Whether you’re facing a lawsuit or have been charged with a serious crime, aligning yourself with a reputable and experienced lawyer is the first and most important step in ensuring a desirable outcome. The next step is to establish an attorney-client relationship of mutual trust with this professional. Your attorney cannot offer excellent representation unless he or she knows all the details of your case. Following are several reasons why clear and open communication with your lawyer can prevent a number of potentially devastating surprises in court.
Your Defense Attorney Works For You
Once you have retained an attorney, both you and your lawyer will be protected by the attorney-client privilege. This means that any information that you disclose to your lawyer pertaining to your case will not be disclosed to any third-parties. It is the responsibility of your attorney to keep all of your communications privileged and confidential.
While there may be important details that you feel reluctant to discuss, it is both safe and important for you to disclose these things. This remains true even when your admissions show fault or guilt. Your provider cannot wholly and effectively strategize on your behalf or help you if he or she has only a fraction of the necessary information.
What Your Attorney Doesn’t Know Could Harm Your Defense
Part of preparing for a case is anticipating the strategies that prosecutors and other parties might use to undermine your character, prove your guilt or otherwise show fault. So not only is it vital for you to discuss your current case openly and honestly, but you also want to talk about any other past criminal or legal events that are likely to rear their heads in court.
You never want your defense team to be surprised by information that you’ve neglected to mention. If you think that there is something that might be in any way relevant to your case, you should be sure to bring this to your attorney’s attention.
Get An Expert Attorney For A Solid Strategy
Based on the information that he or she has received, your attorney will help you devise a solid strategy for both your case and your appearance in court. Depending on the nature of your case, this strategy might include how you will plead, whether or not you will offer to settle outside of court or whether you will accept a plea bargain. Even a small amount of undisclosed information can have a very dramatic impact on your overall case strategy. A failure to report statements that you’ve made, actions that you’ve taken or interactions with any other parties involved in your case could undermine any strategy that your lawyer has laid out.
Therefore, it’s important to remember that your defense lawyer works for you and that he or she will always represent your best interests. It is only possible for attorneys to provide truly excellent results when they’re fully informed of all of their client’s dealings and issues. This makes keeping open lines of communication simple which are essential for ensuring a wholly positive outcome and a smooth, seamless experience overall.