contract a gentle pat as you slid it back towards him. “It’s good to practice our writing skills.”

“Aren’t you going to sign?” he asked, eyes glancing at your pen pointedly.

“Are you serious?” you asked, slightly exasperated at his persistence now. “What is the point of this?”

Jeonghan crossed his arms. He’d never taken you for a coward.

“I guess you aren’t that confident that you’ll be married before thirty.”

Your hackles raised. It was funny because you were often commended for sidestepping goading in practice courtroom settings. In fact you prided yourself on it, but this time when Jeonghan laid out the bait, you fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

…

“Do you know what this is about?” you whispered to Maja as you took the seat next to them in the conference room.

The managing partner of your firm had called for a company wide meeting relatively last minute and everyone was on edge. Occasionally, the paralegals had intel from the executive assistants, but not this time.

“I don't know,” Maja shrugged at you.

“Drinks afterwards? Whether it's good or bad news, there'll be something to discuss,” you suggested.

“I'm in,” she laughed and nodded.

You and Maja had worked together since you'd joined the firm. At this point, it had been a little over four years and you were close friends. Whatever the type of case, you two worked hand in hand to execute.

“Good morning everyone!” Peter Chae, managing partner of Chae & Associates, clapped his hands together after walking into the room. He took his position at the podium as the room quieted. “I’m sure you’re all burning with curiosity, so I’ll just cut to the chase. Chae & A is merging with Zanden Law Firm. We’ve acquired the other wing on this floor, so over the next month you’ll see our new associates move in. We’ll do our best to minimize office moves, but some will be necessary in order to group teams appropriately.”

“Merger?” your head swum slightly at the news.

“Yes, Maja, you have a question?”

“Suggestion, more like,” you glanced over as she lowered her hand. “What do we think of ‘Chae to Z - Covering All Your Law Needs’ as a new slogan? Or wait! ‘We’ve got you covered from Chae to Z’!”

You snorted. That wasn’t half bad. Others on the team seemed to agree.

“I-,” Peter blinked. He hadn’t been prepared for that.

“We can workshop it,” Maja laughed easily with a few of the other paralegals, gesturing for him to continue.

Peter’s eyebrows furrowed at Maja’s casual dismissal before he cleared his throat and moved on. You half-listened as he went through general logistics, but mostly you were wondering how the influx of new associates and partners would impact the office dynamic. Specifically your pathway to partner.

You knew you had been on track to make partner within two years at Chae & A. Frankly, you were the top associate on the team and it was a no brainer, but you had no idea what the talent looked like at Zanden Law Firm and how decisions would be made between their managing partner and Peter. The abundance of unknowns in this new situation was unsettling.

Once the meeting adjourned, you practically sprinted back to your computer. First order of business was pulling up the ZLF website to scope out their team.

“What the hell are you running for?” Maja demanded once she arrived at your desk.

“Research,” you answered shortly as you navigated. You prayed on everything you loved that they had an ‘Our Team’ page that you could peruse. “Aha!”

“Ahh,” Maja nodded with understanding as she settled in behind you.

Thoughts rattled rapidly around your brain as you scrolled. The names and faces did not jump out as particularly notable until you got to the Ys.

“Shit.”

“What?” she asked, alarmed.

“Of course he fuckin’ works there!” you rolled your eyes, leaning back in your chair slightly.

“Who?” Maja demanded, wanting to shake you. You weren’t answering any of her questions to satisfaction.

“Yoon Jeonghan,” you hovered your cursor over his smug face.

“Oh! Isn’t that your alma mater?” Maja leaned forward, scanning his bio.

“Yes,” you answered begrudgingly. “We were classmates.”

“Oh!” Maja’s eyes widened. “Is he good?”

“Yes,” your lip curled up in distaste. “God he was so annoying! Like we could get along, but I know he wants to make partner like I do and he’s good enough to take it from me.”

“Hmm,” Maja eyed you curiously. “Well, you just have to outdo him. If you want to be the best, you have to keep getting better.”

“You’re not fun when you’re giving real advice,” you scrunched your nose at her, but she was right. You were an ace and you could certainly still handle Jeonghan.

“Now let’s do some real work. The Yellech-Han divorce case is not going to settle itself.”

You sighed, pulling up that case file. After this one, you were going to tell Peter that you never wanted to handle a divorce case again. The level of pettiness was enough to drive you insane. Had you not been happily dating Flynn, you would’ve sworn yourself off dating as a preventative measure.

…

Jeonghan sat at his computer, brow furrowed at the screen. Unlike his firm, the Chae & A website did not share headshots and bios of their associates. Exhaling sharply, he tapped his pen to his notepad. Something about the name of the firm struck him as so familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Granted, he interacted with lawyers all over the city on a regular basis, but Chae & A seemed like a name that he’d heard more than just in passing.

“Jeonghan, we have that deposition in an hour. Ready?” Joshua’s head popped into the doorway.

“Yes,” Jeonghan nodded. “You don’t seem too concerned about the merger,” he remarked.

“I’m not,” Joshua shrugged easily. “Unlike you, I’m not brimming with ambition to make partner before thirty five. I’m happy being an associate for a while yet.”

“You could if you wanted to.”

“I know,” Joshua’s eyes creased with a smile. “But I enjoy having a life outside of work and a partner that I actually get to spend time with.”

“I’ll have time for a personal life after I make partner,” Jeonghan insisted.

“I’m very aware that this is your plan,” Joshua rolled his eyes. “Anyways, I am excited for the merger. I’ve heard that the building Chae & A is in is very nice and it’s closer to my place, so it's a shorter commute.”

Jeonghan laughed. He finished scribbling a few more notes before getting ready for deposition.

…

Maja’s watchful eyes surveyed the new associates from Zanden as they moved in. Neither of you had been directly impacted by the move, but the office next to yours was now awaiting its new occupant. You were curious about them, of course, but you also had work to do, so you saved the wondering for later.

Later that day Jeonghan greeted the receptionist at Chae & A and received brief instructions to his new office. It was basically a straight shot to the corner. A moving crew had already moved the furniture and files, so it was just up to him to unpack and arrange his things.

“We did it!” you wiggled excitedly as you walked with Maja back into the office.

After a painful few months of negotiating, re-negotiating, and then re-re-negotiating, the Yellech-Han divorce case had finally settled. You and Maja had gotten boba on the way back to the office to celebrate.

“God, that case made me want to be single forever. And I think Flynn and I have a relatively healthy relationship!” you exclaimed, rolling your eyes theatrically.

“They were insufferable, weren’t they?” Maja laughed until she noticed the new figure in the office. “Oh shit, I think they’re here! Your new neighbor!” she pointed.

“Oh! We should greet them,” you decided, leading the way. “Hello, welcome to the office!” you knocked on the doorframe as you spoke. “I hope we can be-,”

“Friends?” Jeonghan’s lips curled up into a smile before he turned to face you. “That was never our style, was it?”

“Jeonghan,” your face fell.

“YN,” he nodded at you before turning back around to place books on the shelves.

Maja eyed you curiously as you stuck your tongue out at his turned back before returning to your office. The last time you’d seen Jeonghan had been the alumni mock trial event that your alma mater hosted annually. You’d both participated as students throughout law school, so it had been a fun change to take on mentor roles. Due to COVID, you’d only been able to participate once and that had been over three years ago! Seeing Jeonghan again felt a little like being electrocuted.

Harris Zanden moved throughout the office, making a point to greet the associates and staff from Chae & A. There was bound to be anxiety on both sides about the merger and he wanted to do as much as he could to alleviate it. He slowly made his way towards Maja’s corner desk.

“Hello, I’m Harris. Just wanted to say hi,” he smiled affably.

“Oh hell-,” Maja’s greeting caught in her throat when she saw his face. Shit. “Hello. I’m Maja Sanderson.”

“Hi Maja,” Harris’s expression pinched and he coughed. “I look forward to working with you.”

“Shit. Shit shit shit!” Maja muttered to herself once he was out of earshot. She shuffled hurriedly into your office and shut the door behind her. “YN. Crisis!”

“What’s happening?” you stood up, alarmed.

“I-, um, god,” Maja brought her hands to her face. She inhaled deeply a few times, gathering herself. “The managing partner of Zanden?”

“Yeah, Harris? He just came and did intros. Did he talk to you?”

“Yes.” Maja’s expression was grim. “That’s not the first time I’ve met him.”

Your mouth hung ajar and your expression demanded more exposition.

“We-, I,” she floundered. “I had sex with that man…recently.”

“Oh my god!” you cried, deeply thankful that the offices had some soundproofing. “MAJA OH MY GOD!” you whisper-yelled when her words really sank in.

“I know!” she moaned into her hands.

“I don't…which one?” you filed through your mental rolodex of her escapades. “The most recent one? Handsome rich guy from the bar?”

Maja hung her head in shame. You screamed.

“What the hell is going on over there?” Jeonghan wondered to himself, watching you and Maja through the panes of glass.

From where he stood, it looked like you were reprimanding her sternly. It surprised him, if he was being honest. It didn’t fit with his memory of you, but that memory was also several years old. A bemused smile crossed his lips as he wondered about you now.

“What are you going to do?” you pressed your palm to your forehead, truly affected by the news that Maja had just dropped on you.

“We have to undo the merger!”

“Girl,” you snorted.

“I’m gonna pretend like nothing happened. And so are you!” she pointed a finger menacingly at you.

“How can I pretend that nothing happened?”

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed. He did not like the way your paralegal was pointing at you. He watched in surprise as you covered your face with your hands. This was behavior unbecoming of an aspiring partner. Later that day, after Maja had left, he approached you in your office. It was no surprise to him that you were still there.

“You’ll never make partner if you can’t command the respect of your subordinates.” he offered without explanation.

“What?” you squinted at him in confusion.

“I saw you arguing with your paralegal earlier. You shouldn’t let people talk to you like that,” he sank into the chair.

“Wha-, oh!” the dots suddenly connected. “Oh that. No…that wasn’t work related,” you shook your head furiously.

Jeonghan was intrigued. Whatever the conversation had been about seemed to fluster you just by thinking about it.

“I see. Well that’s good to hear. I would hate to learn that you’ve lost your edge over the years,” he smirked at you.

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing for you? Assuming you haven’t lost your ambition to make partner,” you jabbed right back.

He chuckled, eyes flitting to the diploma hanging on your wall. He smiled. His matching one was up on his wall now too.

“I sincerely hope you’re still as skilled as you were when we were in school. Things were always more interesting for me when you were around,” he stood from his chair, saluting you before he left.

Your eyes burned holes into the back of his jacket as he walked away. You were so focused on glaring at him that you jumped when your phone rang. It was Flynn.

“Hey babe!” you smiled when you picked up the phone. “Oh, you’re where? Yeah, I can meet you there in probably twenty. Ok great, see you soon!”

You wrapped things up quickly and packed your bag. Jeonghan’s eyes followed you all the way to the elevator.

…

“Hello, hello!” Peter tapped a fork against his glass, commanding everyone’s attention. “Hello and thanks everyone for attending our first Chae & Zander Law Associates happy hour!”

“Woohoo!” you clapped around your stemware as well as you could manage.

“Harris and I wanted to both show our appreciation for your support and patience as we’ve worked through details of the merger, so the tab’s on us tonight!”

Harris lifted his glass in a show of agreement.

“Have we worked out details of the new slogan?” a voice called out cheekily from the crowd.

“New slogan?” Harris’s brow furrowed with confusion.

“Slogan?” Peter looked equally confused before the memory struck him. “Oh, yes! Maja! Did you share your idea with Harris? It was funny.”

Maja’s eyes widened with panic and you held in a scream as Harris’s eyes moved to her.

“Oh no, it’s not…it wasn’t real,” she tried to wave it off, but all the attention brought a flush to her cheeks.

“No please,” Peter insisted.

“We’ve got you covered from Chae to Z,” Maja answered awkwardly. Harris let out a soft puff of laughter.

You turned away with secondhand embarrassment and were surprised to find your face nearly planted into someone’s arm. You jumped when you realized it was Jeonghan.

“Oops,” you laughed, stepping back from your now associate.

“You are acting so strange. Will you tell me what is happening?”

“I can’t,” you shook your head, “Believe me, I desperately want to tell someone about it. But it can’t be you.”

“Why?” he raised an eyebrow at you.

“It just can’t! And I can’t tell you why, but trust me I am bursting at the seams about it!” you whispered sharply at him.

“Hm. Well let’s talk about something else, then,” he suggested and you were grateful he hadn’t pushed anymore. “Did you get the email about the Alumni-Student Mock Trial? Looks like they’re putting it on again.”

“I did,” you nodded, “Are you going to participate?”

“I think so. I enjoyed it last time. You?”

“It was really fun,” you found yourself smiling fondly at the memory. “I’ll look forward to being your opposing counsel again,” you teased.

“I look forward to beating you again,” he laughed.

“You know our side of the case was far more difficult to argue than yours!” you protested emphatically. It really had been. So much of the evidence had been deemed inadmissible, which had really swept the legs out from under your prosecutorial arguments.

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night,” he chuckled. He agreed with you, of course, but he hadn’t kicked the habit of teasing you even after all these years.

“So what’s new with you these days?” you found yourself asking. “Do you have any fun interests or are you still all work and no play?”

“Actually,” Jeonghan took a sip of his beer, “I picked up snowboarding a few years back. Eating out, if that can be considered an interest. It’s more self preservation as I still have no interest in eating my own cooking,” he chuckled.

“I mean if you’re eating interesting foods, I suppose,” you contemplated briefly. “Snowboarding, huh? I can’t say I’ve tried. I prefer my bones intact, I suppose.”

“Maybe you’re the boring one now,” Jeonghan quipped.

You opened your mouth to reply, but were interrupted by Peter and Harris’ approach.

“Jeonghan, long, long time no see,” Peter greeted Jeonghan enthusiastically.

“It’s great to see you again, Peter.”

“Hi Harris,” you greeted your new managing partner with a firm handshake.

“Hi YN,” he smiled down at you, “It’s great to see you two getting along. You’re both top performers, we have high expectations for you.”

“Of course,” you smiled, leaning towards Jeonghan slightly. ‘Getting along’ was maybe a reach for you two, but Harris didn’t need to know that. You were still in the ‘building first impressions’ phase and if friendliness with Jeonghan was a plus, you could let him believe that.

“Harris, I’m not sure if you know this, but YN and Jeonghan were actually classmates. At my alma mater, in fact!”

“Aha! Okay so now I see that this merger was actually just a poaching activity,” Harris joked good naturedly.

“No comment,” Peter held his hands up in mock surrender. “You should see these two go up against each other. When I say gloves off, I mean gloves off.”

“YN’s been a royal pain in my ass more than a few times,” Jeonghan chuckled.

Harris’ eyebrows rose with interest. He had served as Jeonghan’s senior counsel enough to know that this was a high compliment. He was eager to see you work.

Maja’s eyes widened as she eavesdropped on this conversation. She had initially only been interested in ensuring that you didn’t act too weird around Harris, but she’d caught more conversation than she’d intended. On the surface it may have sounded like Jeonghan was insulting you, but she was quite certain that it was a compliment. Given Jeonghan’s position in Harris’ eyes as a top performer, this somehow conferred a level of competency to you. Associates usually leveraged time with managing partners to make digs at one another, not compliments!

“Maja,” you waved at her after the conversation dissolved.

“How goes the schmoozing?” she wrinkled her nose at you.

“Good, I think?” your eyes flickered to Harris again. “Though if you would accept my suggestion of blackmailing him into making me partner, things would go a lot quicker.”

“What the fuck about ‘nothing happened’ do you not understand?” Maja hissed at you, “For someone who graduated from a top law school, that brain doesn’t seem to work so good!”

“Relax, no one is even around,” you rolled your eyes at her. This was true.

“Are you staying all night?” she asked, watching Jeonghan out of the corner of her eye.

“No, I think I talked to everyone who is of interest to me,” you shook your head. “What do you think?”

“I think we’ve stayed the obligatory amount of time,” Maja chuckled. “Let’s go!”

You nodded and went to grab your things. You said a few brief goodbyes before looping your arm in hers and heading to the subway.

“Tell me more about Jeonghan,” Maja asked after you’d snagged some seats.

“Hmm, what do you want to know?” you furrowed your brow. “We weren’t super close.”

“But three years together, you must know some things.”

“He’s very annoying,” was the first thing that came to mind. “I don’t know that conniving is the right word to describe him…maybe clever? He was definitely one of the smartest students in class. We did law review together and moot court too. He always wanted to be the best and so did I, so we crossed paths often.”

“Sounds like you both worked hard, huh?” Maja hummed.

“Yes,” you nodded. You would never dispute hard work when it came to Jeonghan.

“Interesting. I look forward to getting to know him,” Maja nodded.

“Oh really?” you looked at her with surprise. “Interested like interested?”

“No, you dunce!” she looked like she wanted to thump you on the head. “If you’re both interested in making partner, I’m really curious to see how things go.”

“Yeah,” you huffed a sigh as the subway rounded Maja’s stop. You gave her a wave and reassured her that you knew it was your turn to bring coffee tomorrow.

…

You frowned at the pile of documents sitting on your desk. You felt overwhelmed. It was late, you’d had to cancel plans with Flynn again, and this case you were working on was being adjudicated by a judge that you swear had an agenda against you.

“Why are you still here?” a voice floated into your office.

“I’m in a bad mood,” you warned Jeonghan when he appeared in the doorway.

“Noted,” he nodded, taking a seat anyways. “What’s bugging you?”

You pursed your lips in thought. Perhaps Jeonghan could give you some helpful insight on Judge Bytheway.

“Have you tried cases before Bytheway before?”

“A couple, yeah,” he nodded.

“Is he an asshole to you too? Or just me?” you huffed. This wasn’t as eloquent as you would’ve liked to put it, but it got the point across.

“Oh he’s a sexist, big time,” Jeonghan nodded, his lip curling up in distaste.

“Great,” you rolled your eyes. “Well, fuck me I guess.”

Jeonghan’s lips twitched at your candid annoyance. He watched as you thought furiously, no doubt trying to brainstorm ways to combat the judge’s bias. Bytheway, unfortunately, didn’t seem to be the type to respond to any such strategy.

“What’s your caseload like?” you gave him a look. He could tell it was reluctant.

“Not too terrible, actually,” he shrugged.

This wasn’t totally true, but he was burning with curiosity to see whether you were actually going to ask him for help. You sighed deeply before you spoke again.

“...What do you think about serving as lead on this one?” you finally brought yourself to ask. “In name only!” you clarified vehemently.

Jeonghan’s grin almost made you take it back. You hated asking for help, but you also knew that representing your client by yourself would not be doing them justice.

“I could probably make time for that,” he finally nodded, “You’ll have to ask Harris and Peter though so they know it’s on my plate.”

“Yeah, I will,” you nodded. “You workin’ on anything interesting?”

“Not really,” Jeonghan’s face scrunched up. “A couple of appeals filed and working through the system. Hurry up and wait,” he chuckled.

“You love appeals though,” you wiggled your eyebrows at him sarcastically because you specifically knew he didn’t.

Throughout law school he had participated in moot court, an opportunity for students to practice the appellate court process, but just barely. Everyone knew that Jeonghan was most interested in and best suited for trial, but since you did moot court, he had to too.

“Hey, you don’t know me anymore. I could love appeals now,” Jeonghan laughed, squinting curiously at one of the figurines on your desk. His eyes lit up with curiosity when he realized it was a tiny, Lego Pokemon. “Venusaur?” he asked, picking it up gingerly.

“Mega-venusaur, thank you very much,” you rolled your eyes.

“Good lord, I’m so sorry,” Jeonghan coughed out a laugh. “Dang, you really like these, huh?”

“None of your business! I can spend my money how I like!” you felt oddly defensive as you watched him count your figurines.

To the common eye, it might seem excessive, but who in their right mind could have just Eevee without also getting the evolutions? You didn’t have them all quite yet, because you only bought them to celebrate major life milestones, but you were getting close.

“No, they’re cute,” he laughed. You were still indignant at this, but it was the best he could do.

“What do you spend your adult money on, if not tiny Pokemon?” you found yourself asking. Despite your best efforts, you were a little curious about what Jeonghan was like now. Had time eroded his sharper edges or had it honed them even further?

“Whiskeys. Travel. Books,” he answered.

“Ugh how pretentious!” you rolled your eyes, blowing a raspberry at him. “Rich lawyer loves luxurious things. Boo! Tomato!”

“I-,” he balked at your childish display.

“Update me when you get an interesting hobby,” you laughed, shooing him out of your office impatiently.

Jeonghan laughed and crossed the short distance to his own office. He watched as you jotted down a few notes before leaving to talk to Harris and Peter. It wasn’t too much longer before you shot him a thumbs up on the way back. Your first real case together.

…

“Can I please ask you about Harris?” you blurted out after a few drinks with Maja. The curiosity had truly been killing you this past week and you couldn’t bear it anymore.

“I-,” Maja sighed. She’d initially planned to take this secret to her grave, but recently she’d been wanting to discuss it with someone other than her own reflection in the mirror. “Yeah.”

“Have you talked to him? Or are you guys just pretending nothing happened? Do you want something else to happen? But like you kind of can’t because of the merger, right? But you report to Peter still. I-,” your mouth started rattling off the many, many questions that had been building up in your brain.

“Hold on, I can only answer so many things at once!” Maja held her hands up.

“Sorry,” you smiled sheepishly. Your mouth occasionally had a habit of running off like that when you were curious.

“I have not talked to him, so I guess we are kind of pretending that it didn’t happen,” she spoke slowly, contemplating the words thoroughly as she spoke them. “Candidly, I did have a really good time with him. We were…highly compatible. But I mean it was just a few times, it’s barely anything to get worked up about.”

“A few times?!” you almost shouted. “I was not aware of this!”

“I told you!” Maja insisted.

“Did you?!” your brow furrowed, “I don’t recall!”

“You have a notoriously bad memory! As your paralegal, I know this for a fact!”

You frowned. This was true. If you didn’t write things down, you simply wouldn’t remember them. It was the reason you’d taken such profuse notes all throughout school. It was one of the reasons you’d been so jealous of Jeonghan when you first met him.

‘Writing things down is for nerds!’ he’d proclaimed to you more than a few times.

‘That might be true, but only nerds make good lawyers!’ had been your retort. In hindsight this was a lukewarm burn at best.

“Would you talk to Peter about it?” you brought yourself back to the present.

“...I’m not sure,” Maja’s lips pursed. 

“Oh! I can ask! Like just generally ask about his thoughts on a dating policy. We don't really have one now, right?”

“You don’t think that’ll come across weird?” Maja made a face at you.

“I don’t care about seeming weird,” you shrugged.

“I’m not totally for it, but I don’t think I’ll stop you either,” she laughed, which relieved you.

“We shall see where the wind takes me!”

“Hey I’m going to visit Grandma this weekend, do you want to come?” Maja asked, changing the subject.

“Of course, do you even have to ask?”

You absolutely adored Maja’s grandmother. She lived in a little seaside town a couple of hours away and you were always in the mood to visit.

…

“Yiayia!” Maja jumped excitedly as she approached her grandmother.

You smiled through the pain behind her as you unloaded the bags from the car.

“Packed so much for a weekend trip,” you grumbled as you dragged the suitcases towards the house.

You and Maja settled into the guest room before sitting down in the living room for tea and a quick snack. You had picked up a variety of baked goods before departing the city and you’d been thinking about the taro macarons for most of the drive up.

“Oh these look lovely,” Yiayia clapped her hands together, eyes scanning across the pastries.

“What kind of tea should we have?” you asked, opening the cupboard where you knew the teapot should be.

“How about a jasmine green?” Yiayia suggested. Nice and delicate to pair with these pastries.

You nodded, eyes searching the labeled canisters for jasmine. Maja and Yiayia caught up in the living room until you approached with the tea and tumblers on a tray.

“Thanks boo,” Maja smiled up at you.

“What were you two talking about?” you asked curiously.

“I was just asking if Maja had been able to meet the neighbors’ son.”

“Oh?” you raised an eyebrow. “Is he cute?”

“I think he’s quite a looker,” Yiayia raised her eyebrows pointedly. Apparently he lives in the city too, but he comes back to visit often because he’s a good boy.

“Did you meet him?” you asked.

“Not yet,” Maja shook her head.

“Don't worry,” Yiayia stuck a finger up in the air excitedly. “I made a tray of cookies for you to bring over once I see his car in the driveway.”

You cackled loudly. What fantastic matchmaking.

“Okay, then what do you need me to do while Maja’s gettin’ it on with potential future loverboy?” you asked.

Maja glared at you while Yiayia clicked her tongue, insisting that she didn’t need your help with anything. You shook your head, stubbornness definitely ran in their family.

…

You thought furiously as you wiped down the bookcase in the guest bedroom. At first you drafted, revised, and rehearsed the passionate case that you could make to Peter about a flexible dating policy for the firm. After that, your mind wandered to the land usage case that you’d just been assigned. You’d probably spend time reviewing case notes after finishing the task at hand.

As you tackled the last shelves and replaced the books, your thoughts turned to your last conversation with Jeonghan. Specifically, the Pokemon figurines. You had many of them, but your Eevee evolutions were most special to you. You had started buying them for yourself after you’d gotten into college. Each one signified an important milestone in your life: admission and graduation from undergrad, admission and completion of law school, being accepted into law review, and getting hired at Chae & Associates. There were eight evolutions in total, so you had two more to go: making partner and getting married.

“Maja?” you poked your head out into the hallway.

Walking into the kitchen, you noticed that the tray of cookies from earlier was gone. Yiayia must have sent her to call on the neighbor boy. Pressing your lips together, you decided to take a walk. You were nosy and simply needed to know just how handsome this man was!

With a nearly empty garbage bag in tow, you walked out of the house, peeking casually (creepily) through the hedges and shrubs, searching for the glimpse of a person. You ended up doing two, zig-zag laps around Yiayia’s house until you heard some conversation.

“I know we need to talk about it, I just…not sure I have anything coherent to say yet.”

You were shocked. That was Maja’s voice, but the words she was saying didn’t particularly make sense.

“I understand that,” came the reply. “Can I ask whether it’s because you still don’t know what you want? Or because you’ve decided and you don’t want to tell me?”

The silence was uncomfortable even for you.

“You said you needed time and I want you to have as much as you need. But at the same time it makes me a little crazy to see you at work all the time and not be able to talk to you.”

Your eyes were wide. That voice sounded painfully familiar so you pulled back a branch or two and almost dropped your bag of garbage when you saw Harris! What in the world? He was Yiayia’s neighbor’s son? You wished that there was someone else here that you could discuss this with. You quietly let the branches bend back in place and finally placed the bag in your hands into the bin outside. Yiayia seemed to still be napping, so you returned to your bedroom and continued reading.

…

You checked your appearance in the mirror again. Today was the first court appearance in front of Bytheway. You’d taken your time getting ready today, hopeful that taking on a hyperfeminine appearance and persona would work to your advantage. You would let Jeonghan take the lead and assist, as Bytheway undoubtedly expected. You flipped off the judge in your mind one more time before heading to your peer’s office.

“Ready?” you knocked on the doorframe as you entered.

“Ye-yeah,” Jeonghan looked up from his phone. He blinked before standing. “Let’s go, I’ll drive.”

“Yes, of course! And we must always walk behind the men, for they are our masters!”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes as you rambled sarcastically. He nodded pleasantly as he drove, listening to you go over the details and approach what you'd laid out for the case. It was solid, he felt confident.

“Ah! Attorney Yoon! It's great to see you,” Judge Bytheway greeted him amiably after entering the courtroom. It did not escape his notice that the judge failed to greet you.

“Your Honor,” he moved to introduce you, but you cut him off. Grabbing his hand behind the bench you shook your head slightly. “It's great to see you again,” he recovered smoothly.

“I told you to take lead, so take lead. That man doesn't want to hear from me so for all intents and purposes I'm your paralegal today.” you whispered out of the corner of your mouth as the judge greeted the opposing counsel.

Jeonghan nodded sharply.

Things proceeded quickly and smoothly. It was an initial hearing, so largely procedural and went according to plan. You scratched down notes every so often and slid them across the table, tapping his leg to get his attention, and he would fold them seamlessly into his arguments.

“I've never seen YN so quiet,” your client, Wade, teased affectionately as you left the courtroom.

“Peaceful, right?” Jeonghan laughed.

You pulled a face at both of them.

“I want you to know I appreciate it,” Wade continued. “I know you're whip smart and could've done that yourself, but that guy’s an asshole. I appreciate your prioritizing my needs as a client.”

Jeonghan snuck a glance at you and was surprised to see you were flustered.

“Ah it's nothing!” you laughed nervously, “That's my job!”

Wade smiled and said goodbye before heading to his car.

“Let me ask you something,” Jeonghan piped up as you walked towards the fleet car.

“Sure.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how physically painful was that for you?”

“Hmm,” you clicked your press-on nails together as you thought. “Seven?”

“Huh. If I’d asked you in school, you probably would've answered 20. How's that for growth?”

“Well if I'd asked you for help like this in school, you would've taken every opportunity to rub it in my face. So we've both grown, perhaps.”

Jeonghan chuckled, putting the car in reverse.

“You want celebratory bubble tea?”

“What? That's only for after cases have closed successfully!”

“Ah my mistake.”

It was just as well. Jeonghan was ready to put some distance between you two, but even later in the day the memory of your nails tapping lightly against his leg to get his attention lingered in his mind.

…

“Hey let me ask you something?” you popped your head into Jeonghan’s office.

“Sure,” he looked up from his computer.

You fully entered the room and closed the door softly behind you. Unusual.

“Did you have a dating policy at Zanden?”

“Dating policy?” You were serving up some strange questions today.

“Yes, like a policy around dating people within the firm?”

“Ah! I don't know,” Jeonghan shook his head and shrugged. “Why?” He wondered if there was someone you were interested in.

“Hm. Is he the type to be a stickler about that kind of stuff?”

“Hm…,” Jeonghan thought for a moment. Honestly he wasn't sure, but didn't think so. Harris was like Peter in a lot of ways. As long as things didn't hinder productivity or professionalism, he likely didn't care. “Probably not?”

“Interesting,” your eyes lit up as you pressed your fingertips into steeple fingers. “Okay, thank you!”

“Sure,” Jeonghan nodded, mind dwelling on the fact that you hadn't answered the question of why.

He flipped through his mental roster of associates and staff and frowned. There wasn't anyone at the firm that he felt really made sense for you.

“Hey Peter?” you knocked on the managing partner’s ajar door.

“Yes, come in!” his voice came through the crack.

“Hey can I ask you something? And don't be weird about it.”

Peter narrowed his eyes at that playfully and gestured for you to continue.

“Have you and Harris discussed a dating policy for the firm post merger?”

“Dating policy? No, I supposed we haven't!”

“Do you have thoughts on it?”

“I probably do,” Peter nodded and then paused for a moment to gather them. “On the one hand, we should have something to protect us from a legal standpoint, but on the other hand I love love, so I wouldn't be in favor of prohibiting internal dating.”

“That makes me very happy to hear,” you nodded excitedly.

“Are you interested in someone?” Peter’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Tell me, tell me!”

“No!” you almost burst out laughing at the idea of dating someone at the firm. There was almost no one suitable.

“Maybe him?” Peter had gotten out of his chair and was peering out of his office through his blinds.

“Don't do that!” you pulled him away from the glass, “You look weird! They're gonna think you're planning layoffs or something!”

“Oh, ah, yea,” he scratched his head sheepishly. He sometimes forgot that the associates from Zanden still didn't know him very well and found his positional authority to be a bit intimidating.

“Thank you for your thoughts!” you beamed at him before leaving. The bounce in your step was obvious as you returned to your office. You couldn't wait to update Maja!

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed as he watched you float back into your office. You seemed damned pleased and he was surprised that it bothered him so. He had gone through the company directory and confirmed his initial thought that no one seemed fit to task. You were too much of a handful! Smart and competent with a goofy side, empathetic yet ruthless when necessary. Godspeed to whoever it was that you were interested in.

…

“Damn it, I'm running late,” you cursed when Jeonghan entered your office, ready to appear before Judge Bytheway again.

“We need to go now. What do I need to do to make that happen?”

“My bag. I'll get the rest.”

Jeonghan nodded, grabbing your leather crossbody bag. He looked on as you grabbed a small satchel and followed him out the door.

He looked over occasionally with intrigue as you fixed your makeup in the car. You placed highlight and blush strategically and when you were done, you looked somehow…brighter eyed and bushier tailed.

Like last time, Jeonghan presented all of the arguments while you sat there taking and making notes. Occasionally Wade would lean over and confer with you, which you would relay to Jeonghan in a scribble. It was very seamless.

“Hell yes,” you muttered under your breath when the judge rendered his ruling. You shot Wade a triumphant look.

“Excellent work again, Attorney Yoon,” the judge complimented Jeonghan. “Young lady,” his gaze shifted to you. “You have a lot to learn from this man!”

“Of course your honor! I could never even dream of filing his shoes,” you nodded demurely, placing a hand on his forearm.

If Jeonghan was surprised at the contact, he didn't show it. Bytheway nodded curtly before leaving the courtroom.

“Woohoo!” you jumped excitedly, pumping your first in the air at Wade. “We did it!”

“Yes you did,” he nodded, more than pleased.

Jeonghan had to agree. While he may have presented arguments, the logic and work behind it had been all yours. Aside from a few meetings to review your positions and go over precedential cases, it had required nearly no work on his end. In fact, it felt more like he was playing the role of a lawyer rather than being one.

“Now we get celebratory bubble tea, right?” Jeonghan laughed as he pulled the car out of the courthouse parking lot

“Oh! I wouldn’t be opposed, if you want to stop.”

“Sure. Add the stop on the navigation,” he pointed to his phone.

“What do you get?” you asked Jeonghan as your eyes ran over the menu.

“Honeydew milk tea with boba.”

You nodded. Somehow that made sense for him. You paid for three orders: him, yourself, and Maja. Jeonghan’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the treat and you explained that you owed him for the help with the case.

“You did all the work,” he shrugged, but placed his wallet back into his pocket.

“Yes, but it wouldn’t have had the same outcome if I had been the one doing delivery. Wade and I would be having consolation bubble teas instead.”

Jeonghan snorted at the idea of your heavily mustached client drinking bubble tea. You smiled brightly at him and a sudden memory triggered for Jeonghan.

“On the count of Second Degree Murder, the jury finds the defendant ‘Not Guilty’.”

Your eyes had widened in disbelief. You’d been so stressed about this mock trial because the evidence just seemed impossible to spin in the right direction. You two had spent way too many hours on this extracurricular, but you were both so stubborn and determined that you’d treated it as if it were a real murder case.

“We did it,” you murmured in disbelief. “Jeonghan we did it!”

Jeonghan was surprised he could still recall the way your eyes had lit up at him that day. Today’s case was certainly no murder, but the win still seemed to trigger the same light of joy within you. He struggled to fight the infectious smile that crept onto his lips as you waited together for your tea.

…

“Oh oh oh!” you smacked the arm of the couch as you remembered something. “Shit! I totally forgot to tell you that I talked to Peter about the dating policy thing!”

“Oh!” Maja cocked her head at you.

“He said that he felt we should have a policy in place, but that he wouldn’t make it hard or prohibit people from dating internally! So that’s a good sign, right?”

“Hm, I suppose,” she pursed her lips.

“Have you decided what you want to do?”

“I would have kept seeing him had this merger not happened, but I feel so weird about dating the managing partner! Also I don’t want him to make an exception for me or write a lax policy because of our situation.”

You squinted at Maja. She was quite rigid when it came to principles and you weren’t sure if she was self sabotaging or what! It was rare for her to be interested in actually dating someone long term.

“Well could you just tell him that? Like exactly that. Cause I feel like you want to have a finalized solution to bring to him and I’m not sure that’s possible? This feels like a decision that you’ll have to make together.”

“You know I’m not very good at that,” she grumbled and you nodded. You did know that. “What about you? How are things with Flynn?”

You thought for a moment before answering. You’d been dating Flynn for almost half a year now and truth be told, things had been rocky for a couple of months. Since the merger, you’d been working longer hours and more cases in an effort to prove yourself to Harris. You’d always been married to your work, but prior to the merger, you’d known that partner was an inevitability.

Flynn was a dermatologist with very set office hours and a very ideal work-life balance. He didn’t really understand the difference in schedule demands of law and it had been a major source of friction lately. You wondered about compatibility for the future as you had no considerations of changing careers or tamping your ambition.

“Well that's not a good sign,” Maja’s eyes widened as you continued to be deep in thought for ten minutes.

“It could be better,” you admitted, “I’ve been working a lot lately.”

“Ah,” Maja nodded knowingly.

Throughout her time as a paralegal, she'd seen many relationships fall apart because of the workload demands. Being in a romantic relationship with a lawyer was not for everyone.

“What do you plan to do?” She was curious.

“Try harder?” you shrugged glibly.

Maja let out a sharp snort. That was always your solution.

“I don't know, to be honest,” you huffed, unsettling the hairs that framed your face.

“Really you should just marry your job. Or at least another lawyer. They're the only ones who really understand.”

“No thank you,” you answered tartly as you thought about the associates you knew well at Chae & A.

“Marry me then,” Maja joked. “We'll start our own law firm.”

“With blackjack! And hookers!” you answered before dissolving into a pile of giggles.

“I'd do it! Platonic marriage, I stan.”

“If we're still single at thirty five?” you suggested, sticking your pinky out to seal the deal.

“Deal!” Maja laughed, locking her finger in yours.

You were suddenly struck by a sense of deja vu. There was no way on earth, but you felt like you'd made this deal before.

back to index | chapter 2

[brydonlaw]

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[agustdiv1ne]

HIHI!! CONGRATS ON 3K!! 🥳 well deserved <3

i'd love to request hyuka fluff with disney's enchanted for ur event! :D

NOW SHOWING...

pairing: huening kai x fem!reader

genre: fantasy, fluff <3

wc: 2.1k

details + warnings: hyuka and mc are giselle and robert adjacent, prince!kai, divorce lawyer!mc, there's really no warnings i'm just in love with kai :')

note: BERRYYY TYSM <33 i love enchanted — how did you know?? and with our lovely kai...just *chef's kiss*

you like to think that your career hasn't soured the taste of love for you, but that's a boldfaced lie.

divorce attorneys bear witness to the worst sides of people, the greedy and the unforgiving and the resentful parts that don't often see the light of day. you try not to be too disheartened by this fact — most of your clients are quite pleasant when they're not in the same room as their ex-lover! a vast majority of them bring you flowers or donuts after their legal woes have been resolved, in fact. however, after watching how your clients' love often degrades into resentment and greed, you've grown somewhat apprehensive of dating in general. the last thing you want is to end up like your clients, so what's the best way to prevent that? well, you think that the answer is to stay single forever; it's easier that way, anyway. you do ache for companionship, but you refuse to set your heart out on the line to achieve it.

while you have established yourself as one of the sharpest and brightest minds in your firm — at a relatively young age, at that — the concept of love is not something that you can pick up a book and learn about with great certainty. in that way, love also intimidates you. there are no cut and dried laws that govern it, no logical reason to its machinations, and that does not agree with you no matter which way you try to twist the idea.

after another long day at work, your hours filled with paperwork and back-to-back meetings with clients, you find yourself trudging along the bustling streets of midtown manhattan towards the nearest subway station. your feet ache inside your heels, and your makeup feels heavy on top of your skin after over ten hours in your workplace. all you want to do is get home, climb into bed, and sleep. you push through another thicket of people, and the sign of the station finally comes into sight. your feet move a bit quicker now, your only goal being to get to the station and head back to your apartment in queens. your focus falters, however, when a loud, masculine scream sounds from the street. sure, the number one rule of new york is to ignore the weird shit and keep it moving, but you're no native to the city; you swivel your head towards the source of the sound—

and watch a man crawling out a manhole nearly get hit by a passing car.

luckily, he ducked back down before the car could actually do any damage. your steps slow down as you watch him skitter across the street, ignoring the jostles that you receive from the rest of the disgruntled crowd. the man finally makes it across the street near where you now stand, after dodging cars and receiving profanities from oh so lovely drivers. frozen in place, you realize how oddly he is dressed. his clothes are straight out of a movie, his princelike attire of bright white trousers and a green, gold-gilded jacket sorely out of place in the sea of gloomy, muted clothing.

“excuse me!” he cries, attempting to stop someone, but the crowd continues to push him along with them. he nearly trips over his own feet as he is shoved backwards. “i was wondering if any of you kind people would be able to help me— ahh!”

as he falls to the concrete, you feel a tug inside your chest. you can't just let him flounder around, distressed and confused. if you don't help him, it's likely no one else will.

shoving your way through the throng of people, you grab his arm, pull him up to his feet, and drag him towards the side of the sidewalk, ignoring his rapid questioning. when you do stop, you finally get a chance to actually look at him up close. tall nose, rich, brown eyes, dark hair that's perfectly styled...beautiful would be a gross understatement when describing him. you shake the thought away. you need to focus and figure out what the hell is going on here.

“are you okay? do you need help getting home?” you ask, albeit a bit tentatively. he perks up at the sound of your voice like a puppy. he doesn’t seem drunk, nor high, his eyes clear as he wears a pleasant yet frazzled smile. that soothes your nerves a bit. 

“yes, that would be wonderful! though i’m not quite sure how to return home,” he says, his smile dropping into a deep frown. 

you mirror his expression, confusion coloring your tone as you pull out your phone and open your maps app. “you...don’t? is there an address or anything you can give me?” 

you quickly learn that he does not, in fact, have an address to give you. he claims that he comes from a land called andalasia, that he's the crown prince, and describes in great detail how he fell down a well and subsequently found himself here. personally, you think that he's insane, but at the the same time, it's hard to picture how he even got beneath the street in the first place.

maybe the multiverse actually is real.

“oh wow, okay. um,” you start, “that’s— okay.”

you internally ponder your next moves. should you just take him to a police station and wipe your hands of him? should you offer to take him with you? he seems relatively harmless despite his tall stature, his eyes glowing as he looks up at the skyscrapers and bright lights that surround you with childlike wonder. his cadence is similar to that of a disney prince, but it doesn't sound like a practiced accent. it's natural, oddly natural.

“okay,” you sigh. “let’s just go to my place, alright? it’s late, and both of us don’t know to get you back to...andalasia? our best bet is to figure it out tomorrow after some sleep.”

“oh, thank you!” he exclaims, bowing deeply. you scramble to urge him to straighten up again, telling him that that’s not something you do here. “it’s not? do you not subscribe to proper decorum?”

“no, most people don’t here. they’re, uh, not usually very kind in the first place.”

“well, then what of you? you have only shown me kindness.” 

“i’m...” you trail off. “i’m just me.”

he doesn’t seem to have a response to that, so you grab his forearm and begin your trek towards the subway station once more. “c’mon, let’s go.”

after much difficulty in getting him onto the subway and ensuring that he doesn't start talking up random strangers, you finally make it home. it nears midnight by the time you step through the threshold into your apartment, the so-called prince trailing innocently behind you.

“welcome to my humble abode,” you joke, slipping your shoes off. “sorry for the mess. i’m not home often.” 

you turn towards him and his owl-eyed expression, and realize something very important.

“i never got your name,” you say, your voice trailing off at the end. he stiffens at this, his hand finding yours while he bows.

“how improper of me! i am prince kai kamal huening the third of adalasia,” he declares. you stare at his bowed over form for a moment. 

“can i just call you kai?”

days pass, and you find that kai has fit into your life much easier than you first expected — once you got past the summoning of animals to clean your apartment, at least.

it's odd, how the two of you just work. his bright, cheery disposition has breathed new life into your daily routine. he sings, his voice clear and soothing, as he cleans your apartment and helps you cook; he tags along to go shopping and not once leaves your side; and, worst of all for your poor, shielded heart, he doesn't shy away from physical affection. to add fuel to the fire, you actually enjoy it.

you find that you spend less time in the office now that he lives with you. he refuses to allow you to indulge in the unhealthy habits that you have picked up from living alone for so long. no more skipping meals, no more working over the weekends, and absolutely no more averaging on four hours of sleep each night. he, unknowingly, acts so much like a boyfriend that you've begun to feel guilty. he doesn't deserve to be stuck with you and your lackluster lifestyle — he needs someone that can match his shine, that can amplify it. he needs someone that can give him the happy ending that he deserves. he needs a princess, and you are far from one.

what confuses you more is that he has stopped trying to find a way home despite your efforts to help him. deep down, you are a little pleased at this development, but you refuse to allow your selfish desires to win. andalasia is his home, not here.

exactly two weeks after he had popped up in your universe, you're sitting next to him on your couch, trying to unwind after a particularly difficult day of work. kai's head lays in your lap, your fingers carding through his soft hair while you watch a show on the tv — or "magical box," as he likes to call it. instead of the show, however, he is what holds your attention. his eyes sparkle with the light of the tv as another scene flashes across the screen in front of you. though he often opts for a button-up and slacks when out and about with you, he now wears a pair of comfortable sweats and an oversized t-shirt. the whole situation is a perfect picture of domesticity.

with a quiet sigh, you slip your hand out of his hair. he doesn't notice, too engrossed in the show.

“kai,” you call, tapping his nose to urge his concentration away from the screen. his gaze immediately finds yours. gently, you ask, “why don’t you want to go home?” 

his body visibly stiffens, and he looks a bit sheepish at the question. wordlessly, he sits up from your lap. he no longer looks at you, but rather at his lap.

“do you wish for me to go?” he murmurs, dejection coloring his tone. frowning, you reach forward and place your hand on top of his.

“of course not. i just,” you sigh, hesitating for a moment. “i’m curious to know why you’ve stopped trying. this world...it’s not the kindest, and living with me can’t be that fun. so what’s keeping you here? don’t you have a princess waiting for you back home?”

“it’s you,” he whispers, but his words are loud for you to hear. 

“m-me?” you stutter. your heart pounds inside your chest, your eyes wide due to his admission. “what do you mean—”

“what i mean,” he interrupts, and suddenly his eyes are boring into yours, sincerity and a catious sort of hope swirling in his umber irises. “is that i feel as if i am able to be myself around you. with you, i am not prince kai of andalasia, but simply kai. no princess can rival what you have made me feel in these past two weeks, and i have—” he inhales deeply, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment as he leans closer. his sheepish expression returns. “i have found myself falling for you.”

falling? for you? your mouth gapes and closes in a clunky rhythm, thoughts jumbled inside your head, and all you can think to is ask is—

“kiss me, please?”

with a gentle smile, his large hands move to cup your face before he leans in and presses his lips to yours. they're soft, tasting of buttery popcorn. your eyes flutter shut as you grip his wrists, deepening the kiss, only pulling away once you are breathless.

a few silent seconds pass between you. internally, you panic, your hands falling to your lap as you fiddle with them. the thoughts tumble out before you can stop them.

“are you sure that you want me?” you whisper. “i can’t give you a castle, or riches. and i’m terribly difficult to love. i’m not used to being loved.”

kai's gaze is unwavering as he reaches down to weave his fingers with yours.

“then allow me to show you how easy it is for me to do so.”

as he leans in to kiss you once more, you feel the walls that shield your heart begin to crumble.

3k event masterlist | masterlist

© to agustdiv1ne. do not copy, repost, steal, and/or translate.

[ranjith11]

July 2023 under Texas Standard Possession Order | Law Office of Chris Schmiedeke, PC

The Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO) is a legal framework that governs visitation rights in Texas. It provides a structured schedule for parents to follow, outlining when each parent has the right to spend time with their child.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Gerard James Butler born 13 November 1969 in Paisley.

When he was 6 months old, his family relocated to Montreal, Canada, where his father tried a few business ventures but ultimately failed. A year and a half later, his parents divorced, and his mother moved Gerard and his two older siblings back to her hometown of Paisley.

After the move, Butler was raised by his mother, with no further contact with his father until he was 16 years old. (Gerard and his later father reconciled, and remained close until his father died of cancer when Butler was in his early 20s.) During his childhood, Butler was enthralled with movies and acting, and his mother took him to several auditions. He joined the Scottish Youth Theatre and in one of his first roles played a street urchin in its production of Oliver!, a role I have played myself, in a school production I was in Fagin’s gang, but alas fame was not to come my way as it did for Gerard

Despite his love for theater and film, Butler was anxious to please his family and believed that acting was not a realistic career choice for him. “I was a 16-year-old kid on the other side of the world from where they made movies,” he later said. “Scottish actors never really got play. There was Sean Connery, and that was it.” Though he claims he is “not the most academic of guys,” Butler graduated near the top of his high school class and enrolled in the University of Glasgow, where he studied to become a lawyer and solicitor.

During his time in university, Butler was also the president of the law society and graduated with honours. Like many other new graduates, Butler decided to take a year off to travel abroad, and his ventures soon landed him in Venice, California, where he indulged in the high life: “This is when things started to go a little crazy,” he later said. “Something very compulsive and dark and lusty and pleasurable but damaging took over. It was suddenly knowing I could go out and have a life of traveling, craziness, adventure, partying, women, and all the other things that go with that—including a sense of abandonment.”

After California, Butler returned to Scotland to begin a two-year traineeship at one of Edinburgh’s top law firms,(while there he shared a flat with my pal Peter)but soon found that he despised the job more and more, and he started slacking off and letting his depression show. A week before he was due to finish his traineeship, he went to the Edinburgh Film Festival and saw a stage production of Trainspotting, an experience that crystallized his disappointment with the law and his yearning to be an actor: “The guy playing the lead role was phenomenal. It was such an incredible atmosphere. And I’m dying inside. This is the life I wanted to live. I can do this. I know I can do this. But it’s past now. It’s gone. I’m 25. I missed that opportunity. A week later, they fired me.”

Humiliated but determined to finally pursue his dream of acting, Butler moved to London, England, the next day and worked odd jobs while trying to get his career off the ground. While working as a casting assistant for the play Coriolanus, he ran into the play’s director, Steven Berkoff, in a coffee shop and begged for a chance to read for the lead role. He says of the experience: “I gave it everything. Afterward, the casting director came up to me almost in tears. She said, ‘You’re the best he saw in two days!’ Walking home was probably the happiest moment of my life, when there’s an energy in you that can’t be put down. I’d gone from handing out pages to getting the lead role.” After a successful run in Coriolanus, Butler landed the lead in the exact same stage rendition of Trainspotting that had inspired him to try acting again, and he was really on his way as an actor.

Making the transition from the stage to the screen, in 1997 Butler starred with Judi Dench and Billy Connolly in Mrs. Brown and also scored a small part in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. During the film’s shooting, he was picnicking with his mother near a river and heard screaming from a boy who was in trouble. He immediately dove into the river and saved the youth from drowning, winning a Certificate of Bravery from the Royal Humane Society as an example of his courage and caring.

After acting in a series of largely forgettable films, in 2003, Butler finally got his break with the role of the Phantom in Joel Schumacher’s on-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Phantom of the Opera. It was a demanding role that required the actor to sing most of his lines. Even though Butler had been the lead singer of a rock band during his time in law school, he was incredibly nervous about auditioning for the part: “I’d had maybe four singing lessons when I went to sing 'Music of the Night’ for Andrew Lloyd Webber, which was perhaps the most nerve-wracking experience I ever went through. But I got the role.

Some people thought I did a great job, but others thought it was sacrilegious.” Though Phantom did not hit blockbuster gold, it got Butler recognized in Hollywood, and four years later he landed the lead role, as King Leonidas, in 300, the testosterone-infused historical epic about a small legion of Spartan soldiers defeating the enormous Persian army. To look believable as a warrior king, Butler trained every day for four months in the most intense workout regimen of his life, giving him an incredible physique in time for the shoot: “You know that every bead of sweat falling off your head, every weight you’ve pumped—the history of that is all in your eyes,” he said. “That was a great thing, to put on that cape and put on that helmet, and not have to think …'I should have trained more.’ Instead, I was standing there feeling like a lion.”

Butler’s role in 300 was a huge boost to his career profile. Since appearing in 300, the actor has starred in several romantic comedies such as P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank and The Ugly Truth with Katherine Heigl, along with appearing on many “world’s hottest men” lists. And his career isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

Despite all of his success, Gerard Butler still retains the breezy attitude of a guy who rolls with the punches and has a down-to-earth sense of humour. Looking back, he is still slightly stunned at the twists his life has taken and reflects on what could have been: “I wasn’t going to be an actor. I was going to be a lawyer … There was something else at work, something I didn’t have control of. If I hadn’t [messed] up that job, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. I might be a very mediocre lawyer in some small town in the middle of Scotland.”

Gerard has been quiet on twitter lately, one f his last posts on October 25th was plugging his latest film,Plane, which he said he “had a blast working on” He also has a number of projects in post and pre production, so loads more to come from this popular Scot. 

[sreehari28]

The Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO) is a legal framework that governs visitation rights in Texas. It provides a structured schedule for parents to follow, outlining when each parent has the right to spend time with their child. The standard possession order typically grants the noncustodial parent specific periods of possession and access to the child during the summer months, including July. According to the SPO, the noncustodial parent is usually entitled to have possession of the child for 30 consecutive days during the summer unless the custodial parent selects a weekend inside those thirty days. This period is often referred to as the extended summer possession. It generally starts on July 1st and continues until July 31st unless notice is given of custom dates. During this time, the noncustodial parent has the right to spend uninterrupted and extended time with the child subject only to a weekend selected by the custodial parent. They are responsible for taking care of the child's daily needs and ensuring their well-being during their thirty days. Parents can also make alternative agreements or modifications to the standard schedule through mutual consent or court approval. Otherwise, the parties will follow the standard possession order if that is what is set out. If there are any conflicts or disputes regarding the custody arrangement, it is advisable for the parents to consult with their attorneys or seek legal guidance to ensure compliance with the court's orders and protect the best interests of the child.

[lawgical-alliance-ind]

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