One sad aspect of practicing in today's world is that the system itself has broken down. Petitions for guardianship or adoption are held up for weeks because papers sit undocketed, and appointments delayed; notices of objection are in the Registrar's Office, weeks after the due date with people petitioning for relief waiting and waiting to find out if an objection has been received. The whole DOR system has new computer systems that don't work. The mail in some courts goes unopened for weeks; periods long after time limits have expired. Negotiating through this broken-down maze is a big hurdle. You have to stay on top of all this-it sometimes means extra trips to the clerk's office, and you have to strike a delicate balance between being persistent and aggravating court personnel. You need patience, while simultaneously keeping the client aware of all that you're trying to do. You need the beside manner of a well-trained therapist along with the humble acceptance of a saint sometimes to massage your matter through to resolution. The motto of the court system is "hurry up and wait". You have to be there on time if your case is scheduled, but certainly can't expert things to run smoothly. The office knows this, and concentrates on pushing things along as best as we can, while letting the client know the basis of the delays that are producing their anxiety.
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