I’m a trusts and estates paralegal. I left the large law firm I’d been at for over six years to go to a boutique law firm (big law firm had a new office administrator that was horrible…she’s since been fired, but I digress). After moving to boutique law firm (BTL) I knew that they were not a great fit. They discussed politics, religion and other topics that I don’t believe should be discussed in the workplace. At the first office holiday party, the receptionist brought brownies baked with weed (legal in Washington). At least half of the staff partook and one of the partners hit it hard. In my mind, completely unprofessional. I was the first to leave the party. I typically would go into my office and other than pleasantries to everyone, kept to myself.

Near the end of my first year with BTL I had health issues: insomnia, horrible back pain, foggy brain, and more. This made it difficult for me to concentrate and bill hours (a law firm’s commodity is time so it’s a big deal if you’re not meeting billable hours). Eventually I was diagnosed with Stage 3B Chronic Kidney Disease but wasn’t provided any advice for improving my life other than to limit my Diet Coke addiction (I should have been advised to stop Diet Coke immediately as it is horrible for the kidneys). Anyhow, I let the paralegal in the office next to me and one of the partners know what was going on but was given zero consideration with respect to the hours required of me.

I struggled for about 8 more months after my diagnosis. I’d spent 16 days in February in Tanzania and Zanzibar on vacation. Two weeks after that I was called into the conference room and two of the partners were there. They informed me that I was fired because they audited my computer and saw that I had recorded a Deed for someone outside the firm and scanned it on their system before forwarding. There was zero conflict of interest and I recorded the Deed after I’d been at the Courthouse to open up a new probate (the Assessor’s Office is across the street from the Courthouse). I also took the 15 minutes of personal time I used to record the Deed from my lunch that day. As for using the scanner, I agree that it was firm property and I should not have done that but, let’s be real, every person in that office (or any office) will make the occasional personal copy or scan. They managed to use that as reason to fire me with cause and made it clear that they would challenge any unemployment claim I would make. They bullied me. They had never given me any warning or anything…just pack up your desk and get the hell out.

My revenge is that I’m living a better life now and the time I was unemployed I used for self-reflection and finding how to heal my body. I work at a large firm in another state, my adult children and I share a home (love them!), and my toxic mother is out of my life. In many ways, it was the best thing that could have happened at the time. Don’t get me wrong, unemployment sucked but I love my new job, my CKD is now down to Stage 2, and I’ve a new understanding for other people enduring hardships.