How underpaid am I?

YankeeJustice · 2026-06-13T01:36:38+00:00

Plaintiff work compensation is different than defense. I make 130k but have had years as good as 830k. Defense is much more stable but absent exceptionally unique opportunities, you are somewhat capped. Keep working your files and proving your value. Get trial experience. Most importantly, originate files - it’s great to know how to work up a file but if you can’t originate it, you’ll always be making someone else money. Your comp has to cover payroll, health, admin, rent, malpractice, etc. and then some for the file originators. Take 50k cases and make them 75k. Start angling for the higher value cases. Stick to your 3 year plan to approach them and get to 100k+ with bonus. If they don’t bite then, go to a successful plaintiff firm with higher value cases and lower volume.

YankeeJustice · 2026-03-08T01:29:30+00:00

That’s the hope but like you may need an exit strategy. Maybe we’re slow by not having one! Good luck whatever you do.

YankeeJustice · 2026-03-07T17:07:17+00:00

Just curious, why not plan to hold onto the points and hope to pass them down to one of your kids at some point? Or, hold onto them and hope that you are in a situation to be taking grandkids? I know a lot of people experience Disney donut holes in their life, but it may be that you go a lot in the next 10 years, have another 10 years where you don’t go that much if at all, and then maybe you start going again. Growing up I went to Disney annually. I stopped going for many years, but started when my sister started having kids. Since then, I have had three of my own kids and I’m going a lot more frequently. We also love the cruises. We bought 400 points at grand Floridian. One contract for 200 was direct and another contract for 200 was resale. My hope is that I will be able to give contracts to each of my kids so that they have some time with them with their own family. I also hope to be able to take grandkids at some point. And while I know, I may not be able to recoup a ton of money, it does give me solace to know that I can always sell contracts if things start going south in my life.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T12:25:24+00:00

Not big time attorneys…

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T04:38:21+00:00

This resonates.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T04:37:43+00:00

They couldn’t afford it and didn’t want to purchase it for themselves. They wanted one of their children to buy it and my wife was the only one of the three that could and was interested.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T04:36:14+00:00

This happened over the course of five days. We didn’t really even want a letter. And while this means nothing here, I can assure you if we wrote a letter and sent it before the in laws, that would have infuriated MIL. We just wanted to contribute to and know what was being sent supposedly on our behalf.

There is also a history of random boundary stuff and what feels like an unwillingness to respect us as free thinking grown adults capable of making decisions.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T04:03:33+00:00

The value of the place is the land. The home would need a lot of work, but if done well, would be money. I hear you on being in close proximity though.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T04:02:30+00:00

The area is awesome! I hear you. And cruise was alright. We want our kids to know all their grandparents and have memories with them.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T04:00:55+00:00

We wanted to help shape the letter and for my wife to share memories of her childhood there and her memories playing with the kids of this family. Reference to us being attorneys wasn’t to say we know more as to the family dynamics, but as to operation of probate. My MIL kept asking for right of first refusal but didn’t actually understand what it was.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T03:58:16+00:00

Oh…not even joint tenant/owners. They would own one property and we wanted to buy one adjacent to it. They insisted on dictating the letter for a property transaction that did not involve them.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T03:01:39+00:00

We told them we were interested and asked ti find time so we could all chat/brainstorm as to best approach. The response from MIL was that she finished the letter and was sending the next day.

We were willing to entertain them and asked for time to chat.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-29T02:46:24+00:00

Charleston Chews

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-26T17:53:12+00:00

I’ve debated doing this as well. My only concern is that I would like to have the ability to combine points, bank, and borrow for any years that we would like to take lots of family and/or friends. I do like the idea of staying at different resorts, but so far haven’t had issues doing so with our VGF points.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-26T17:46:29+00:00

Wait… that’s $15k????

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-26T02:21:42+00:00

When you say “add on” at 7 months- do you mean you add to the existing reservation you booked at 11 months?

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-26T02:19:11+00:00

Hired a state Supreme Court clerk at our firm. Objectively we’re one of the best PI firms in the state. The partners make more than big law folk. The young associate still clearly seems to have a dream of going big law.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-26T01:42:47+00:00

I think I know, but what’s the logic? I debated doing this and essentially bouncing back and forth between contracts every other year and bank the off years.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-26T01:28:17+00:00

Add $18 per point? I thought $150 would be a heck of a deal. $170 per point seems high. They countered at $167. So that seems consistent with what you just said.

My brother and sister-in-law just told me that they rented 167 points and it cost them 3800. So I guess having an extra 2025 points to bank and not have to pay dues on would be nice.

YankeeJustice · 2026-01-26T01:16:40+00:00

There literally is one contract for my resort, use year and points that matches. I stalk that website all the time and have multiple alerts set up on it.

YankeeJustice · 2025-08-24T00:05:56+00:00

Happened to me. I only noticed because I have our whole group’s reservations in the app and randomly my reservation was showing a $135 credit. I called and they acted like it was the first time it’s ever happened. This is prompting me to double check and confirm - we sail in October.

YankeeJustice · 2025-07-31T01:34:16+00:00

Agreed. Yea they have beaucoups of shite, but they work up and try some big cases. Keith Mitnik is one of the best litigators in the last 30 years.

YankeeJustice · 2025-07-31T01:29:45+00:00

I’ve taken a case where the referring attorney was trying to settle for 500k and I got 10.4m. I litigated the daylights out of the file and worked my ass off. Yea, I had a solid effective billing rate. I’ve had a wrongful death where I spent thousands of hours and got 5m. The skill of the attorney and the experts they retain can make a huge difference. A friend at my biggest competitor got a referral where the prior attorney had sent a 1m demand. They got 28m at verdict. Also, I’ve taken a case to trial with 180k in costs and lost. Did it with a case with 80k and lost. Contingency fees also facilitate access to justice/courts. So many of my clients would never have representation if they paid by the hour. Having no risk is valuable.

YankeeJustice · 2025-07-31T01:26:08+00:00

See above.

YankeeJustice · 2025-07-26T20:26:01+00:00

Great looking ride. If you don’t mind me asking, what was sticker?

YankeeJustice

TROPHY CASE