During such a rough time in your life, it’s natural to be protective of the less-than-desirable parts of your relationship. Sharing those intimate details with a lawyer, a person you only just met, can feel uneasy. Yet, in the face of divorce, being transparent with your attorney is crucial. Holding back information, even those you believe are damaging, can potentially put you at a disadvantage.
Benefits of sharing information with your lawyer
Divorce can leave you wanting to represent yourself in the best light, scared to let out anything that might tarnish your reputation. However, your lawyer is not there to judge you. Instead, they work to provide you with sound advice and guidance and be your advocate.
Keeping crucial details to yourself could only make their counsel and legal strategy less effective. By giving your lawyer the full picture, you help them understand your situation better and anticipate how the other party might act. This knowledge can play a crucial role in crafting a strong defense for your case.
The secrets you have could come out later anyway. Your spouse has a lawyer, too. They could dive deep into your marriage and bring private matters to light during proceedings.
Your divorce attorney should be able to manage even the most damaging truths, but they can only help you if they are aware of it. If you have concerns about the confidentiality of these facts, rest easy knowing that you are protected by attorney-client privilege.
What does attorney-client privilege cover?
When you hire a lawyer, anything you share with them is confidential. Unless you waive your attorney-client privilege, they cannot share such information with anyone outside of your legal counsel.
Still, it is important to remember that there are situations when attorneys must break confidentiality. If you threaten harm to your spouse, plan to commit a crime or disclose knowledge of another attorney’s misconduct, your lawyer may have to disclose this information.
Additionally, bringing in a third party during consultations or sharing confidential matters with them may forfeit your right to attorney-client privilege.
If you have concerns about attorney-client privilege, consider speaking to an attorney. Although you have things you would prefer to keep to yourself, remember that the lawyer you hire is on your side. Your honesty can help equip your divorce attorney to the fullest, allowing them to be well-prepared as they advocate for you in a divorce.
