Contract Attorney Suicides

"This problem is more widespread than some of you think. An attorney friend of mine has been in the hospital since a suicide attempt a few weeks ago.

Although he was once a partner at a mid-sized firm, since then, my friend has slid down the attorney food chain and has supported himself since the last downturn through contract work. (It is indeed true; once you start down the contract attorney path, it is very hard to get off it, especially if you're older.)

Unable to find any kind of work since being laid off from his last contract gig in the fall, my friend recently lost his apartment, moved in with relatives and is flat broke.

I'm not sure whether he has medical insurance to cover his hospital stay; he paid for insurance as long as he could, since he has chronic medical problems, but the last I heard, he was trying to get Medicaid.

Neither am I even sure how he is doing right now. He hasn’t been answering his e-mail."

-From Above the Law