# What motivates litigious people

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-motivates-litigious-people/756729>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 7, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-motivates-litigious-people/756729 "2016-06-07T13:50:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-motivates-litigious-people/756729/41 "2016-06-12T16:36:30Z")

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In case it’s of interest: my friend filed against the student’s claim using our union lawyer. The student (and his parents, who were the moving force behind the stupidity) dropped the claim.

The student/parents then posted some really, really nasty stuff about my friend on RateMyProfessor – the posts were anonymous, but the details made it abundantly clear who it was. I counseled her to just leave it alone and she did when her rage subsided.

Last year the same friend received a threatening email from a mother telling her that if she flunked her Delicate Snowflake son she “would pay for it.” Her lovely son brought a gun to class the next day – he made sure she was looking at him and raised his shirt, gangster style, to show the gun tucked in his waistband.

Academia has become a hazardous job. _Sigh_

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**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-motivates-litigious-people/756729/42 "2016-06-12T17:01:46Z")

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Were the mother and son prosecuted?

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-motivates-litigious-people/756729/43 "2016-06-12T23:13:04Z")

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> [@Jennshark](#):
>
> In case it’s of interest: my friend filed against the student’s claim using our union lawyer. The student (and his parents, who were the moving force behind the stupidity) dropped the claim.
> 
> The student/parents then posted some really, really nasty stuff about my friend on RateMyProfessor – the posts were anonymous, but the details made it abundantly clear who it was. I counseled her to just leave it alone and she did when her rage subsided.
> 
> Last year the same friend received a threatening email from a mother telling her that if she flunked her Delicate Snowflake son she “would pay for it.” Her lovely son brought a gun to class the next day – he made sure she was looking at him and raised his shirt, gangster style, to show the gun tucked in his waistband.
> 
> Academia has become a hazardous job. _Sigh_

:eek:

Did she call the police?

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-motivates-litigious-people/756729/44 "2016-06-12T23:16:15Z")

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> [@MissTake](#):
>
> Of my 250 or so family court cases, I have a half dozen frivolous litigants. Before filing any new motions, they have to present their case to a judge and the judge decides whether the motion can be pursued.  
> IME, their primary motivation is to tie the other person up in court, make the other party spend money on attorney fees, and generally be an irritant to all. I wish I could write about some of the motions people have filed - I swear, if people spent as much time using their power for good instead of petty evil crap, this world would be a much better place.

I used to work with a woman who was doing this to her ex-husband. The ex had to pay the legal bills as part of the divorce settlement, so she did this just to soak him.

We all predicted that their daughter would probably move in with him on her 14th birthday (that’s the age in our state when custody agreements are no longer enforceable) but he died before that happened. I believe she drove him to an early grave by all the crap she pulled; yes, he was unfaithful but trust me, it wasn’t all his fault. :rolleyes:

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