Honesty is the best policy – especially when you are dealing with your lawyer.
Just like any relationship regardless of whether it is personal and professional, communication is key. This is particularly true in a lawyer and client relationship.
When working with a lawyer you should not withhold facts and the truth from them regardless of whether it’s good, bad or just plain ugly.
It is important that you speak the truth to your lawyer, no matter what it is. Here are the top reasons why you should be brutally honest with your lawyer:
1. They won’t be able to help you unless they know everything.
Lawyers can only work based on the information that you provide to them. They will use the details that you provide them to find the best strategy that will work in your case. Lying to them hinders them from finding the right solutions that’ll work best for you.
2. It helps avoid confusion and misunderstandings – Tell them, if you don’t understand something.
Judicial process can be confusing. Don’t hesitate to ask your lawyer if you’re confused about something. Oftentimes, this will save you from more trouble.
3. To Save Money – Having all the facts means your lawyer won’t go off in the wrong direction.
When you refuse to tell the truth to your lawyer you’re likely to end up spending more. As part of the lawyer’s job, he or she will explore every option to solve your problem, but if they are doing that based on bad information you are basically paying them to go on a wild goose chase. You’re not helping your lawyer by not sharing the information they need from you to resolve your case.
4. They Won’t Judge You – Lawyers are here to help.
Clients often lie because they fear being judged. However, the last person to judge you is probably your lawyer. Lawyers are here to help you and they are bound by an oath and confidentiality so you shouldn’t worry about exposing the whole truth to them.
5. They are on your side – The kind of assistance they can offer will be limited by how open you are to them.
You hire a lawyer to help you and that lawyer represents you in the court. That means they are on your side and you need to be open to them as much as possible for them to effectively help you.
6. They need the truth to come up with the best solution to your problem
Withholding the facts is going to be an obstruction for your lawyer to find the best solution for you. Without the facts, their strategy and advice can be flawed and ultimately may lead to unsuccessful results.
7. To Avoid Perjury
When you present lies to the court, either in person or in written form (like in an affidavit), you commit perjury and, if caught, may face criminal charges and potentially even jail time.
The only way for your lawyer to be able to extend the help that you need is by knowing the whole story. This being said, you should hire someone that you trust, can communicate with openly and feel comfortable working with. This helps ensure the whole process is going to be smoother and your lawyer will be able to do everything he or she can to get you the best results.