This paper fits somehow into several years of research and conjecture on legal counseling-the study of what takes place in the law office, in one-on-one relationships between professional and client. Most of my work has been in what is called the "estate planning" field-partly because it is an emotionally elaborate professional activity that takes place in the office, and not in courts or meetings or committees; and partly because it is my primary teaching interest, the field of legal endeavor I know most about.