COLUMN > Member Wellness Corner
By ADELY RUIZ AND DAN CRYSTAL, Pys.D.
Question:
I have been working with a colleague for over 20 years who has been a long-term mentor to me. However, their mental capacity has deteriorated quickly. I need to have a conversation about the necessity of closing down their practice. How should I approach this and where do I begin?
Dear Concerned Member:
I am glad you are willing to have what can be an uncomfortable but necessary conversation. Making time for this conversation over a cup of coffee might go better than in the office. Start with gentle curiosity, asking what they may have envisioned for themselves beyond their practice and how they feel about managing their practice currently. Discussing cognitive changes is never easy, so if they can provide insight into any recent changes in their abilities, that can be helpful. Resistance is not uncommon.
In general, helping people make changes they are resisting requires persistence. So, don’t mark your first conversation as “I tried” and leave your colleague to make mistakes. One thing that can move the needle in these situations is engaging a support system of additional friends, family members, or colleagues to get a conversation moving. Often it is a person’s spouse or child who actually inspires a reckoning on their part. When an attorney experiences significant cognitive changes, it can be ruinous for clients whose calls are not being returned and hearings are not being attended. One hates to see an impressive career require a crash landing.
If you have ethical questions on this topic, call the Ethics Line at 206-727-8284.
The Member Wellness Program is also available to address calls on this topic. You can visit https://outlook.office365.com/book/WashingtonStateBarAssociation1@wsba.org/ for a consultation or review this webpage:
www.wsba.org/for-legal-professionals/member-support/wellness/concerned-about-an-attorney.
In addition, please consider our Law Firm Guide to Closing Your Practice.
About the authorS
Dan Crystal has been working at the WSBA since 2008. He achieved his Psy.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in 2007 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Seattle VA Hospital in 2008. At the Member Wellness Program, Dr. Crystal provides phone support and referrals for mental health concerns; leads career search and meditation groups; and delivers outreach to bar groups statewide on mental health issues. He works with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel as the Diversion Administrator.
Adely Ruiz previously worked at Sound’s Belltown clinic, a community mental health facility where she worked with a vulnerable low-income population. Ruiz also spent several years with the nonprofit organization El Centro de la Raza, where she focused on community engagement and outreach. Ruiz received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington.