I have a matter now that will likely go to trial in the early part of the new year.  It appears inevitable. 

Sometimes there are just those cases where a client is put in the impossible position of having to make a "Hobson’s choice" accepting a patently unfair or otherwise unpalatable settlement or taking their chances at trial.  I am not talking about accepting a deal that is on the low end of the "realm of reason" or agreeing to a little more or a little less in parenting time.  Rather, in order to get the case over with and "stop the bleeding", they have faced with the proposition of having to take less than is reasonable or agree to more/less parenting time then is fair, appropriate and/or in the best interests of the children. 

One can only hope that if the choice is trial, that the judge will see that the other side is simply not reasonable.  In that case, the hope is that the trial judge will make a generous award of counsel fees to make the oppressed party whole, or close to it, for having deal with unreasonable positions, etc.  I had a trial last year where the husband refused to negotiate, at ll.  He sought alimony, without basis, and made us try every single issue, including the exemption of clearly premarital property, the exemption of clearly post complaint property, even the exemption of the engagement ring.  In that case, even though my client earned far more than her husband, she was awarded a generous counsel fees. 

Again, she had no choice but to try the case.  Unfortunately, that appears to be the case for my current client if the choice is made by the client to fight for what she is entitled to.