Story 131

My family member assaulted me and forced me under duress to enter an illegal real estate scheme.

When I tried getting out of it, he revealed he really did to to shield his assets from his fiance who he was bringing into the country to marry him.

Lawyers scolded me and called me selfish for not helping my abusive family member protect his property from some foreigner.

Eventually, I came across another lawyer to help me get out of the situation.

He started out honest.

Then his demeanor started changing.

He started bullying me and gaslighting me when I would ask him questions about the legality of what was happening.

He told me the only way out of this was to settle the matter out of court.

He told me not to report the matter to the police, not to seek protections from the domestic violence court against the family member that assaulted and threatened to kill me, and not to report the fraud to the attorney general's office.

He told me not to warn the fiance about this family member’s history of abuse and mental illness, and to mind my own business.

He gaslit me like crazy and it exhausted me.

He reminded me that he was the lawyer, not me and that I don't know the law.

I just yielded feeling helpless.


Negotiations happened ONLY FOR PROPERTY.

Then the other lawyer added several provisions in the settlement including an NDA, mutual release (that released the other lawyer from any liability), no fault, and an attorney consultation that says my lawyer spoke to me about the settlement prior to instructing me to sign it (which never happened) and that I forever waived any right to challenge the agreement if one day in the future I discover something wrong with it or the process leading up to me signing it.

My lawyer looked at it and assured the other lawyer he would get me to sign it: a breach in the attorney code of conduct because he’s supposed to inform me the opposing lawyer added new terms at the last minute.

My lawyer, through his secretary, told me to sign it.

He didn’t say what it was, he didn’t tell me that the other lawyer added several other provisions, and he didn’t invite me to discuss or explain those new provisions added at the last minute.

I glanced over it for less than 10 minutes not really understanding the new terms.

I had questions but I was afraid to ask my lawyer because by this point, he would get very belligerent with me over the phone.

I was exhausted from the PTSD and the addiction I was suffering from.

He had asked me to sign stuff in the past that wasn’t a big deal.

I just signed it under fear that he would berate me.

A few months later, I was being stalked and harassed, followed to and from work and receiving suspicious phone calls asking about the transaction.

I reached out to my lawyer and he essentially told me off.

I went into hiding in fear for my life.

A few years later, I reached out to him to ask about the NDA and his e-mail was full of ambiguous responses.

I called him and he acted suspicious, and started putting words in my mouth that weren’t true.

He then told me that the NDA was supposed to protect me but couldn’t explain how.

Then he went into more detail about how I’m obligated to not disparage my family member or damage his reputation.

I went over the e-mails months later (with a much more clearer mind, and after receiving psychological treatment for the abuse I endured in my childhood) and discovered my lawyer stabbed me in the back and broke several laws and rules within the attorney code of conduct.

He conspired with the other lawyer to pull a bait-and-switch on me to bury this illegal scheme and help my abusive family member.

I put all the evidence together in a complaint to the bar association with some help.

I kind of realized what the real world is like and it was a rude awakening.

Everybody in the legal system from police to judges tell civilians to get a lawyer, and when they do and that lawyer swindles their client, society's attitude is that it's the client's fault for not knowing the lawyer was conning them.

I felt really guilty after coming to the realization.

This woman had a right to know about this family member's history of mental illness and abuse of his other family members, including his first spouse.

The lawyers wanted to cover that up with an NDA.

Then they wanted to cover their own crimes up with the NDA so they can continue practicing law and getting more clientele for their businesses.

I realize what the legal industry is and how dirty it is.

But since I told the authorities, I don’t know if I have long to live.

My family member, who referred to his lawyer as his friend, accused that lawyer of being involved with really dangerous people.

I don’t know how many other people they have done this to.

I don’t know how many other people are in danger because of this scheme they have going on.

I doubt I or this foreign woman were the only victims of this.

These people are attorneys at law and they pull dirty schemes like this with their legal licenses.

I don't know how much danger the public is in with people like this licensed to practice law and putting people like myself in danger and then covering everything up.