dan@aplvax.UUCP (08/22/83)
Let me cast a vote in favor of the lawyers. Law may appear too complicated and incomprehensible to the layperson, but it serves a justifiable purpose. I say this because I have been scr*wed a number of times when I thought I could get by without legal advice. This involved the forming of contracts on the basis of "mutual trust", and once on a written contract (for programming I did for a well- known corporation) which I thought was clear enough and that I didn't need to have it screened by a lawyer. Boy, was I wrong. Listen, many business concerns are out for blood. If they can get away with something, or get something for nothing, they will. Despite anyone's ideals, when money is at stake, some people will do almost anything to get it. After the bad experiences that I've had at the hands of the unscrupulous, I now view the law (and lawyers) as protectors of my rights. As someone else already said, the verboseness and concern for details is to ensure that all bases are covered. You pay a lawyer to anticipate what can go wrong. Supposedly, they have more experience in this than the rest of us. I believe it.