It is, however, more than possible, easier than pie really, to disrespect another lawyer. So I’m not touching this topic with any attempt at sincerity. Wry (perhaps wise?) chuckle. There’s just no way to rank your fellow attorneys without ruffling feathers. And it is all a matter of both what kind of law you’re talking about as well as what kind of lawyer you like to hire. There’s several men who practice criminal law in the area, for example, but no women I can think of and that’s okay. You hire one of the guys like Matt Kreitzer or Tim Johnson (who are friends, full disclosure) and let them fight hard for you.

Say you’re a woman and you feel most comfy with a female lawyer—now if you’re also trying to hire someone to help you with a family law issue, you might need to look in Winchester and elsewhere since Nancie Williams ascended to the bench. If you need help with consumer law or business litigation, I think I can toss my hat in the ring and say I’m one of the people you should consider calling.

Trusts and estates? Any of us can handle your simple trust, your basic will. If, however, you are constructing a complex master plan, you wanna call Danny Pond’s firm. And if push comes to shove and you have to have my vote for the best law firm in Front Royal, that’s going to be my choice. I’m not really friends with anyone there, but I have worked with them (at least on one case) and I found the younger Danny lovely, fair, and absolutely capable. More importantly, I have never heard anyone say a negative word about anyone from Pond Law Group. That’s crazy good if you think about it: not a single negative word.

Much better reputation than Axl Rose. That’s the lead singer of Guns N’ Roses. Not that he has a bad reputation per se—more like infamous and awesome and troubled and wow what a voice. And Slash can still play, at age 56—with a pacemaker—just whoa. Guns N’ Roses could always lay it down. They’re still putting out new music after thirty some years, which makes just no sense to me. And yet I love it. Why not keep the dream alive as long as you’re able to get in the arena?

So the real message is this: I’ll get in the ring with anyone. And I’ll grin. Why? It’s an honor to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Going to court is fun. I get excited for it. And I will give anyone a good fight on your behalf. Just gotta get in the ring.

Bankruptcy is a practice area I love, and because I love it, I am comfortable in it. Talking about debt relief, or the automatic stay, or adequate protection—on down the line of topics—feels like wearing an old college sweatshirt. Comfortable. I’ve been wading through the Bankruptcy Code since 1995—my second year at Marshall Wythe School of Law at William and Mary.

To me, it has always seemed fair that just like in most holy scriptures, so too in America: your debts can be forgiven after a period of several years. In Deuteronomy 15.1, for example, it says: “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts.” The U.S. Bankruptcy Code, similarly, allows a debtor to file for personal chapter 7 relief eight years after his or her last filing. Corporations are not required to wait any length of time (with a few exceptions) after filing a chapter 11 reorganization. Debtors have to wait four years to file chapter 13 plans after receiving a chapter 7, 11 or 12 discharge.

In exchange for this fresh start a bankruptcy can give a debtor, the federal bankruptcy courts make you follow a strict set of rules. The same thing applies to your lawyer. More rules and checks: a trustee watches over you and your lawyer. She or he also reports to the federal judge in charge of your case. The best aspects of American law: checks and balances, and they apply to everyone.

To me, as an attorney, I like the mercy aspect of bankruptcy, and I appreciate the rules that apply to everyone affected by a case. It has always seemed to me that in most cases, everyone (debtor, creditor, humans all) receives equitable and fair treatment under the law. And while debtors do in fact get (as so many people describe it to me when they ask questions) a “get out of jail free card,” the bankruptcy process itself makes sure that those who can pay do pay for that “freedom.”

No matter what debt or credit-related issue you’re facing, either as a consumer or a business, Jarvis Law is here to help you find creative solutions to your legal problems. Please visit us online at jarvislaw.org, call 540 546-0220 or visit in person at 29 Crescent Street in downtown Front Royal. We can help.