If a lawyer says that someone has personality disorder what do they mean?

[OhioOhioOhio]

Im asking for a friend.

About the same as a psychiatrist making a legal ruling. Fuck all.

It means there must be money available.

A lawyer can't diagnose. It's a psychological condition. I'd Google it.

Is it like saying the person is a bastard? I've googled it hundreds of times. There is so much information.

Why does it mean there must be money available? How does that tie up?

It means they are unprofessional with no sense of remaining within the bounds of their expertise. If they are your solicitor, find a new one. If they are your ex’s solicitor, you are laughing when you get to court.

Sue the lawyer!

No it's a condition that has developed over problems with attachment and often has a fracturing event/process experienced early in life. There are many types. They are not psychiatric. Medications and talk therapies do not provide a cure.
Offen though they are accompanied by psychiatric conditions.

Is the lawyer guessing or are they saying they have knowledge, backed up by evidence (ie a psychiatrist’s report) that a person has a personality disorder.

A lawyer can not diagnose someone with a personality disorder. It could be relevant to say “defendant has been diagnosed with x personality disorder”.

I had a relative that was always trying to sue someone or taking tribunal’s out at work and basically repeatedly doing the whole “see you in court” thing due to her personality disorder. It was absolutely relevant to mention it as she was attempting to destroy peoples’ lives over and over because of the way her personality worked. She often had several cases on the go at once.

No one here can say without more of a context.

The money thing refers to the lawyers habit of making money through talking a lot of irrelevant rubbish. I was being sceptical of lawyers. Nothing more.

I don't believe a lawyer would say it unless it was backed up by a written clinical report.

personality disorder is often (unfairly) used as shorthand for suggesting that a person behaves irrationally/dramatically or takes things very personally. Its not appropriate for a lawyer to make comments like that in a professional capacity, its akin to describing a woman as hysterical/emotional (something that used to be commonplace but is now rightly recognised as sexist)
Human behaviours are on a spectrum with something being diagnosed as a personality disorder if they are at the more extreme end of that spectrum. So there's lots of behaviours that someone could infer 'personality disorder' (being cold hearted - sociopathic, being selfish/high opinion of oneself- narcissistic, being emotionally up and down - BDP) Whereas 99% of the time they are just variances in personality and do not constitute a disorder, they're just characteristics that the person making the comment dislikes/disapproves of.

It means nothing unless they can prove it.

If it’s being used as a tool against you, they had best have proof of diagnosis.

If you’re relying on it then you would want to have the medical records to back it up.

The lawyer is making a very educated guess. About my stbxh.

NB I'm assuming my post assumes there isn't a clinical basis for the comment. If there was, there should be separate evidence of that provided in any proceedings which would indicate the relevance and what it means for that person.

In that case it means nothing. The lawyer isn't trained in this field, thus the guess is not educated. It literally means nothing. Take your focus away from it because it will take you away from things that might be more important

It was an informal chat. In a context. Excellent lawyer.

Well I was right then. A lawyer talking bollocks in pursuit of your or legal.aid money. They have zero expertise.

The money thing - if the lawyer said it as an insult or in a libellous fashion and it has caused your friend damaged feelings you can sue them.

I’ve heard people saying “ugh they have a personality disorder” when they mean “they have an attitude problem”. It’s very damaging and insulting to those who have personality disorders and face stigma. It perpetuates a myth.

My relative was downright evil and wanted to destroy everything, she had Narcissistic and Histrionic Personality Disorders and other psychiatric illnesses - there is a high rate of co-morbidity.

I have colleagues and other people in my life with Borderline Personality Disorder and Avoidant PD. A couple have been very difficult, most have been lovely, hard working, good parents and friendly etc. There are a lot of myths out there about PDs. They almost always happen due to very sad beginnings in life. I even have sympathy for my evil relative despite enduring almost 30 years of abuse from her. Nobody chooses to have a PD. It’s an illness. Not an insult to be bandied about.

OP there is a huge amount of misinformation online, and on MN in particular, about personality disorders so take everything you read here with a pinch of salt. It is a very misunderstood diagnosis, even some qualified mental health professionals have a rather negative and biased view of those with a PD diagnosis unfortunately. I worked in children's mental health services and specialised in DBT which is a type of psychological therapy specifically for people with PD. Without knowing the context in which it was mentioned or the type of personality disorder the solicitor was referring to (there are several distinct types and they present very differently) it is difficult to advise but if you would like to learn more then this fact sheet from the charity MIND may be helpful.

www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/personality-disorders/#.XDvHT5Cnw0M

Well don’t tell your ex unless you want to get your excellent lawyer in massive shit!

It’s very unprofessional of them to say that.

I agree pp. But what makes it an illness and not plain old fashioned bad behaviour?

A diagnosis!

Im quite shocked its unprofessional.

I wouldn't tell my ex the time, never mind anything else.

Sorry, from a highly qualified professional, certain my not a lawyer, and some abusers will hide behind diagnoses, drink, drugs, DPS hysteria or PDS.

Be careful. He should not be talking like this without evidence or asking for a psychiatric report.