Look, we understand. You never wanted to be sitting at a divorce lawyer’s desk, spilling out your secrets. When you got married, going through ugly fights, signing legal papers, and hiring attorneys wasn’t exactly part of your five-year plan. And yet, here you are, because sometimes things just don’t go the way you wanted them to. It’s understandable why you’d feel trepidation in spilling the hard details of your life to a stranger, but trust us when we say that when it comes to law, particularly pertaining to custody and marriage, it’s extremely important to be honest with your divorce lawyer. Let’s look at a few reasons why.
Attorney-Client Privilege
When it comes to law in the movies and media, there are a whole lot of things they get wrong, but attorney-client privilege, surprisingly, is usually not one of them. In a nutshell, attorney-client privilege essentially means that your divorce lawyer isn’t allowed to divulge any information you tell to them — ever — without your consent.
Yes, this means that your lawyer is legally obligated to keep your secrets. Anything you tell them is protected by attorney-client privilege, so unless you give your express consent for them to blab about the skeletons in your closet, you can rest assured that nobody else will know.
Everything Will Come Out
We’ve seen it enough times to tell you that if you think you’re clever about withholding certain information from your divorce lawyer, it’s probably going to come out anyway. Remember, you have a spouse that also has a lawyer, and you can bet your bottom dollar that they are telling all the nitty-gritty details. It’s better to get ahead of any tough obstacles by laying them all out at the very beginning.
It Helps Your Case
Every little thing helps when it comes to defending you in court. Even though lawyers aren’t legally allowed to disclose things you haven’t consented to, it still helps them to prepare a better defense when they have the whole picture. Context is important, and to better understand you, your case, and your spouse, you should know that the more your divorce lawyer knows, the better.
It’s Probably Nothing New to Your Lawyer
At Smith Law, we’ve had more family law cases than we can count. And at this point, we’re pretty confident when we say that, whatever things you’re embarrassed to tell your divorce lawyer, we’ve probably heard them before. Let’s just say that nothing surprises us anymore, and you really shouldn’t let embarrassment prevent you from saying the hard stuff, especially when your legal counsel is no stranger to hearing heavy things.
Divorce Lawyers You Can Trust in Covington and Cincinnati
If you’re in the Cincinnati or Covington areas and are going through a divorce, separation, or any other manner of family law, don’t let embarrassment or fear stop you from talking to a divorce lawyer. At the Smith Law, we have qualified attorneys that are ready and willing to help your case and be your strongest advocate. Divorces are hard enough — don’t make them harder by being caught flat-footed in a legal battle. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!