Horses and Zebras

Let's talk about assumptions.  We all make them.  In the family law arena, we assume that our clients are emotional, and that their autonomic nervous system is driving the train, making them react instead of act.  We also assume that they are needy and maybe somewhat unreasonable.  As a result, when presented with someone who is emotionally unstable, volatile and reactive, we see one of our normal clients.  What if, just what if, what we are really seeing is someone who is having a real physical issue, like Alzheimer's or Pick's, or MS?  Do we still see the normal client, albeit an extreme one, or do we notice the difference?  To use an analogy, do we see horses when what's in front of us is a zebra?  The answer is, it depends.  It depends if we care enough to really get to know our clients.  It depends if we pay enough attention to normal human behavior so we can see the difference.  It depends on whether we're brave enough to upset the client further by telling them what we see and taking a risk that we could be wrong.  Let's do the hard work and put our assumptions on the shelf and take a hard look at our clients as people.  It could, literally, save their lives.