Fairly Legal/YMMV


 * Alternative Character Interpretation: Viewers are divided on Lauren, whether she is a devious golddigger out to steal control of her husband's law firm, or whether she is genuninely trying to keep the firm afloat after the loss of their beloved founder. There is evidence for both, as she is a highly-competent attorney in her own right and seemed to genuninely care for Teddy - and yet is also quite capable of ruthless, outside-the-box tactics to get her way.
 * Second season tends to be leading towards a more sympathetic interpretation.
 * Derailing Love Interests: Not as bad as some examples, but the revelation of  seems to exist solely to provide a reason for Kate to need space and be available to flirt with Ben. Particularly obvious as they were in the process of finalising their divorce and had made a relatively clean break at the end of the first season meaning that having them both choose to move on wouldn't have been an unreasonable part of the plot.
 * Hello, Attorney!: Kate herself is fairly attractive, but a mediator, not an attorney. Her stepmother, Lauren, is an attorney. As is her ex-husband, played by Michael Trucco.
 * Jerkass: Ben Grogen. He piles work on Leo, constantly butts in on other people's conversations as if they didn't exist, and would rather get the best deal than help people. He may seem to care to a degree, but his Jerkass qualities outweigh any kindness he seems to give.
 * Kate as well. As nice as she is to the client of the week, she repeatedly treats the people in her life like crap.
 * The Scrappy: Grogen. He seems to be played like a funny, if somewhat obnoxious lawyer who acts as a Love Interest to Kate, but comes across as a smug Jerkass who only cares about himself, and doesn't give a damn about what's best for his client as long as it get's the most money.
 * The Woobie: Lauren and Kate each occasionally end up in this role. Kate loses a home, husband, job, and father in the space of a year. Lauren loses her husband, gets little respect, gets blackmailed, etc.