Honesty when dealing with your lawyer is a must. As you know, attorneys are always acting in the best interest of their clients, so you want them to have the right information upfront.

You have a lot to gain by being open and truthful with your legal team. Honesty encourages greater accountability on both sides. Furthermore, the attorney will better understand your situation and be more equipped to help you seek justice.

Greater Accountability

The best thing about honesty between a client and lawyer is that it builds trust. Having legal representation revolves around teamwork. Each player is responsible for their actions. Honesty is a principle that governs an attorney beyond client representation. As for the client, being truthful underlines accountability for their actions and responsibility for their future deeds.

Saving Money

A skilled attorney will always work for the client’s best interest in the legal field. However, when you are keeping a secret from your lawyer about important aspects of your life you endanger the lawsuit.

An attorney will choose the best course of legal action based on the information they receive. If that information is incomplete or dishonest, it will lead the case down a perilous road. Re-directing the course of action will take more time, money, and effort.

Being truthful with your lawyer from the start will help them take the correct approach the first time around. Although sharing intimate information can be uncomfortable, remember you are dealing with a legal expert, and doing so is in your best interest.

Planning Legal Action

If a client is dishonest, the attorney could potentially be making decisions that are not in their best interest. The details of a case dictate the best course of legal action.

For example, if you offer false information about how an accident occurred, the attorney will build the case in line with this narrative. However, if the opposing counsel can find proof and deconstruct the storyline, your credibility will be in question.

This is why it is so important to do all you can to ensure the lawyer has all the correct facts and information before making any decision about your case. Having a personal injury lawyer in Richmond who understands your situation and works toward your benefit will allow you to have the best outcome possible.

Client-Attorney Privilege

A lawyer will keep the client’s private information confidential, although there are certain exceptions to this. The client-attorney privilege is in place when a case is being discussed. If you worry about keeping secrets from your lawyer, a lack of honesty can lead to dire consequences.

Such a provision is critical because it means that anything discussed with your lawyer cannot be used against you in a court of law. For an attorney to ensure the best results for a client, they must be completely honest with them as well.

Better Negotiations

Negotiations are an important part of legal proceedings. Your attorney can negotiate with the opposing counsel to settle before the case reaches trial. However, for successful negotiations, your lawyer must hold the right cards.

If they know all the details surrounding the accident and any information the other side might hold against you, they can work around that and get you the best deal possible.

One of the worst things that can happen is for your lawyer to be blindsided. Getting caught off-guard can put them in an inferior position to the opposing lawyer. Therefore, you should try to give your attorney as much information as possible. Even if it may seem irrelevant to you, a legal expert may find a hidden value in a piece of data.

Final Thoughts

Bear in mind that a lawyer will always represent their client’s best interest. However, to do so, they must have all the correct facts of the case. To increase your chances of a successful legal outcome, be upfront with your attorney and do not hold back any information.

Leland D. Bengtson

As a journalist, Leland D. Bengtson dedicated most of his career to law reporting. His greatest satisfaction is to convey legal matters to the public in a language that they can understand. He is active on various platforms and media outlets, writing about common legal issues that people confront with every day. While medical malpractice is his strong suit, Leland covers plenty of other topics, including personal injury cases, family law, and other civil and even criminal legal matters.