DEAR ABBY: Several years ago, my adult niece, with whom I am very close, found herself in some legal difficulties and needed an attorney. At the time, due to some medical issues, she wasn’t working and could not afford the attorney’s retainer, so I offered to lend her the money. I told her she could repay me once she began working again.
Nine months later she sent me a check for $500 and, two months after that, another one for $500. The retainer was $2,600. My niece has been steadily employed for the last two years, yet I have received no further payment. I regret that I didn’t set up a formal repayment plan, but I never dreamed she’d default on the loan.
