You are not obliged to be nice-continued

The favour I was asked to do was give her husband a reference.

It was to confirm the period that he had been self employed. I have no idea why she though I could do this. She gave me no information and it was not something I had any knowledge of.She was obviously desperate and my name came up.

What normally happens is that they give me instructions and I repeat whatever my client tells me. This fools the unwary as the client has pulled a fast one. They have tried to legitimise their assertions by getting me to put in a solicitirs letter.

I declined to do it because it is an accountant's quesiotn. I can only assume that they either had not done their accounts and paid their taxes or they had not paid their accountant.

They cast around for some poor mug who they could use and it happened to be me. Also whatever they paid me for such a letter would be cheaper then paying their acocuntantor their taxes. Also no doubt they wanted a free letter for old time's sake.

If people who I have not heard from for a long time contact me on a personal level it is usually because: 1 They want a free favour (not they have given me any) 2 They have taken their work elsehwere and are now asking me questions about what went on before.

On both occasions they do not expect me to bill them. The think my time and expertise is free.

I liked the quote in Inherit the Wind about journalism it is to

Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

My variation of that is Comfort the afflicted and bill them and Afflict the Comfortable and bill them

The moral is don't upset those who can do you favours.