Welcome, dear reader!

We’re about to delve into the story of one couple that has some serious issues. Expect some serious flames in this one, coz it will be fiery, courtesy of our dear B. Z. Fanti. You ready? Let’s go!

The glass doors of Dominus Chambers swung open suddenly, disrupting the calm atmosphere in the reception area.

Heads turned as an irate young man stormed in, his face flushed with anger and frustration. Smartly dressed in a three-piece suit, he walked over to the receptionist, his dark expression unflinching.

The elderly-looking lady looked up from her desk with a raised eyebrow. “Good afternoon! Can I help you, sir?” she inquired, maintaining her professional demeanor.

The young man took a moment to catch his breath, then stared straight at her. “I need to see a lawyer. Now!” he exclaimed.

The receptionist, looking unamused by his outburst but keeping her professional attitude in check, calmly picked up the phone and dialed an extension.

“Mr. Boakye, there’s a gentleman here who urgently needs to see a lawyer. Shall I send him to your office?”

A moment passed, and she nodded. “Very well. I’ll bring him over.”

Tapping his foot impatiently, the young man quickly followed the receptionist as she beckoned him to follow her lead to the office of this Mr. Boakye lawyer. Passing two offices that looked empty, she stopped at the next office, with the inscription ‘Graham Boakye’ on the door.

She knocked, then gestured at him to enter.

The young man nodded curtly, then entered the office.

There sat a man who looked like he is in his late forties, with reading glasses on. He smiled and nodded and gestured toward the visitor’s seat. “Have a seat, sir,” he offered.

The young man immediately took his seat, his mood as sour as when he first entered the firm.

“Alright, so, what’s your name, and what brings you here?”

He sighed, then blurted out, “Sir, my name is Nicholas Koomson, but people call me Nicky, and I need a divorce, and I need it fast. I can’t take it anymore. My marriage is falling apart, and I can’t stand being with my wife. It’s over! There’s no turning back at this point.”

Mr. Boakye leaned forward, his eyes attentive. “Alright, Mister… Nicky. Let’s go over the reasons you’ve decided to pursue a divorce. Take your time and let it all out.”

Nicky sighed as he began. “It’s just, you know, everything feels so… off. I don’t think we can fix it anymore. She just doesn’t respect me. I mean, I come home after a long day of work, and she treats me like I’m invisible, or she rips into me. No appreciation, nothing. I mean, chale, I work hard, and I expect to get some acknowledgment of that, but this woman… kai! She never appreciates what I do. It’s always about what I haven’t done or what I could do better. So-so noisemaking nkoaa!”

Mr. Boakye nodded, taking out a pen and jotting down some notes as Nicky proceeded to use the next twenty minutes for bitterly griping about how bad his marriage had become. From her blatant disrespect to the ever-toxic atmosphere at home, this gentleman laid it all out before the lawyer, desperate to be freed from this union.

Once he was done writing as Nicky stopped, he sat back and sighed. “Mmmm… well, these are… pretty significant issues. There’s definitely a huge problem. But, I need to be clear on certain things. Have you tried talking to her about all these issues and how you feel about them? Communication is crucial.”

Nicky rolled his eyes. “Communication, ke? What communication haven’t I tried? Of course, I’ve tried. But it doesn’t work. She’s just one frustrating human being who won’t listen to me or even consider my feelings. Chale, Lawyer, I’m sick and tired. I’ve done all I can.”

Mr. Boakye paused for a moment, then probed further. “Okay. Have you considered couples counseling, or gotten a trusted third party involved? It might help improve communication and understanding between both of you.”

Nicky’s face contorted in disgust. He waved his hand dismissively. “Respectfully, please, forget all that. Those things you’ve mentioned won’t solve anything. Whether counsellor, whether therapist, whether her parents or my parents, it won’t work. She never listens, and I’m tired of trying. I just want to get this over with. Quickly.”

Mr. Boakye leaned forward, shaking his head. Just as he thought. In all his lamentations, this prospective client had not said anything about involving the family or seeking help elsewhere. And that was obviously not good.

“Um, Mister Nicky, I know you’ll already know this, but, divorce is a serious legal process. It’s virtually putting an end to something that’s meant to last forever. As lawyers, we don’t encourage our clients to jump headfirst into this. It’s important to explore and exhaust all possible avenues before making such a decision. Honestly, you need to consider the other options. Counseling has been effective for many couples facing similar issues…”

Nicky crossed his arms, looking super irritated at the suggestion. “Look, I know the kind of woman I’m dealing with, and I’m telling you on authority that all these nice, nice ideas and suggestions you’re making, they won’t work! That stuff won’t get us anywhere. The only way out is to end this… this thing. Once and for all.”

Mr. Boakye raised an eyebrow. This young man’s belligerence was quite off-putting. “Well… that might be the case, but as a lawyer, I need to lay the realities before you. And the reality is this: jumping into divorce without giving counseling a chance might not be… sorry, I mean, it is NOT the best decision. You both need to have the chance to hear each other out and see if there’s a chance at dealing with your issues.”

Nicky looked very frustrated and annoyed. “See, Mr. Boakye, I appreciate your advice, but I can’t go on like this. I need out. Just print me a divorce paper or something, so I can give it to her and she can sign, and we can just end it once and for all.”

Mr. Boakye sat back, looking amused. “Errrmm, no, Mr. Koomson. That is not how divorce works. You don’t just sign a document and that’s it.”

Nicky’s eyes widened. “Ah, but isn’t that what they do all the time in the movies?” he demanded.

Mr. Boakye stifled a laugh. “Yes. That’s what they do. In the movies. That’s not the case in real life. We’re talking about a serious legal process here, which includes court dates, going before a judge, all that stuff. Dissolving a marriage is not as simple as you think it is.”

Nicky, looking baffled by this, let out a sigh of frustration and slumped back in his seat. It seemed like he had built up a scenario in his mind where he would walk in, get a document declaring divorce, and take it back to whoever this woman bothering his life was.

Tough luck for him.

“Look, Mister Nicky, I understand you’re upset and frustrated and all, but I’ll say it again: divorce is a serious legal process with long-lasting consequences. And our courts are usually very slow to dissolve marriages, especially one like yours. You and your wife have been together for over two years, as you’ve said, and the problems you’re facing, in reality, can be solved with a little effort and communication. That is what the judge will tell you. I’ve been doing for fifteen years, so I know what I’m talking about…”

“Lawyer, you don’t know what I’m going through, you don’t know what I’m going through! Ah!” Nicky whined, sounding almost infantile.

“Mr. Koomson, it doesn’t change anything! Even if I agree to take up your case, the judge will not be pleased with me if it’s revealed that you two haven’t even attempted to settle, much less exhaust all avenues of reconciliation. Even in civil matters these days, the courts are encouraging us to try and settle amicably, how much more matrimonial matters…”

“Then just lie and tell the court we can’t settle, eh,” Nicky butted in. “Ah, if it’ll quicken things, then just do it, na me, I can’t continue with this nonsense…”

Mr. Boakye went silent with that suggestion. His eyebrows furrowed.

Then he slowly shook his head and let out a dry smile. “Mr. Koomson, I strongly advise against making hasty decisions. The courts are slow in granting dissolution of marriage, and your case is not compelling enough to get them to give you what you want. Go back, make attempts at settlement, give counseling a try, and wait for a couple more months. You might be surprised. But please, exhaust all options before making such a life-altering decision. Have a good day.”

Ending the meeting, he turned to his paperwork, lines of displeasure appearing on his forehead as he did his best not to show how peeved he was at the suggestion.

Nicky, sensing that the suggestion to lie to the court did not go down well, took in a deep breath, let it out, then started. “Okay, Lawyer, look, I’m sorry if asking you to lie has offended you. It’s just that… I’m dying in this prison. I need to be let out, please.”

Mr. Boakye looked up at him. “Mr. Koomson, like I just said, your case is not compelling enough. As far as I have heard, there is no complaint of infidelity or serious domestic abuse on either side. It’s simply issues that can be resolved with a little bit of effort, which with all due respect, sir, you are refusing to apply. Please, go back and let family intervene, or go for counselling, whichever you’ll prefer, and make an attempt at reconciling with your wife. Surely the woman you thought was the most amazing woman on this planet two years ago can’t have turned into the monster you claim she is. Please, come back in six months, and if you’re still unsatisfied, we can work on proceedings.”

Nicky’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. “Six months??” he exclaimed. “Six whole months? Naaaa, Lawyer, this is too much, this is-“

“This is enough time for you to properly try to fix things with your wife,” Mr. Boakye cut in. “Once you come back, having exhausted all possible avenues with no success, we will proceed. Kindly make the most of it and do your best to fix this marriage. Too many marriages are ending, and I dislike being at the center of them unless it’s absolutely necessary. Good day, Mr. Koomson.”

Nicky’s eyes narrowed. “What a flipping waste of my time!” he spat as he rose to his feet. “Thanks for nothing, Mr. Lawyer!”

Punctuating that with a loud ‘mtcheww’, he turned on his heels and stormed out of the office, the door slamming shut behind him.

Mr. Boakye sighed and glanced at the closed door, unfazed by the young man’s outburst. He knew his principles as a lawyer, and he wouldn’t compromise them, even in the face of a disgruntled client.

Just as he was about to return to his paperwork, the phone on his desk rang. It was the receptionist.

“Yes, my dear Sarai?”

“Mr. Boakye, I just wanted to say that you lawyers, you do well with some of these clients ooo! Ah, that gentleman was incredibly rude and belligerent,” Sarai said with a hint of disgust in her voice. “You should have seen the way he barged out of here angrily! I don’t know how you deal with people like that.”

Mr. Boakye chuckled softly. “Oh, Sarai, don’t worry yourself about it, wai. Clients come and go, but principles remain. I’ll not compromise them for anyone. Let’s just focus on the work we have before us, okay?”

Rude and belligerent indeed! Nicky isn’t making the best first impression, is he? Well, let’s see what happens…