A subpoena for production of documents is a direct command from the court.  If you don’t produce the documents you can be arrested, verbally beaten up by a judge and jailed.  “Contempt of court” gets judges so cranky that it takes the heat off the rest of us.  Unless you are looking for material for a book or otherwise have a few days/weeks to kill, just comply with the subpoena.    Is it easy for a lawyer to issue a subpoena?  Very easy.  Although getting the spelling right can be a challenge.     But what if you are asked to produce your trade secrets?  Or your therapist or doctor is ordered to hand over their notes which reveal you have haemorrhoids?     Then you fight. Here are four questions to ask :     1. Is the “subpoena” from the court?  A lawyer’s letters or telephone calls can be ignored.  Also, the documents need only be produced to the court itself.  2. Has the lawyer serving...