Instead, ugly things get said, emotions get heated and the best that can happen is a standoff. Never Get Angry at a Settlement Proposal. If a settlement proposal comes in writing, of course we immediately send it out to our client. It is not unusual for our client to call us after reading it, livid with at how outrageous the proposal is and how far it is from what the client perceives as fair. True, some proposals are so low or so high as to be insulting.
Some lawyers ask for the stars, hoping to get the moon.
Others misinterpret the parameters of reasonable settlement. Whichever is true, at least there has been an attempt at settlement. Rather than get angry if the proposal is in the stars, then start from the ground up. If the proposal is unreasonable because the other side misunderstands the reality of the situation, then educate the other side. But never get angry - any proposal, even a bad one, is better than no proposal at all.