How Honest Should You Be With Your Lawyer?

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. Though lawyers, by definition, are well-versed in the landscape of law, you need to provide background information (details, first-hand accounts, documents, etc.) so they can smoothly steer through the long and winding legal road without making anyone nauseous along the way. So yes, it is important that you speak the truth to your lawyer, no matter what it is.

During these uncertain times, if you're looking for the best lawyer in Sydney, NSW, Jeffrey of JCL Legal is available by mobile phone. Please call him on 0419 233 670.

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Here are some reasons why you should always be honest with your lawyer:

Help Your Lawyer Helps You

Plain and simple: Don’t lie. Remember that you and your lawyer are on the same team. 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. Your lawyer cannot share confidential information with anyone unless you give them permission to do so. When you start omitting relevant facts or adding fictitious information to your story, it’ll only hurt you in the end. Be prepared to explain everything to your lawyer—the good and the bad. This will help them give you the right advice and guidance to ensure the best possible outcome.

Save Your Money By Saying The Truth

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.

Your Lawyer Won’t Judge You

Clients often lie because they fear being judged. However, the last person to judge you is probably your lawyer. An oath and confidentiality bind them, so you shouldn’t worry about exposing the whole truth to your lawyer. Also, don’t worry that you have nothing to tell your lawyer except for trivial things. Seemingly frivolous details like the weather may, at first, seem dismissible. But in the eyes of the law, every detail matters; every variable has the potential to help your case. And since your lawyer doesn’t follow your every move (we certainly hope not!), it’s your responsibility to be your lawyer’s eyes and ears so they are looking at the whole (and most importantly, accurate) picture. Give specifics (names, dates, and exact incidents) and factual information to produce that crystal clear view.

Your Lawyer Is On Your Side

You hire a lawyer to help you and that lawyer represents you in 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. Most lawyers will tell you that if you don’t tell them the truth it sours their view of you and can make a positive attorney/client relationship a negative one quickly. Needless to say, this is not a good situation for you. There are two ways you can “lie” to your lawyer: • One way is to omit part of a story. If you leave out important events or facts when you are explaining the story to your lawyer this gives your lawyer a false impression on what way to steer your case and also about the strength of it in the first place. • The other “lie” is the flat-out kind. For instance, if you say it wasn’t you when it was or maybe you state that you told someone they couldn’t do something when you actually said it was ok. Anything similar to this can derail your case almost instantly.

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. Also, try not to miss or reschedule a meeting with your lawyer. The sooner they have all of the information they feel they need, the sooner they can get into your case and plan your defence. You’ll also have some answers once this happens which will give you some idea of any outcomes you may be facing.

Hire The Best Sydney Lawyer Who Cares About Your Needs

You can significantly disadvantage yourself by trying to take on all the work associated with your legal issues on your own without consulting a professional. Absolute accuracy is vital when filling out paperwork and documentation and you will be subject to strict submission deadlines. A good Sydney lawyer like JCL Legal will be able to assist you with any legal issues in an efficient manner. To better your chances of meeting your goals in a timely manner, they can handle negotiations on your behalf and if needed, represent you in court. During these uncertain times, if you're looking for the best lawyer in Sydney, NSW, Jeffrey is available by mobile phone. Please call him on 0419 233 670.

Contact JCL Legal now! We are a law firm that cares about your needs.

sources: prestonlaw.com.au, rocketlawyer.com, halt.org