by Attorney Eric D. PuryearAs an attorney, I’ve seen a recurring theme: clients who are not fully honest with their lawyer. This is a problem because a lawyer who doesn’t know all of the fact of the case can’t develop the best possible legal strategy for that case. Worse yet, when a client isn’t truthful with his attorney, that missing information can lead to surprises at trial – surprises that can hurt the client’s case.
For those reasons, I tell my clients that it is in their best interest to tell me the entire truth. I remind them that attorney-client confidentiality and privilege applies, meaning that I am ethically bound to keep what they tell me to myself. I also explain that as an attorney, I am on the client’s side. This means that no matter what they tell me, I won’t judge them. Instead, I will use all of my legal training and experience to get them the best possible result.