Oh, that overcast June day many years ago, standing on Hampstead Heath, watching the Rose and Crown against Steve’s Selects, with a thermos of hot sweet tea with lots of condensed milk; and the ladies keeping score and asking for the name of batsman and bowler. Forget Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey; this was paradise, of a sort.

But as the Stirling lawnbowlers would say “This’ll no’ pey the rint.”

Here’s the story of Jonathan Croy, Docket No. 22861-14L, filed 3/15/16, but Jonathan is no longer among us when Ch J Michael B (“Iron Mike”) Thornton gets the case. Jonathan has gone to a far, far better place.

But his surviving spouse and three issue are asked to take up the shillelagh that Jonathan left, and fight the NOD.

Except they don’t. Nor do they do.

Instead, an attorney I’ll call AAF files Notices of Appearance for aforementioned spouse and three issue.

But AAF has put leg before wicket, and Ch J Iron Mike calls it.

Per Rule 24(a), (b), (c) and (f), none of spouse or three issue are parties to the case. They must first step aboard, whereupon their counsel may enlist in their behalf.

Takeaway- You cannot be counsel to a nonparty. First goes the client, then goes you.