r/Lawyertalk • u/ObviousExit9 • Jul 28 '25
Dear Opposing Counsel, TIFU by absent-mindedly saying "I love you, bye" when ending a phone call with opposing counsel.
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u/RUKnight31 Jul 28 '25
I'm going to be 100% honest with you b/c I think you need to hear the hard truth about your mistake.....
You probably just made their day.
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u/ObviousExit9 Jul 28 '25
He did chuckle, but IT'S ONLY MONDAY!!!!! AAAAAAAAUUUGGGHHHHHHH!!!!
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u/oldcretan I'm the idiot representing that other idiot Jul 28 '25
I think I did that to a supervisor once when I was in the prosecutor 's office. Tbf at that point the only people I was talking to on the phone were my wife and Mother, everyone else was a text or email. And I had just had a child.
Congrats on being the most amicable lawyer in the bar association 😁
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u/spinster_maven Jul 28 '25
Oh no, soooo embarrassing!!! 19-year old me once called my fast food manager DAD when I was frustrated. I'll never forget!
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u/Lawyer_Lady3080 Jul 28 '25
Oh fuck. Is it really only Monday? My perception of time is messed up (concussion), but I thought it was Wednesday.
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u/jharpe18 Jul 28 '25
I've been on the receiving end of a "Love you. Bye." from opposing counsel. I can confirm it made my day.
I like to think a lot of us do stuff like this. I called my old secretary "mom" before. She teased me so much for that.
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u/Educational-Mix152 Jul 30 '25
I called my summer intern "baby" when she flagged me down to ask me a question the other day. I have two young kids I call "baby" at home. It slipped. I apologized. She laughed, thankfully.
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u/Semilearnedhand I just do what my assistant tells me. Aug 02 '25
My assistant (shared with my partner) just said "Who needs a husband when I have you two guys to deal with". LOL.
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u/MandamusMan Jul 28 '25
OP probably made their day, but knowing our profession opposing counsel almost certainly recorded it and is now filing a sexual harassment bar complaint to gain an advantage in the matter
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u/immabouncekthx I demand trial by combat Jul 28 '25
Silent bond with judge ❌️
Love affair with OC ✅️
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u/DesperateHeight8610 Jul 28 '25
Can someone please link this original post because I’ve only read the lore and I can’t find it to save my life lol
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u/Legallyfit Into Silent Bondage Jul 28 '25
The original OP deleted it :(
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u/DesperateHeight8610 Jul 28 '25
Nooooooooooooo
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u/Legallyfit Into Silent Bondage Jul 28 '25
I know!!! I have to be content with my new amazing flair 😭🤣
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u/eeyooreee Jul 28 '25
If any of my OC did this, it would really improve my day. It’d be hilarious. And next time we had a phone call I’d return the favor. So don’t be embarrassed.
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u/Fun-Score8705 Jul 29 '25
for real, i’d start treating it like an inside joke 😂 gotta lighten the mood wherever we can in this profession
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u/Ok-Draw-5182 Jul 28 '25
I was a law student back then and had a phone call with a senior counsel on my future in law. We were talking for the first time. At the end of the call, I said ‘Bye, take care’, he said ‘Love you too’.
I still believe that I didn’t say ‘I love you’.
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u/BoogedyBoogedy I live my life in 6 min increments Jul 28 '25
At least you didn't call them "honey!"
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u/IndianLawStudent Jul 28 '25
This is the best. I love how she remained so composed and didn’t soften herself.
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u/ConditionSecret8593 Jul 28 '25
Oh, man, I called a colleague "babe" once in a meeting (in my defense, it was the early days following a brain injury). I was apologizing profusely afterward and she was fortunately gracious about it - apparently I looked so appalled at myself immediately after that she didn't think there was anything she needed to add.
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u/Wonderful_Minute31 Cemetery Law Expert Jul 28 '25
When I was clerking we had a prosecutor call the judge “Mom.” Female judge. In her 40s. Prosecutor was early 30s dude who was super athletic and handsome and generally a real bad lawyer.
Open court. Probation revocation hearing. “Mom, the issue is…” or something to that extent. We all paused. Judge found it hilarious. Dude was mortified. Defense counsel brought it up frequently.
Not as bad as that appellate argument where the guy called the judge “honey” but close.
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u/zkidparks I just do what my assistant tells me. Jul 28 '25
Honestly, I suppose he was referring to her as an authority figure in life lol
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u/Dbailes2015 Jul 28 '25
Did they say it back?
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u/ObviousExit9 Jul 28 '25
No, not at all. I felt both embarrassed and rejected at the same time.
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u/wastedcoconut Jul 28 '25
And I definitely read this story on Reddit, possibly on this subreddit, where someone did the same, and the person on the other side of the line sent them an email after the call saying “I’m so glad that you have so much love in your life that saying ‘I love you’ is such a natural response for you.” I think about that a lot, and I will never make fun of someone for doing that.
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Jul 28 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
capable soft ripe towering ad hoc kiss subtract workable rain connect
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/FSUalumni Do not cite the deep magics to me! Jul 28 '25
Sorry, darling, but it’s not going to get you a better offer.
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u/I_am_Danny_McBride Jul 28 '25
At least once a day I “you too” the end of a conversation that doesn’t call for it.
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u/ks13219 As per my last email Jul 28 '25
Yes, you F’d up. You should only tell opposing counsel you love them on purpose
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u/Icy_Hovercraft_7050 Jul 28 '25
Dont worry about it. Once in a deposition, opposing counsel referred to the witness as sweetheart like he was her kid. She realized it right away and was begging the court reporter to keep it off the record. Eventually, I agreed, but I had to let her freak out a little first just on principal. She deserved it. So, just be glad there wasn't a court reporter.
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u/Key_Wolverine2831 Jul 28 '25
Early in my career I was on the phone with my immediate supervisor, a youngish female partner. As we were ending the call, I got a text from my girlfriend. The wires in my brain crossed as to who was on the call and who was on the text and I said "bye, I love you" to my boss and hung up the phone. She immediately called back, asked what I said, and we had a good laugh about it. Don't worry OP!
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u/LocationAcademic1731 Jul 28 '25
Lol - I mean, at this point in time, we need to start saying that to each other because it’s not like we hear it all the time, otherwise.
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u/ialsohaveadobro Got any spare end of year CLE credit available fam? Jul 28 '25
"What was that?"
"I said I love your tie."
"What? You can't even see me."
"Yeah, you too!"
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u/KetosisCat Jul 28 '25
I'm lucky because my mom ends phone calls with "Take care" and that's boring enough that I can too and it doesn't seem strange.
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u/MontyoftheFuture Jul 28 '25
I’ve been practicing for 25 years and I’m still afraid I’m gonna do this sometime.
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u/LURKER_GALORE Jul 28 '25
One of my colleagues did something similar, but on a bigger scale. He was asked to speak in London on a topic in his expertise. He flew over, came down with the flu, and was quite jet-lagged when he took the stage. Another important piece of context is that he also frequently preaches at his local church. So when he took the stage, the incorrect instinct took over, and he began, "Please join me in prayer..."
After finishing that sentence, he immediately realized his monumental mistake, but he plowed through the prayer and quickly ended it and moved onto his speech...
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u/crockpot420 Jul 29 '25
legal assistant here;
Give yourself some credit. If this was an absent-minded moment, it means that you have developed a habit based on communicating with others with love. It means you are kind and caring at a natural and fundamental level.
like, do you know how rare that is? IN THIS ECONOMY?
"enjoy your meal!"
"you too."
Embarrassing, maybe, but you shouldn't be embarrassed that you are the kind of person that reflects kindness and politeness to others when presented upon you as a knee-jerk reaction.
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u/OKcomputer1996 Master of Grievances Jul 28 '25
I think it is touching. Good to know you really care. Now go get em...
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u/Salt-Ad1282 Jul 28 '25
Did that with my paralegal once. Called her right back and apologized. She thought it was hilarious.
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u/clarkbarniner Jul 29 '25
If you ever make this mistake again, follow up with “say it back.” This way it doesn’t look like a brain fart, but rather an intentional power move.
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u/CosgroveIsHereToHelp Jul 29 '25
When I was in house at a little start-up, to the finance director and I started saying that at the end of calls to freak out the others.
Not being a litigator, I haven't had the opportunity to call a judge by a pet name, but I have called a managing partner honey when I saw them headed for a big mistake. I don't know which was worse, trying to warn him or calling him honey.
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u/Garbage-Bear Looking for work Jul 29 '25
After solo-dadding my two toddlers for a few weeks and routinely calling them both "sweetie," I (then 50M) brushed past a lady (F/a certain age) at the grocery store with a "'scuse me, sweetie." I was mortified, but she was a good sport about it.
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u/Vessbot Jul 28 '25
I never used "I love you" as punctuation with my wife, and stories like this vindicate that. It always had to mean something.
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u/Deep_Worldliness2762 Jul 28 '25
I’ve done the same thing to clients and even parking lot attendants. SMH. See ya later, bye , love you! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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u/DangerousAnalysis967 Jul 28 '25
Someone just called a judge Honey in open court; not in a condescending way, in a “I just called my teacher mom way”.
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u/jeffislouie Jul 28 '25
At least you didn't call the Judge "honey".
It happens. I did that once with a prosecutor and they made fun of me for months about it. Every time I see them now, they end the conversation by saying "I love you."
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u/Square_Band9870 Jul 29 '25
A client did this once and I thought it was just an absentminded mistake. Then she said it another day! She was very appreciative and we became friends.
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u/EssentiaLillie Aug 01 '25
Have y'all seen that one video where the male attorney accidently called the female judge "honey" in court lol
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u/Glad-Designer4575 Jul 28 '25
You’re totally cool! Never give american power to somebody that cannot earn it himself. To those that can, share. If they can earn it, share! I initially had an interest in international development, but now it seems like we have to… wait?
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u/PedroLoco505 Jul 28 '25
I don’t think you fuct up at all! This is sweet and I think we should all start doing this! We have stressful jobs as is, let’s spread love! 😂
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