Friend wanting me to pay legal fees

[msbees]

I primarily live in SF, CA (am British, but lived here for years). My friend lost her job and is convinced she's got a shot a filing a lawsuit and suing for wrongful termination. I don't know the ins and outs of the case because we've only exchanged a few texts on the matter. She is looking at hiring lawyers and as is common knowledge, Americans love litigation. However, she asked me over text if I could 'donate' to her legal costs. I asked what her costs would be and how much she had to hand anyway. She quoted $20k - and said that she had only $15k to her name. She said her own money (the $15k) would be next to nothing soon enough due to loss of health insurance and her general outgoings (healthcare is not like it is the UK in regards to insurance costs). So she really asking for $20k - but that's just to engage the lawyer/draft up a case. When I asked for more information about the actual case, she didn't go into much detail at all and just ranted about her hatred of the CEO and his dodgy behaviour. She did say she would shed more light on it when she had more time. So I said ok (to talking about it another time). She then left it at the same question (would I be willing to pay for the costs).

She knows I can 'afford it' due to my previous company sale being public information, yet I can't help but feel uneasy about it. I also think it's my British nature to be more reserved about money, whereas Americans are a lot more open about it. Also, when a company is sold, most of the money goes to paying shareholders etc... so what she might have seen online is nowhere near close to what we each have. (Each being management team).

I'm only too happy to get more details about the case, but she sounds incredibly angry at her previous employer and is out for blood. I can't help but think it is a waste of money, but that's only going off what little information I have.

Legal costs have a way of quickly rising into the 0000's. I don't think she has thought this through... or frankly cares. AIBU to say no, even before hearing her out at a later date?

is no win, no fee an option is she has a strong case?
certainly don't put your own money to this

Is the info about your company sale public knowledge in that it was reported widely in the general press, or in a sense that the details are on public record if people with a need to know or an interest in the field look for them?

If (as I suspect) the latter, what was she actually doing going looking for them in the first place, if not to stake her 'claim'?

What a CF extraordinaire to be insisting only on the top lawyers that YOUR money can buy! It really is the equivalent of offering to buy somebody a drink in the pub and them ordering a quadruple brandy - then saying they might as well take the whole bottle for later!

She was an "at will" employee

I'm no expert in UK law never mind the US version, but that sounds as if she'd got few rights in the first place and that - as you suggested - she's just worked herself into a state and wants to "punish them"

In other words, yet another reason to say no

Do you know why she got fired? I mean the real reason? Does she have a genuine grievance or was she let go fairly?

Might 'unfair dismissal' in her mind equal 'I wanted to keep the job and the pay and I'm annoyed that they fired me for being rubbish/negligent/hands in the till/services no longer needed' ?

Agreed!

As for your question... a quick Google search will bring up the sale information as well as the price unfortunately. Certainly not something she would have to dig any deeper for.

This is what I wanted to know. She just said she got fired (I'm assuming services no longer needed based on what I know of her role/project), but then went on a text rant about everyone there and their bad traits etc... so it became less about the firing and more about ranting about people. Which made the request even more outrageous.

Just because someone is angry about being fired, doesn't mean they necessarily have a case. Part of me wants to know more, the other part of me wants to just ignore. I feel like Americans watch too much TV and think they can 'crush' everyone with expensive lawyers. Life isn't an episode of 'Suits'.

She was an "at will" employee

Yes, I'd never heard of that term either (sounds like it's US-specific), but I just looked it up online and it's quite straightforward that the employer holds all the cards and the employee none, apart from the right to say No/leave them at any time.

She is absolutely insane if she genuinely believes that she has any case against them. She's just trying to make trouble for the sake of it, funded by your money. If it were up to her, she literally would keep it going forever until your last penny was gone - and then, she would also be gone.

Just say sternly that you don't want to give away your savings and are extremely uncomfortable doing so.

She can work 2-3 low paid jobs temporarily until she finds something similar like everyone else does, but you don't have to tell her that if you don't feel comfortable.

Absolutely not. It would be lunacy to give her this money. You wouldn't see a penny of it again.

She is not a good friend to be putting you in this position. Absolutely not, she needs to find a no win no fee lawyer. I suspect when you tell her 'no' the friendship might fizzle anyway because she seems like a user.

I wouldn't give her a cent, and - although maybe this is more of a British thing - I'd reevaluate the friendship. Good friends don't text others to ask them for $20k.
The way she's going about this suggests they might have been right to fire her, if that's her negotiation and reasoning skills in action.

Absolutely it's a no! Can imagine her then suing you for hurt feelings when you're not an never ending source of funds for her!
"You said you'd pay for it so you need to pay whatever it costs!"

As for your question... a quick Google search will bring up the sale information as well as the price unfortunately. Certainly not something she would have to dig any deeper for.

Ah, right - thanks - but it's still something that you'd have to deliberately look for, from what you say. She has deliberately Googled it, when it's nothing to concern her at all. It wouldn't just pop up on your general news feed.

You know what, I'm sure that she's thought this through carefully and she's planning on making this never-ending vexatious law suit her new 'job', with your money paying her 'wages' - i.e. her living costs whilst she is 'heroically' fighting the case. Effectively, she has an irrational malicious case against her former employers, so she's hatched a plot to punish them AND YOU for it, whilst keeping her own lifestyle ticking over nicely, indefinitely.

Everybody knows that legal costs are a bottomless pit, so there's no telling how much she might be intending to tell you that this, that or the other has/will cost, and so you will need to hand her $X,000 to pay for it at each stage.

First reply has nailed it.

Just text her saying no I’m not going to lend you the money as I’m not comfortable lending people money.

If she falls out with you then it’ll do you a favour as she’s shown her true colours and it’s one less person trying to get money off of you.

Absolutely it's a no! Can imagine her then suing you for hurt feelings when you're not an never ending source of funds for her!
"You said you'd pay for it so you need to pay whatever it costs!"

I don't think that is necessarily too far-fetched, actually. She's clearly entitled and feels that she is owed a living from somebody (who cares who?), so I wouldn't put it past her at all. Even if she didn't go down the suing route, your name would be absolute mud when the funds eventually run out - "Some friend she is, promising me her support all the way and then just stabbing me in the back and dropping me like a hot poop when we were so close to winning".

Nope
She's a cheeky fucker of the highest order. And certainly not your friend

So I said ok (to talking about it another time). She then left it at the same question (would I be willing to pay for the costs).

Do you think she thinks you've said OK to paying towards the costs OP? She may sue you too for breach of promise/contract! (I'm not entirely joking, she sounds very litigious).

How close a friend is she ?

Or how close a friend was she before she asked for your money?

A see every week, go to when you're sad, been there for you type of friend, or more of an acquaintance?

No. I'd also reevaluate the friendship tbh, because she shouldn't be asking.

She should be able to find an attorney who will work on contingency fees basis? She wouldn't have to pay upfront. That would be my suggestion.

Odd she asks you

considering you don’t seem to even like her let alone close enough to ask for this kind of thing.

No way
In the unlikely event it went ahead and she won she wouldn't want to oay upu back.

In the event she lost she will blame you for "encouraging her to flog a dead horse".

What she knows about your money does not mean she has any right to a single cent.

Despite all of the above I am tickled by the idea of saying
"I'll give it some serious thought - but it wouldn't be a "donation" any money lent would have to have a charge registered against your property for security." I don't think she would mention it again!

She'd do far better putting her energies into getting a new job. The chances of her winning a case even if she had the money is very very slim. With her attitude I imagine they have quite a lot against her.

Say no, Americans who are brassy enough to ask a mate for $20k, are strong enough to be told no they can’t have it.

Tell her instead you’d love to meet up for coffee and help her think through her plans for her next job and help her work through her anger at her old ceo.