Erin Has Just Concluded Another Case in Which She Lived

question 77

Multiple Choice

Erin has just concluded another case in which she lived up to the slogan posted on billboards all over the city: "The number-one choice for women facing divorce!" She followed textbook negotiation strategies and came fully prepared to the meeting with her client's soon-to-be ex-husband and his lawyer. At the meeting, Erin asked a number of questions, maintained a friendly atmosphere, and presented her client's list of demands. In the end, she got everything she wanted for her client-the house, one of the cars, custody of the children-and did so without acceding to a single one of the opposing side's demands. They finished off with a formalized agreement and then Erin and her client went out to celebrate their victory. However, Erin may have missed one thing, which is that she should have

• A) sought to win over the other side, not simply in legal terms but also in personal terms, so as to maintain a friendly atmosphere.
• B) taken a different tone from the beginning, dispensing with niceties and letting the other side know that she intended to win.
• C) let the other side win on some small point, so they would walk away feeling they had won at least something.
• D) spent more time researching the husband's net worth to see if she could extract more money for her client.
• E) asked her client if there were any point at which she would rather walk away than give up anything more.

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