Regardless of how you feel about lawyers, when you need one, they can be your best friend. A good lawyer will work with you when you need legal help, to help you understand the situation, and will help you to find the best possible results. In order to help you, they need a client that they can work with. Here’s to be that.
The First Call
When you first need to call a lawyer, whether a divorce lawyer or a criminal law firm, you should have as much information as possible ready to give them. A productive first conversation will give you and your lawyer a good idea of whether you can work together. Most of us think that lawyers just take cases, but the relationship has to go both ways. Your lawyer is your legal representation, which means you have a say in things too.
The first call should give you a feel for the lawyer, their experience, and how comfortable you feel with them. For your lawyer, the first contact if for gauging your trustworthiness, the legitimacy of your claim or defence, and how successful they would be if they were to represent you.
You need to make sure the relationship is productive. If you have questions, ask them. Your lawyer should be able to explain things clearly, in a way that you understand,
Be Honest
Once you have found a lawyer that you feel comfortable working with, you should lay all your cards on the table. The first rule of working productively with your lawyer is to be honest and truthful at all times. The conversations you have with them are protected by law, so you don’t have to hold back. If your lawyer asks you to tell them everything, they mean it.
There are two people that you should never lie too; your doctor and your lawyer. A lawyer can’t help you with your legal case unless you’re one hundred per cent truthful with them. They need to know what the other side might use against you. Whether you’re in the midst of a divorce case caused by your cheating, or you’re worried about money in a contracts despite, don’t try to lie to or keep things from your lawyer. Honesty will make your case go more smoothly which can cost you less money.
The importance of honesty can’t be understated when you work with a lawyer. The last thing that your lawyer needs is to be surprised by a revelation late in the case that they should have known about from the beginning. Whatever it is, tell your lawyer early on so they can properly prepare and adjust their case around this information. If you’re holding onto some information and wondering if it’s relevant to the case, ask your lawyer. Don’t sit on some information because you think it’s irrelevant. Too much information is better than not enough. They’re your legal representation and they need as much information from you as possible to do their job properly.
