One of the cornerstones of a healthy attorney-client relationship is honesty. Often times when a client comes to us, they paint their side of the story in the rosiest colours – they did everything right, the other party did everything wrong. Any lawyer with a modicum of experience will tell you that 99% of the time, it’s not that clear cut. But why tell the truth?
Many clients have a habit of not telling the WHOLE truth because they think it will damage their case. But that could not be further from the truth (pun intended).
The Truth Always Comes Out
Somewhere down the line, the other side will be able to tell their version of events (and with experience, attorney’s can usually tell which version is more believable). If your matter ends up in court, there’s also something called ‘cross-examination’. If you lied, this is where you will almost always get caught. The last thing that will help your case is being caught with your metaphorical pants on fire in front of a judge.
Damage Control
If you are honest with your attorney, then there is an opportunity to do some damage control. An attorney armed with ALL the facts is better able to both advise his client and present his case. Furthermore, he will not be blindsided by the other side.
The reality is, that the truth will come out anyway. If it comes out against your will (especially in court), it just destroys your credibility. When you are upfront with the good, the bad and the ugly we are able to properly advise you and prepare for what may realistically follow.
Besides, you should trust your lawyer enough to comfortably tell them the entire story. The attorney-client relationship is governed by confidentiality and the idea of ‘attorney-client privilege’. That means that (unless you are going to commit a crime or we are bound by some law) everything that you tell us, stays with us.
Tell us the truth – it will help us help you.
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